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The Last Astronaut

David Wellington

3.60 · Rating details · 3,625 ratings · 561 reviews

Mission Commander Sally Jansen is Earth’s last astronaut–and last hope–in this gripping near-future thriller where a mission to make first contact becomes a terrifying struggle for survival in the depths of space.

Sally Jansen was NASA’s leading astronaut, until a mission to Mars ended in disaster. Haunted by her failure, she lives in quiet anonymity, convinced her days in ...more

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Paperback, 400 pages

Published July 23rd 2019 by Orbit

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Apr 24, 2020 megs_bookrack rated it really liked it · review of another edition

When a large alien object is observed hurtling towards Earth, seemingly under its own propulsion, NASA quickly assembles a team to try to intercept it.

The object, which appears to be a spaceship, dubbed 2I, is unresponsive to all attempts at communication, so the experts figure, they'll get a little closer.

What could go wrong?

Sally Jansen, a former NASA astronaut, has been living a quiet life since a failed expedition to Mars left a fellow astronaut dead. Seeing she is the only individual left ...more

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Jul 23, 2019 Char rated it it was amazing

Shelves: arc, dark-fiction, net-galley, science-fiction

THE LAST ASTRONAUT took all my thoughts about "First Contact", (I'm a Trekkie), and turned them on their heads.

This book deserves a better review than I have time available to give right now, so I must keep it brief.

This was science fiction with a bit of humor and a big bunch of tension. It was fast-paced, with well drawn, deep and fascinating characters. I especially loved Sally Jansen. This woman was one of the bravest characters I've ever read about it. She wasn't perfect and everyone knew i ...more

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May 15, 2022 Melissa ♥ Dog/Wolf Lover ♥ Martin rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 4-stars, cool-cover, kindle-own, mel-s-mysterious-mansion-scare-2022, buddy-reads, machalo, sci-fi

I quite enjoyed this book. That ending was way cool and sad it’s way!

Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾 ...more

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Aug 06, 2019 David Putnam rated it really liked it

I liked this book a great deal. Great concept and execution. There is never a dull moment, (with one exception). The author did an excellent job getting across the enormity of space and how it is so difficult to survive out there. I also found my mind getting stretched with many concepts I don't normally think about. The characters are well drawn.
I would have given this book five stars had the style been more intimate, a voice that was closer third person or even first person alternating third. ...more

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Jun 02, 2019 The Captain rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Shelves: abandon-ship

Ahoy there mateys! Unpopular opinion time. This book has been described as Gravity, Alien, and The Martian combined. I should have loved this one but only managed to make it to the 4% mark. I was struggling with the narration style from the beginning. This is certainly a case of wrong book for this particular reader. But give it a shot if it sounds good to ye because the crew loves this one!

I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for me honest musings. Grateful for the review copy. So s ...more

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May 13, 2020 Dawn F rated it it was ok

Hoo boy, this one soured faster than lactobacilli in a petri dish!

At first I enjoyed the fast-paced, cinematic style where some of the plot was moved forward by recordings of interviews with people relaying what was or had been going on. On audio it was at times confusing, though, because we follow many different voices who all sounded alike (despite the female narrator’s attempt at deep, growling men’s voices, which never does anyone any favors). It would have benefited from a full cast.

Anyway, Hoo boy, this one soured faster than lactobacilli in a petri dish!

At first I enjoyed the fast-paced, cinematic style where some of the plot was moved forward by recordings of interviews with people relaying what was or had been going on. On audio it was at times confusing, though, because we follow many different voices who all sounded alike (despite the female narrator’s attempt at deep, growling men’s voices, which never does anyone any favors). It would have benefited from a full cast.

Anyway, it quickly became apparent that these characters, trained pilots, astronauts and scientists are absolute idiots and unable to perform the simplest requirements of their jobs. The doctor freezes up in shock at the sight of injury, the pilot forgets her seat belt and throws tantrum after tantrum when given orders, the physicist keeps making assumptions about literally everything, inferring this or that about the alien ship without any kind of testing or proof to back up anything, only to have her actually say the words that she’s always careful not to jump to conclusions, right after having jumped to a conclusion she tells us she couldn’t prove. I was crying with laughter at the irony by then, or perhaps just crying in general over the complete lack of professionalism these characters exhibit.

The whole book relies heavily on someone doing something unlikely and stupid to create suspense, like the countless of catastrophe scifi horrors Hollywood loves to bless the movie theaters with and which you need the largest Coke and bag of popcorn to get through just so you can survive the cast of incompetent characters spending most of the time yelling and arguing with each other in panic instead of doing what they are THERE TO DO.

By the end I simply lost any interest in this alien first contact story to the point where I had to rewind ten times to hear the same passage over and over because my brain had simply disconnected any signal from my ears, refusing to absorb more of this nonsense.

And just when you think it couldn’t get more ridiculous the book throws such a meta reference at you that I wonder if perhaps the whole thing was meant as a joke from the author??? I guess I will never know. ...more

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Apr 09, 2019 Leviathan Libraries rated it it was amazing

I fucking loved this book. This is one of the best books I’ve read this year (and possibly better than any I read last year as well). It never went where I was expecting it to go and for someone who reads quite a lot that is such a rarity.

I was completely immersed in David Wellington’s world. The alien object that they encounter was fascinating and different enough from anything I had read (at least that I can remember) that my mind was constantly at work picturing it all. The author does a gre ...more

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Sep 07, 2019 Lata rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: scifi-fantasy, x2019-read

This was good! A nice blend of first contact, exploration, and horror. No jump scares, but there were some scenes where I found myself “eeeeww”-ing from the sheer awfulness the characters were faced with, and liking the tension as the characters made their way through the big, dumb object. The interpersonal dynamics were interesting, though I found it a little predictable who was going to become super paranoid and violent with each new setback/revelation. (view spoiler) ...more

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Aug 02, 2019 Lindsay rated it it was amazing

Shelves: science-fiction, horror

This is a superb SF Horror book that's aware of what has gone before it in both genres, takes what it needs, but comes up with its own clever take on it all. Think Rendezvous with Rama and Life with healthy does of Alien and any number of astronaut books and movies.

Twenty years ago astronaut Sally Jansen was the central figure in a horrible space accident during the first mission to Mars that was the beginning of the end for the NASA crewed space program. Now, an object similar to Oumuamua, exce ...more

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Apr 09, 2019 OutlawPoet rated it it was amazing

Ground Control to Major T…………OMG, WHAT IS THAT THING????

Lol – so, I admit it. When I started reading this book, the background music in my mind was totally Ground Control to Major Tom. I was digging our space scenes, marveling at the amount of detail and danger that the author put into his book, and, even with some tragic scenes, kind of in a state of zen-enjoyment.

And then. Oh, and then…

The background music changed. Instead of David Bowie, I heard creaks and groans and drips and screams and tha ...more

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Sep 14, 2019 Justine rated it liked it

Shelves: 2019-read

2.5 stars

Hmmm. So all my reading buddies loved this, but I didn't feel...much, really, about it.

The premise is cool, the writing is competent, and there is action pretty much throughout. In fact, this is essentially what I thought about another book I read recently, The Stars Now Unclaimed. But I had the same problem with this book that I had with that one, that is, the story is just not character driven enough for my personal taste.

It's not a bad book, and I know lots of people will love it, ...more

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Jun 22, 2019 Liz Barnsley rated it it was amazing

I devoured this book, probably one of the most addictive of my year so far, apart from a break when I had to work it was a one sitting read. Once you start you just have to get to the end.
I do love a good first contact tale and this one was a doozy- fast paced action, twists and turns, hugely imaginative throughout and utterly unpredictable. The scene setting is superb, the characters all intriguing and it’s one of those stories you just live the entire time you are reading it.
The science is utt ...more

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Jul 14, 2019 Sarah rated it really liked it

Shelves: sci-fi, net-galley

The Last Astronaut doesn’t waste too much time getting to the heart of the issue, which I loved. it maintained a pretty quick pace throughout the book, alternating between bouts of action and bouts of discoveries about this alien object. The setting and tone are consistently dark, grim, desolate, and lonely. The image of lights on a space suit cutting through a misty darkness were used repeatedly, which is perfect for this kind of book.

Which is why it baffles me that I didn’t love it more than I The Last Astronaut doesn’t waste too much time getting to the heart of the issue, which I loved. it maintained a pretty quick pace throughout the book, alternating between bouts of action and bouts of discoveries about this alien object. The setting and tone are consistently dark, grim, desolate, and lonely. The image of lights on a space suit cutting through a misty darkness were used repeatedly, which is perfect for this kind of book.

Which is why it baffles me that I didn’t love it more than I did? Unfortunately, and this could just be the mood I was in, I found it really easy to pick this book up, but I also found it really easy to put the book down. I never dreaded picking it up again, and I definitely wanted to finish, but I wish it had compelled me a little more, kept me up late at night because I just had to see what happened next.
I will say the last 25% had me glued to the page so it ends much stronger than it started.

If I had to pinpoint where I struggled with this book I can point to two factors, one of which is a spoiler, but the other of which is the characters. I did like all of them, but I think the character I connected to most, Sunny Stevens, the guy who kick starts the whole book, is absent from the 2nd half. He is the comic relief, he is the character that feels most alive to me. All the other characters are serious, grim types. Which is fine- most scientists probably are that way, but I really needed his jolt of personality to keep me caring about the events of the book. The other characters all feel human enough, I wouldn’t say any of them feel shallow or flat, but they just weren’t characters I connected to. Your mileage may vary.

The writing is great. Descriptive enough to give you the idea and convey the tone without lingering too long on it or slowing down the pace. The length also feels just right. At 400 pages, we’re given just what is needed to tell the story, it’s not bloated but it doesn’t feel like any details were left out either.

The format of the book is that we are reading an in-world book that has been written about these events after they have happened. It’s interspersed with little side snippets of what I thought of as confessions or transcripts from the characters themselves talking to (who I presume) is NASA. I personally enjoyed the format, and it definitely added a layer of impending doom to many of the scenes, but I know that’s not everyone’s cup of tea.

The ending is perfect, and I won’t lie, it made me tear up a little. Overall a good read that’s well worth checking out if you like a good alien, sci-fi horror mash up. Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit for providing me with an eARC for review.

The Last Astronaut releases on July 23, 2019 ...more

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Jul 15, 2019 Emma rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: netgalley, fantasybookreview

Written in the form of a post-event investigation which includes transcribed audio 'confessionals', video records, assorted information excerpts, and multiple POVs, this is a book that presents First Contact through a vividly personal lens. It aims for reality and for the most part, succeeds. This style keeps it high energy and pacey as hell, for a time at least. The opening section and initial stages were really well done, full of fear and disaster. The whole experience feels like every nightma Written in the form of a post-event investigation which includes transcribed audio 'confessionals', video records, assorted information excerpts, and multiple POVs, this is a book that presents First Contact through a vividly personal lens. It aims for reality and for the most part, succeeds. This style keeps it high energy and pacey as hell, for a time at least. The opening section and initial stages were really well done, full of fear and disaster. The whole experience feels like every nightmare you've ever had of space, and that's both its strength and its weakness. It means that when it's done well, your own trepidation and horror builds on what's in the text to produce an anxiety-inducing, stomach roiling, 'thank f**k I'm not there' kind of reaction. Not only is there a proximity with other people issue that forms the baseline for awful, the tension is ramped up with outrageously gut wrenching moments of sheer terror. There's one particular medical bay moment of Alien-esque proportions that stressed me to the max. So much NOPE. I don't know about you but whatever happens to this planet and regardless of tech improvements, I'm not going to space. And this book is a perfect example of why. The familiarity of this emotional reaction is what invests the reader in the story and even if we've read it/seen it before, who cares if it's fun? But the problem with that is when the engagement goes away, the tick box tropes and lack of originality become all the more glaring.

Just over halfway through something goes wrong. Lots for the characters, even more for the reader. It became a slog and I'm not entirely sure why. It certainly lost its vivacity and impetus. Perhaps because there's an over reliance on description- yes, it's cool to create an alien spacecraft and I know you want to tell people about every aspect of it, but it's still not as important as the characters, who suddenly become much more like stereotypical versions of themselves at this point. On top of that, it all gets just a bit far-fetched. Yes, I'm really going to use that word. The ending is so contrived that its way too far beyond credulity. When an event or scene is supposed to raise a hearty cheer for humanity and instead gets an eye roll, you know it's a miss. And that's a real shame, because there are some stunningly imaginative sections. I'd certainly read the author again, but this didn't really work that well for me by the end.

ARC via Netgalley ...more

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Jun 27, 2019 Tammie rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: sci-fi

The Last Astronaut, a science fiction book, was a solid 4 stars.
With a large cast of characters, The Last Astronaut centers around main character Sally Jansen, a retired astronaut that left NASA after disastrous mission. Sally is pulled out of retirement to lead an expedition when a large object is discovered to be heading towards Earth. This isn’t just any large object-it’s “behavior” is unlike any other, showing signs of possible intelligence. Terrifying and creepy stuff that science fiction ...more

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Aug 28, 2019 Veronique rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: scifi, r2019, favourites, horror

4.5*

Very cinematic scifi/horror story that will keep you turning the pages :O)

I’m not exactly a fan of horror but I do like it in this context. The beginning reminded me immediately of Arthur C. Clarke’s Rama series. A huge ‘object’ is flying into our solar system and steering towards Earth. All the usual questions abound. Going through the narrative, I couldn’t stop making parallels with several films and books, but Wellington, while using those recognisable tropes, still puts together somethin ...more

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Jul 11, 2019 Mogsy (MMOGC) rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: science-fiction, audiobook, aliens, horror, review-copy

4 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum https://bibliosanctum.com/2019/07/22/...

For years there has been a moratorium on manned space flight, and Sally Jensen can’t help but feel she’s responsible, after a decision of hers led to the death of crew mate on her last mission. It didn’t matter that her quick thinking also saved lives, the space programs of the world decided that it was too great a risk. But now, a mysterious object has been sighted entering our solar system, slowing makings its way toward 4 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum https://bibliosanctum.com/2019/07/22/...

For years there has been a moratorium on manned space flight, and Sally Jensen can’t help but feel she’s responsible, after a decision of hers led to the death of crew mate on her last mission. It didn’t matter that her quick thinking also saved lives, the space programs of the world decided that it was too great a risk. But now, a mysterious object has been sighted entering our solar system, slowing makings its way towards Earth. No one knows what it is or what it wants, but everyone wants to find out whether it will be a threat to the planet. Scrambling to put together a team to investigate, NASA seeks out the now retired Jensen because no other astronaut has the wealth of knowledge and experience that she does.

But NASA isn’t the only ones interested in what might be humanity’s first alien contact. KSpace, a private sector aerospace company, also wants in on the action. This means that Jensen only has mere months to get ready for the mission of a lifetime, making the most out of her limited resources and an inexperienced crew that she hardly knows. Everyone has also heard about the ignominious way her career ended, so she’s determined to prove herself and not let any harm come to her people. Unfortunately for her though, the aliens didn’t get the memo. Immediately upon reaching the mysterious object, Jensen and her team realize just how unprepared they all were to handle what they find inside.

For readers who love movies like Alien or The Thing, The Last Astronaut will likely scratch a particular itch. David Wellington is also a well-known horror writer, so it’s not surprising that after a while the story takes a sudden and drastic turn down this path. If you’re seeking a more traditional tale of alien first contact, this book might not be for you, but on the other hand, readers looking for a skin-crawling, claustrophobic and eerie journey through some psychologically dark and disturbing places will probably want to check this one out. Stepping into unknown territory, the characters will encounter sights both strange and nightmarish, some of which have clear signs of influence from sci-fi horror cinema.

I also enjoyed the way this story was structured, with Wellington going for a rather cheeky approach to its presentation. Namely, he has injected himself into the book, playing the role of dutiful chronicler writing about Jensen’s mission as if it has actually happened, hence why we sometimes get the occasional “interruption” from a few of the characters themselves, wishing to expand upon something in the writing or to clarify a point. It was a little distracting at first (especially when you’re doing this book in audio) and admittedly I think these brief snippets took a bit away from the horror tone and atmosphere. However, after a while I grew used to them, and even started to appreciate the levity they added.

For all the efforts put into developing this story and the characters though, ultimately this was a pretty superficial novel. That said, I wouldn’t say I was too disappointed, considering how everything I got out of it was in line with my expectations. Still, I wouldn’t have minded seeing more character development, getting more a feeling that their lives and motivations mattered. Like a TV movie, The Last Astronaut delivered the entertainment and thrills, which was great because it was what I wanted, but there was also potential for it to be so much more.

Bottom line, I think The Last Astronaut just missed its mark to be truly great, but it was still a very compulsive read which employed some unique narrative devices and interesting ideas. The overall atmosphere was delicious, and I found parts of quite immersive and at times downright terrifying. Nothing too earthshattering, but it’s a good choice if you’re lookina sci-fi novel with a strong undercurrent of macabre horror.

Audiobook Comments: Smoothly narrated by Megan Tusing, the audiobook of The Last Astronaut was pretty awesome to listen to, especially with all the creative sound effects. At times, some of these were a little intrusive, breaking my concentration, but in general they made for an immersive audio experience. ...more

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Apr 07, 2019 Bandit rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I’m absolutely delighted to be the first person reviewing this book, because it’s awesome and I’ve got great things to say about it. Wellington first came to my attention with his Monster Island trilogy, one of the first zombie books I’ve read and a great story in itself. I mean I still remember the twist from it, that says a lot. But actually my preference has always been toward standalones. When his latest appeared on Netgalley, I requested it without even reading the plot summary. I figured t I’m absolutely delighted to be the first person reviewing this book, because it’s awesome and I’ve got great things to say about it. Wellington first came to my attention with his Monster Island trilogy, one of the first zombie books I’ve read and a great story in itself. I mean I still remember the twist from it, that says a lot. But actually my preference has always been toward standalones. When his latest appeared on Netgalley, I requested it without even reading the plot summary. I figured this guy has got the chops to tell a good astronaut story and I was right. The eponymous space adventurer is Sally Jansen, the woman who almost singlehandedly put NASA…well, not out of business, but certainly operating in reduced dimensions. Space voyaging is finicky business…one disastrous mission and it’s all over. All Sally wanted was to go to Mars, but a technical glitch resulted in a horrific (and televised) death of another astronaut and that was that. No one wants that sort of publicity, no one can get funding with that kind of publicity. Sally Jansen retired from NASA and NASA retired from active space ventures, concentrating instead on the theoretical studies, satellites, etc. The active duties have been taken over by private companies, such as KSpace. 21 years pass and suddenly a large object is discovered on a collision course with Earth and the twist is that it doesn’t behave like a mindless celestial body, it’s decelerating on its own accord, which shows intelligence. Terrifying, isn’t it. Well, that’s nothing. The real terror begins a hastily put together mission sets of to investigate. And who best to lead to team than the last person to have done so years ago…enter the last astronaut. KSpace, of course, also sends a ship. Now there are two teams trying to figure out an alien craft unlike any they might have imagined or tried to understand before. This is where earth logic fails. This is where nightmares begin. This is a story of First Contact like no other. And it’s fun, oh so much fun. Very heavily laced with technology and logistics, often to a weighing down effect, this novel is rendered with such meticulous detail that it makes for a fairly slow read, but what it offers in exchange is a completely immersive reading experience. An exchange well worth it. It reads not just with cinematic vividness, but almost like…well, like a virtual reality experience if there was technology available to do so realistically. The alien ship and its forbidding darkness and terrifying secrets are executed with haunting stark realism. It’s very, very difficult to put this book down. The characters will engage you too, especially Sally, who gets a strangely appropriate ending tribute, but the writing and descriptions are what will draw you in and have you glued for the duration and looking up cautiously in the night sky afterwards. What an awesome space adventure. Recommended for all fans of science fiction. Thanks Netgalley. ...more

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Jun 16, 2019 Empress Reece (Hooked on Books) rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: 2019-releases, 2019-read, own-it, arc, suspense, fantasy, sci-fi, giveaways-firstreads, aliens, outer-space

This book takes all of your preconceived notions about aliens and first contact and throws them right out the window. That's one of the reasons I liked it so much; you never knew what to expect and the author kept you on your toes and guessing throughout the entire mission. It also made me reevaluate my thoughts on our vast universe.

*I received this ARC from Goodreads Firstreads in exchange for an honest review. Thank you! ...more

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Jul 23, 2019 laurel [the suspected bibliophile] rated it really liked it

Shelves: sci-fi, 2019-read, arcs, horror

3.5 stars

When a horrific incident scrapped her mission to Mars and turned her into the women who lost the second space race, Sally Janson never expected she'd return to space. Until a mysterious object brings NASA back into the forefront of importance and Sally back into a job—because she's the only person on Earth with the skills necessary to lead a mission to a potentially alien spacecraft.

I wasn't expecting this to be straight up horror, but that's exactly what it is. Think Annihilation with ...more

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Jan 19, 2020 Hunter Shea rated it it was amazing

Hands down one of the best books I've read in years. The real world slipped into the background as I devoured The Last Astronaut. Taut, compelling and absolutely spellbinding. ...more

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Jul 03, 2019 Rachel (TheShadesofOrange) rated it liked it

Shelves: science-fiction, review-copy

3.0 Stars
Video Review: https://youtu.be/XNus6NoO50k
This is the kind of story that would make a fantastic movie. While reading this novel, I kept envisioning the plot as a blockbuster movie with amazing cinematography. The story was fast paced and action packed with a few rather gory scenes that would be visually stunning on the big screen. I would not be surprised if this novel gets adapted in the future.

Unfortunately, the elements that make for an amazing film experience don’t necessarily work ...more

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May 12, 2020 Silvana rated it it was ok

Shelves: mine-mine-mine, sci-fi, stand-alones, freebies, used-to-own, space-the-final-frontier, sff-2020-reading-challenge, z-2020-sf-novel-novella

Well, at least I got this for free. Hmm. Okay. Let's see. Trope galore. It has a cinematic feel, but plot wise, a Scifi-horror B movie. However, the thing that irked me was the characters being stupid too many times.

Yet, the world building intrigued me a bit. What would happen if NASA stops sending people to space and let the corporations take the lead in explorations? There should be some exciting plots that could come out from that. ...more

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Apr 08, 2022 Phil rated it it was ok

Shelves: science-fiction, horror

The Last Astronaut started off well and I thought this would be a sure 3 or 4 star book; after all, it combined my two favorite genres (horror and science fiction). Yet, I became more and more disenchanted as the book went on and just about tossed it across the room at the end.

This is set in the relatively near future, around 2055 or so, and after a crewed mission to Mars failed in the 2030s, NASA has basically pulled out of the space game, leaving it to private corporations. The Orion Mars mis The Last Astronaut started off well and I thought this would be a sure 3 or 4 star book; after all, it combined my two favorite genres (horror and science fiction). Yet, I became more and more disenchanted as the book went on and just about tossed it across the room at the end.

This is set in the relatively near future, around 2055 or so, and after a crewed mission to Mars failed in the 2030s, NASA has basically pulled out of the space game, leaving it to private corporations. The Orion Mars mission was led by Sally Jansen, our main protagonist. En route to Mars, Jansen and crew investigated some 'red lights' on the landing module and found a micrometeorite puncture in a fuel tank; unfortunately, the fuel leaked into the landing module and when her crew mate got there, he caught on fire and Sally was forced to jettison the module to save the rest of the ship.

When the story starts, Sally is working scuba off the coast of Florida, still haunted by the death of her crew mate and she still fells responsible for it. Meanwhile, an astronomer has discovered an object heading to Earth under its own propulsion. Looks like we are going to have first contact! So, NASA dusts off an old Orion spaceship and puts a crew together in a hurry to met the BDO in space; a space corporation also launches a ship, so we have two missions to meet the alien craft. Once again, Sally is the MC of a NASA ship!

It was about this point in the story when I started to get annoyed with the book. First, one of the crew members on the NASA ship always wanted to be an astronaut (fine) but once NASA basically folded, she was working a desk at the JPL. Nonetheless, Wellington tells us she read 'all the classics' of science fiction, citing Clarke, Asimov and Leckie. Yes, this is set in the near future, but of all the science fiction giants why did Wellington choose Leckie here? Was he hoping for a cover blurb? I have nothing against Leckie's work, but to include her in the same breath as Clarke and Asimov? I can think of dozens of authors that would be more appropriate.

Secondly, the narrative style really started to grate as well. The Last Astronaut is presented as a revised version of a book that originally chronicled the mission to meet the alien ship. Each chapter starts with a little blurb where the survivors told their memories of various events. Ok, but from this we know who is going to survive from the get go! It works as bad foreshadowing at best. Granted, it is a somewhat novel literary motif but few authors seem to be able to pull it off well and it really kinda ruins the suspense of the text. We know who will make it and hence we just have to wait for the others to get offed one way or another.

Third, the Alien vessel was intriguing and mysterious at first, but when its mystery was finally 'solved', I was more than disappointed. Such improbable science! Finally, Jansen's character is terrible. It seems poor Sally still blames herself for 'losing' a crew member on the Mars voyage, even though a. he was already going to die from the fire, and b. she had to jettison the module to save the rest of the crew. Nonetheless, this guilt motivates almost all of her actions about the alien ship. It just got tiring hearing about it over and over, and how much it still drives Sally's actions.

So, in the end, this rapidly declined from a 3 or 4 star read to barely a one at the end. I will give it two stars as a compromise. Definite Meh! ...more

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Jul 06, 2019 Blair marked it as dnf-arcs · review of another edition

I found this intriguing at first but my interest began to wane at around 16%, and after skimming some more I wasn't inclined to change my mind. It reminded me a lot of Into the Drowning Deep (which I also started off enjoying, but ended up bored by) and aside from Sally, I wasn't interested in any of the characters.

Review copy via NetGalley. ...more

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Sep 16, 2020 Barry Cunningham rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

This is one of the best books I’ve read for quite some time. It never went where I was expecting it to go, surprises all over the place, left me gasping sometimes! This is quite an amazing find and I thoroughly recommend i.

I was completely immersed in it. The alien object that they encounter was fascinating and different enough from anything I can remember, my imagination was constantly at work picturing it all. The author does a great job of not overwhelming the reader, you feel as if you disco ...more

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Jun 23, 2019 Kate rated it liked it

Shelves: out-in-2019-and-read, favourites-read-in-2019

This has such an excellent premise - I love First Contact stories - and I did enjoy parts of it very much. However, I was a little disappointed at the direction that it took, heading into familiar and well-trodden, predictable territory, which is far more horror than science fiction. I was also sorry to see that a main character developed in such a stereotypical way. Nevertheless, an entertaining read. Review to follow shortly on For Winter Nights.

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Sep 04, 2019 Denise rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2019

Would make a good movie. A little predictable here and there but some fun creepy stuff!

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Jun 27, 2019 Kitten Kisser rated it did not like it

I couldn't wait to get my hands on this book. When it finally arrives & I start to read, I immediately have my first disappointment. This book is a book written about this book. What this means is the author decided to post comments throughout the entire book, revealing various characters thoughts about particular events in the book. It really took away from the story. Here you are reading & getting into it, then it's like someone interrupts you, "oh yeah, it's just a book" then you get back to ...more

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Nov 16, 2019 John Boettcher rated it it was ok

Alien meets Big Dumb Object.

The best thing about this book was the cover art, which I am going to say, was really well done. As well as the blurb on the back cover. These two things sold this book to me without me having to think twice.

Once the book started though, the knock-off tropes and blatant rip-off of ideas was just too much.

It also goes off the rails about halfway in. Like "Sunshine" off the rails. And not just off the rails, but off the rails like "Alien" and "Event Horizon". The sec ...more

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SciFi and Fantasy...: "The Last Astronaut" by David Wellington (BR)	10	26	May 12, 2020 07:39AM

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About David Wellington

David Wellington

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David Wellington is a contemporary American horror author, best known for his Zombie trilogy as well as his Vampire series and Werewolf series. His books have been translated into eleven langauges and are a global phenomenon.

His career began in 2004 when he started serializing his horror fiction online, posting short chapters of a novel three times a week on a friend’s blog. Response to the projec ...more