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The Scent of Distant Worlds
For exobiologist Cassie Clearwater, the chance to explore the planet Obsidian is the opportunity of a lifetime. The austere black world has liquid water and a nitrogen-oxygen atmosphere that might support life. She discovers a mysterious species of plant that emits copious quantities of complex chemicals. Her colleagues on the mission care only about the diamonds they’ve discovered, but Cassie wonders how these plants, and nothing else, thrive in such a dark and barren environment.
In the society where young sprout Pepper lives, knowledge and memories are preserved in the thick trunks of the Elders, whose growth rings go back thousands of years. The Elders don't appreciate the upstart Pepper, whose new ideas challenge ages-old wisdom, and they communicate their displeasure in a variety of odors. But when members of the grove are mutilated, abducted, and killed by a scentless and undetectable force, Pepper's penchant for original thought becomes their only hope for survival.
In the society where young sprout Pepper lives, knowledge and memories are preserved in the thick trunks of the Elders, whose growth rings go back thousands of years. The Elders don't appreciate the upstart Pepper, whose new ideas challenge ages-old wisdom, and they communicate their displeasure in a variety of odors. But when members of the grove are mutilated, abducted, and killed by a scentless and undetectable force, Pepper's penchant for original thought becomes their only hope for survival.
- GenresScience FictionAliens
347 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 22, 2019
27 people are currently reading
23 people want to read
About the author
W.D. County
17 books8 followersI enjoy writing speculative fiction, often with a slight metaphysical flavor. I have a keen appreciation for technology, drawing on experience as a nuclear reactor operator aboard the ballistic missile submarine USS Sam Houston (SSBN 609), a quality assurance manager at the Three Mile Island Nuclear Station, and a custom application developer for the federal government and major companies. My publication credits include The Scent of Distant Worlds, Sammi and Oasis at the Bottom of the Sea, as well as short stories in the e-zine Spinetingler and various anthologies. I finished tenth in the horror genre for the 79th annual Writer’s Digest short story competition. My nonfiction includes articles in Lotus Advisor and Contact magazines. I have a Master of Fine Arts degree in writing from Lindenwood University and reside in Lees Summit, Missouri with my lovely wife and my beautiful Miata hardtop convertible.
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
February 13, 2019
This is a science-fiction fantasy novel that will grab the attention and imagination of even the most sci-fi/fantasy reluctant reader amongst us. Though I admit that I have liked more of the genre than I ever expected to, I still carry that hesitancy when I get a whiff of that specific subject matter. The same was true with The Scent of Distant Worlds yet I'll be the first to confess that W.D. County has created something grand in this seemingly short 317 pages. I definitely wanted more of the Obsidion domain and more of Cassie and her wit and grit. The idea of first contact with alien life and how that might come about is brought to life vividly in The Scent of Distant Worlds in a way I've never experienced. As someone who tends to focus on the nuts and bolts of any writing, I was more than willing to suspend my critical eye in favor of the pure enjoyment of the story being told. It didn't hurt that there wasn't a lot of errors and typos to contend with. Bravo!
February 18, 2019
Definitely not a typical science fiction work
I was pleasantly surprised with this read. I dabble some in sci-fi but it’s not my favorite. This book didn’t have the typical science fiction feel. It felt like it could actually happen in the future for real. The characters are so well written I feel like they could actually be real people I’ve met before. The author obviously spent a lot of time creating his characters and building them then putting who he wanted them to be in words, and he did an exceptional job doing so. Cassie is by far my favorite character. Her passion and drive and love for science is contagious and like a live force dragging everyone she meets (and readers) into her excitement for learning more about her surroundings. The only thing I’m sad about is that it looks like there’s no follow up book. I’ll be looking for more in the future!
I was pleasantly surprised with this read. I dabble some in sci-fi but it’s not my favorite. This book didn’t have the typical science fiction feel. It felt like it could actually happen in the future for real. The characters are so well written I feel like they could actually be real people I’ve met before. The author obviously spent a lot of time creating his characters and building them then putting who he wanted them to be in words, and he did an exceptional job doing so. Cassie is by far my favorite character. Her passion and drive and love for science is contagious and like a live force dragging everyone she meets (and readers) into her excitement for learning more about her surroundings. The only thing I’m sad about is that it looks like there’s no follow up book. I’ll be looking for more in the future!
November 17, 2019
The strong emphasis on the races of a diverse crew, all rendered as stereotypes was just over the line. At times the names are dropped and they're referred to as "the Asian" etc. I had a hard time believing that was necessary, although there is some exposition from a central character trying to justify it. This was the grossest thing about this book, and I worry that by reading it I'm supporting some racist Boomer, or fueling those if the readers who might be. If that idea doesn't bother you, maybe the thin plot stretched over a few nice world-concepts will.
The plot demands some rather grand leaps of forgiveness on the part of the reader. The only superluminal ship humanity has ever made, and they send it with this handful of a crew directly to a planet to mine using shovels? With the improbably convenient spaceflight technology described, I just can't imagine that it wouldn't have been easier to come back in a few weeks with much better equipment for that. (Although since the author picked a mineral whose market is artificially scarce on Earth, you'd only crash the market and find yourself without all those profits, in the end.) There also seem to be places where the particular dangers of that tech are well understood (you don't want to materialize except in vacuum; this is explained and elaborately avoided, then later exploited to deadly effect) and then just ignored in the middle of other events (characters pop into reality in air-filled places to no ill effect). Even vacuum around planets and that vacuum achieved with the best pumps is imperfect, with gas molecules crossing through, so there's a problem with the hardness of this hard sci-fi.
There are other problems with the sci- part of this sci-fi, like the speed of airborne chemical diffusion being used for rapid, nuanced communication, and the limits of translation (How do you translate a name into a new language, and make a word which is identically that name? Depends on how names are marked in the destination grammar, or other cues I guess.) Same with the biology here; how is 'junk' DNA recognised on sight? Does that identification require knowing the markers for gene expression? Why would alien life use exactly the same molecules as life on Earth?
I appreciated the story which Country was trying to tell here, but I just can't with the racism and the plot holes.
The plot demands some rather grand leaps of forgiveness on the part of the reader. The only superluminal ship humanity has ever made, and they send it with this handful of a crew directly to a planet to mine using shovels? With the improbably convenient spaceflight technology described, I just can't imagine that it wouldn't have been easier to come back in a few weeks with much better equipment for that. (Although since the author picked a mineral whose market is artificially scarce on Earth, you'd only crash the market and find yourself without all those profits, in the end.) There also seem to be places where the particular dangers of that tech are well understood (you don't want to materialize except in vacuum; this is explained and elaborately avoided, then later exploited to deadly effect) and then just ignored in the middle of other events (characters pop into reality in air-filled places to no ill effect). Even vacuum around planets and that vacuum achieved with the best pumps is imperfect, with gas molecules crossing through, so there's a problem with the hardness of this hard sci-fi.
There are other problems with the sci- part of this sci-fi, like the speed of airborne chemical diffusion being used for rapid, nuanced communication, and the limits of translation (How do you translate a name into a new language, and make a word which is identically that name? Depends on how names are marked in the destination grammar, or other cues I guess.) Same with the biology here; how is 'junk' DNA recognised on sight? Does that identification require knowing the markers for gene expression? Why would alien life use exactly the same molecules as life on Earth?
I appreciated the story which Country was trying to tell here, but I just can't with the racism and the plot holes.
February 18, 2019
Sci-Fi Novel with a human heart
The Scent of Distant World’s is a sci-fi novel where you definitely need to tap into your imagination (other life forms, space travel, etc). But where it goes so much deeper is how much humanity it truly has its core. This is Cassie’s battle and how she is determined to fight the greed of her fellow crew members while exploring her own scientific questions about this new planet. The author does a fantastic job of really keep this as the story rather than losing sight of this for the technicalities of the sci-fi aspects. It was a delight to read and very well written. I would absolutely recommend this book. Take a chance - you’ll be glad you did.
The Scent of Distant World’s is a sci-fi novel where you definitely need to tap into your imagination (other life forms, space travel, etc). But where it goes so much deeper is how much humanity it truly has its core. This is Cassie’s battle and how she is determined to fight the greed of her fellow crew members while exploring her own scientific questions about this new planet. The author does a fantastic job of really keep this as the story rather than losing sight of this for the technicalities of the sci-fi aspects. It was a delight to read and very well written. I would absolutely recommend this book. Take a chance - you’ll be glad you did.
March 4, 2019
Superb, Masterful Tale of a Distant, Truly Alien World
Dave County shows his mastery of hard sci-fi in this lyrical, suspense-thriller about a black planet, Obsidian, where the intelligent life forms are plants. Stepping into this alien world, you will quickly believe that botany can produce organisms capable of storing memories, healing all injuries and diseases, and striking out in vengeful murder when their community is threatened. County writes so smoothly and simply I was able to understand the science behind the fiction while captivate by the conflict between humans and plants. This novel breaks new ground and presents readers with an experience of compelling intensity. Great characters--humans and plants--and a page-turner plot. Written by an author with an MFA in Creative Writing, whose skills show on every page. Highly recommend.
Dave County shows his mastery of hard sci-fi in this lyrical, suspense-thriller about a black planet, Obsidian, where the intelligent life forms are plants. Stepping into this alien world, you will quickly believe that botany can produce organisms capable of storing memories, healing all injuries and diseases, and striking out in vengeful murder when their community is threatened. County writes so smoothly and simply I was able to understand the science behind the fiction while captivate by the conflict between humans and plants. This novel breaks new ground and presents readers with an experience of compelling intensity. Great characters--humans and plants--and a page-turner plot. Written by an author with an MFA in Creative Writing, whose skills show on every page. Highly recommend.
March 16, 2019
I loved it!
Cassie and JJ’s story is so great! As soon as I started reading, the descriptive aspect really done in. The potential that was packed in the story had me turning page after page. A crew for Sri another planet and one man named JJ is in an accident that has him changed into something weird. It’s a book about alien species but also love and the ending was exactly what I wanted it to be!
Cassie and JJ’s story is so great! As soon as I started reading, the descriptive aspect really done in. The potential that was packed in the story had me turning page after page. A crew for Sri another planet and one man named JJ is in an accident that has him changed into something weird. It’s a book about alien species but also love and the ending was exactly what I wanted it to be!
April 19, 2020
Amazing story .
I got to admit I saw a trailer advert for this book on YouTube. That intrigued me and the story did not disappoint. Here you have Cassie with a team of space explorers stumble on a unique planet with very valuable resources but what they don’t know is that they are not as alone as they thought they were. And, then we see how man’s greed ends up causing so much damage. I really enjoyed this story!!
I got to admit I saw a trailer advert for this book on YouTube. That intrigued me and the story did not disappoint. Here you have Cassie with a team of space explorers stumble on a unique planet with very valuable resources but what they don’t know is that they are not as alone as they thought they were. And, then we see how man’s greed ends up causing so much damage. I really enjoyed this story!!
March 2, 2019
The worldbuilding, and the way the worldbuilding shapes this story of first contact, made this a pretty terrific read. The characters range from somewhat two-dimensional to satisfyingly complex.
April 24, 2019
Excellent take on interstellar space travel. What is means to explore new world and cultures. The value of love vs survival.
March 14, 2019
‘When darkness comes, we do not walk by sight. We walk by faith.’
Author W.D. County earned his BA in physics and philosophy and his MFA in writing and has held positions as a nuclear reactor operator aboard the ballistic missile submarine USS Sam Houston in the US Navy, a manager at the Three Mile Island Nuclear Station, and a developer of custom software for the federal government. His penchant for science fiction publications includes novels and short stories in magazines and anthologies. He comes to THE SCENT OF DISTANT WORLDS well prepared!
While science fiction tales continue to fascinate readers and provide an escape from the tedium of the real world, few authors have been able to create stories that provide credible predictions for our lives in a future that shares a universe with aliens. County does that with an enthralling and philosophically credible novel that describes how humans and aliens might interact – at some point in the future.
Joining a journey of this sort is credible if the tenor of the book is in fine prose that promises a solid foundation. County opens his book with an infectiously interesting Prologue: ‘When the night nurse entered his room in the middle of the night, the old man pulled the sheet up to hide the knife and half-carved totem. The action also hid the dusting of black powder released from the meticulous shaving and scraping of the ebony that would soon reveal the figure concealed with in the wood. In the morning, after breakfast, he’d tell the dayshift he’d spilled pepper. It wouldn’t fool them, but it allowed them to overlook the whims of a dying man. The night nurse took his pulse, temperature, and blood pressure. She asked if he were comfortable, to which he answered yes. It wasn’t a lie. Pain could be mastered and subdued by those who knew how, and the aged shaman of the Seminole tribe knew many hows and almost as many whys.’ And so we meet Cassie’s grandfather and enter the mystery of this story.
A reference to the plot summary helps map the course: ’Exobiologist Cassie Clearwater gathers samples, unaware of the scent-based civilization surrounding her. The misfit sprout Pepper lives in that society, and her new ideas challenge ages-old wisdom. But when members of the grove are mutilated, abducted, and killed by an odorless and undetectable force, Pepper's penchant for original thought becomes their only hope for survival. Cassie is torn between science and spirituality (her grandfather was a Native American shaman), while also dealing with an unexpected pregnancy. Pepper has to deal with humiliation as she battles rigid culture bias. These female champions, human and plant, grow particularly vivid as each becomes hero and villain to the other, as the death count mounts on both sides. The depths of human and alien emotions are exposed through internal and external conflicts.’
Original, engrossing, and worthy of consideration for alternative futures, this is a book that deserves wide attention, both for its excellent story and for its challenging ideas about the future. Highly Recommended.
Author W.D. County earned his BA in physics and philosophy and his MFA in writing and has held positions as a nuclear reactor operator aboard the ballistic missile submarine USS Sam Houston in the US Navy, a manager at the Three Mile Island Nuclear Station, and a developer of custom software for the federal government. His penchant for science fiction publications includes novels and short stories in magazines and anthologies. He comes to THE SCENT OF DISTANT WORLDS well prepared!
While science fiction tales continue to fascinate readers and provide an escape from the tedium of the real world, few authors have been able to create stories that provide credible predictions for our lives in a future that shares a universe with aliens. County does that with an enthralling and philosophically credible novel that describes how humans and aliens might interact – at some point in the future.
Joining a journey of this sort is credible if the tenor of the book is in fine prose that promises a solid foundation. County opens his book with an infectiously interesting Prologue: ‘When the night nurse entered his room in the middle of the night, the old man pulled the sheet up to hide the knife and half-carved totem. The action also hid the dusting of black powder released from the meticulous shaving and scraping of the ebony that would soon reveal the figure concealed with in the wood. In the morning, after breakfast, he’d tell the dayshift he’d spilled pepper. It wouldn’t fool them, but it allowed them to overlook the whims of a dying man. The night nurse took his pulse, temperature, and blood pressure. She asked if he were comfortable, to which he answered yes. It wasn’t a lie. Pain could be mastered and subdued by those who knew how, and the aged shaman of the Seminole tribe knew many hows and almost as many whys.’ And so we meet Cassie’s grandfather and enter the mystery of this story.
A reference to the plot summary helps map the course: ’Exobiologist Cassie Clearwater gathers samples, unaware of the scent-based civilization surrounding her. The misfit sprout Pepper lives in that society, and her new ideas challenge ages-old wisdom. But when members of the grove are mutilated, abducted, and killed by an odorless and undetectable force, Pepper's penchant for original thought becomes their only hope for survival. Cassie is torn between science and spirituality (her grandfather was a Native American shaman), while also dealing with an unexpected pregnancy. Pepper has to deal with humiliation as she battles rigid culture bias. These female champions, human and plant, grow particularly vivid as each becomes hero and villain to the other, as the death count mounts on both sides. The depths of human and alien emotions are exposed through internal and external conflicts.’
Original, engrossing, and worthy of consideration for alternative futures, this is a book that deserves wide attention, both for its excellent story and for its challenging ideas about the future. Highly Recommended.
March 4, 2020
The Scent of Distant Worlds by W. D. County follows the experiences of five crew members aboard the Far Traveler as they explore a new planet, Obsidian, in search of diamonds. Cassie Clearwater, the exobiologist on-board, discovers a unique alien species on the planet whose only function seems to be emitting chemical compounds of which have never been seen. She sets out to uncover the mystery of these plants and their environment before the greed of her crew members results in their destruction.
Pepper, a youngling living in a community on Obsidian, has always dreamed and tried to prove the existence of distant worlds. When an unidentifiable tragedy strikes the grove, she must channel her inquisitiveness into a desire for survival - for herself and her community.
I feel like nailing a sci-fi novel is a relatively difficult task, as you need to bring something unique to the novel in order to avoid falling into the pit of cliches that often make up the genre. I wish I could say County nailed it, but I believe he fell just short with this work. The overall sci-fi part of the book is very good; I personally have not seen the ideas implemented to create this alien world used before, so the concept was very refreshing and kept me motivated to continue reading. The amount of research and level of detail that has gone into developing the idea for this book is admirable. However, unfortunately, the execution just felt a little off.
Parts of the writing, especially when discussing Cassie’s Native American heritage, come off as very cliche and over-used in an almost juvenile fashion. Much of the foreshadowing seemed glaringly obvious, which was a little disappointing. The character’s emotions and actions appeared rather one-dimensional at times, and I never formed any particular attachment to any of the characters, aside from possibly Pepper. There also doesn’t seem to be any real deeper purpose to the novel, despite attempts to touch upon several themes such as faith, love, survival, and sacrifice. Personally, it just fell short of providing anything further than entertainment.
Despite these issues, I do recommend reading the book, especially if you’re a sci-fi fan. I as big of a sci-fi fan as I used to be, but I thoroughly enjoyed reading this one due to the unique concept behind the novel.
Pepper, a youngling living in a community on Obsidian, has always dreamed and tried to prove the existence of distant worlds. When an unidentifiable tragedy strikes the grove, she must channel her inquisitiveness into a desire for survival - for herself and her community.
I feel like nailing a sci-fi novel is a relatively difficult task, as you need to bring something unique to the novel in order to avoid falling into the pit of cliches that often make up the genre. I wish I could say County nailed it, but I believe he fell just short with this work. The overall sci-fi part of the book is very good; I personally have not seen the ideas implemented to create this alien world used before, so the concept was very refreshing and kept me motivated to continue reading. The amount of research and level of detail that has gone into developing the idea for this book is admirable. However, unfortunately, the execution just felt a little off.
Parts of the writing, especially when discussing Cassie’s Native American heritage, come off as very cliche and over-used in an almost juvenile fashion. Much of the foreshadowing seemed glaringly obvious, which was a little disappointing. The character’s emotions and actions appeared rather one-dimensional at times, and I never formed any particular attachment to any of the characters, aside from possibly Pepper. There also doesn’t seem to be any real deeper purpose to the novel, despite attempts to touch upon several themes such as faith, love, survival, and sacrifice. Personally, it just fell short of providing anything further than entertainment.
Despite these issues, I do recommend reading the book, especially if you’re a sci-fi fan. I as big of a sci-fi fan as I used to be, but I thoroughly enjoyed reading this one due to the unique concept behind the novel.
October 12, 2023
This book was created around a single idea: humans do the first contact thing on an alien planet with plant people. That's a good starting point. Unfortunately, everything else in the book is bent to try to accommodate this idea instead of making everything naturally flow towards it. Instead of a building story with interrelated themes, it's an unenjoyable mess of bizarre choices.
This questionable bending is manifest in two places, the first being setting. Little to no research or thought has been put into the ship, the crew, or the society they came from. The ship is a crucial part of the plot, limiting what options the characters have, yet I can't even describe how big it is or how it moves. The crew choice is annoyingly absurd, who is picking horny young adults for spaceflights and never training them together? And in what space-age society are diamonds valuable? They're not actually rare (de Beers lied to you) and we can manufacture them with our current tech! All of this adds up an unimmersive backdrop for the things the author really wants to say.
The other annoying aaspect of this is the characters. I mentioned training before, but to fully explain, the characters act like they're from Prometheus (2012) after having left the shooting of a horror film. They make all the worst decisions, decisions I could not see any sane adult, much less an educated expert, far less someone chosen to be part of the first-ever interstellar expedition, making. And I'm sorry, but they're not likable, not in the slightest. There was no way I would ever grow to like Cassie after she was a jerk to her dying grandfather in the prologue.
The shame is that there is a good part of the book, it's the plant aliens. They're a very original idea, and well thought out. I don't think plants, intelligence, and scent-based languages could work in reality, but the author does a great job establishing what a society built around those things would look like. The first and last parts of the book were abysmal to read through, but I genuinely enjoyed the plants' perspective in the middle part. If most of the book had been about the plants and from their point of view, the entire experience would have been much more enjoyable.
This questionable bending is manifest in two places, the first being setting. Little to no research or thought has been put into the ship, the crew, or the society they came from. The ship is a crucial part of the plot, limiting what options the characters have, yet I can't even describe how big it is or how it moves. The crew choice is annoyingly absurd, who is picking horny young adults for spaceflights and never training them together? And in what space-age society are diamonds valuable? They're not actually rare (de Beers lied to you) and we can manufacture them with our current tech! All of this adds up an unimmersive backdrop for the things the author really wants to say.
The other annoying aaspect of this is the characters. I mentioned training before, but to fully explain, the characters act like they're from Prometheus (2012) after having left the shooting of a horror film. They make all the worst decisions, decisions I could not see any sane adult, much less an educated expert, far less someone chosen to be part of the first-ever interstellar expedition, making. And I'm sorry, but they're not likable, not in the slightest. There was no way I would ever grow to like Cassie after she was a jerk to her dying grandfather in the prologue.
The shame is that there is a good part of the book, it's the plant aliens. They're a very original idea, and well thought out. I don't think plants, intelligence, and scent-based languages could work in reality, but the author does a great job establishing what a society built around those things would look like. The first and last parts of the book were abysmal to read through, but I genuinely enjoyed the plants' perspective in the middle part. If most of the book had been about the plants and from their point of view, the entire experience would have been much more enjoyable.
August 6, 2020
A hellish planet with some strange and wonderful secrets.
Casie Clearwater is the science officer onboard a ship destined towards a star with a planet that offers amazing potential and mineral wealth. At first glance, it appears that there could not possibly be life on it, least of all intelligent life. However, when it turns out that this is not the case, the argument becomes whether this is going to prevent humanity from exploiting the immense wealth beneath the planet's surface. Casie is faced with the daunting task of confronting the rest of the crew of the ship about the huge moral issues involved, especially as she discovers the truth about the strange inhabitants on the planet. Unfortunately, she also has other more human issues to contend with aboard the ship, as the destiny of an entire planet hangs in the balance.
Similar in concept to the movie, Avatar, this offers a refreshing and dramatically different perspective to the issue of humanity and its relationship to other creatures. Not only is this a dramatic human content story, but it is also a haunting and poignant description of an alien world and the wonderful creatures that inhabit it. If this book were produced as a movie, it would convey a message with a profound and hugely relevant impact on our current society.
Casie Clearwater is the science officer onboard a ship destined towards a star with a planet that offers amazing potential and mineral wealth. At first glance, it appears that there could not possibly be life on it, least of all intelligent life. However, when it turns out that this is not the case, the argument becomes whether this is going to prevent humanity from exploiting the immense wealth beneath the planet's surface. Casie is faced with the daunting task of confronting the rest of the crew of the ship about the huge moral issues involved, especially as she discovers the truth about the strange inhabitants on the planet. Unfortunately, she also has other more human issues to contend with aboard the ship, as the destiny of an entire planet hangs in the balance.
Similar in concept to the movie, Avatar, this offers a refreshing and dramatically different perspective to the issue of humanity and its relationship to other creatures. Not only is this a dramatic human content story, but it is also a haunting and poignant description of an alien world and the wonderful creatures that inhabit it. If this book were produced as a movie, it would convey a message with a profound and hugely relevant impact on our current society.
August 6, 2020
This is without question the most imaginative depiction of an alien species I’ve ever read. Too many times, aliens are simply modified humans. Some of the more radial designs are often based on other terrestrial life forms, such as cephalopods. This is the first book I’ve read where the aliens don’t resemble something familiar. Where their thought process and world view were so truly alien, that humans didn’t recognize them a sentient life form.
The author’s technical background is obvious as he covers the technical details in the story. But he weaves in a compelling spiritual force as well. While some of the supporting cast were a bit two dimensional, the main protagonists were compelling and likable. I cared enough for them to invest in their struggles.
This is an adventure story with danger and excitement overlying the unique landscape. At the end of the day, it is a good vs evil struggle where maintaining one's honesty and integrity may come at a heavy cost.
I enjoyed the way it ended, with an unexpected twist. Unexpected, but not out of left field. After the initial slap my forehead in surprise moment, I realized the author had been setting this up from at least halfway through the book.
I can not recommend this book enough. It is better than some other books that I have justifiably given 5 stars.
The author’s technical background is obvious as he covers the technical details in the story. But he weaves in a compelling spiritual force as well. While some of the supporting cast were a bit two dimensional, the main protagonists were compelling and likable. I cared enough for them to invest in their struggles.
This is an adventure story with danger and excitement overlying the unique landscape. At the end of the day, it is a good vs evil struggle where maintaining one's honesty and integrity may come at a heavy cost.
I enjoyed the way it ended, with an unexpected twist. Unexpected, but not out of left field. After the initial slap my forehead in surprise moment, I realized the author had been setting this up from at least halfway through the book.
I can not recommend this book enough. It is better than some other books that I have justifiably given 5 stars.
April 22, 2019
Cassie Clearwater, a Seminole, has forsaken the traditions of her tribe for science and has won the position of science officer aboard the interstellar exploration ship, Far Traveler. When they arrive at a dark, forbidding planet many light years from earth, which they name Obsidian because of its blackness, Cassie learns the wisdom of things her grandfather told her just before his death, things like ‘travelers to strange lands must keep an open mind,’ and ‘trust your heart when your brain is confused,’ when they encounter strange plants and animals which she suspects are intelligent.
The Scent of Distant Worlds by W. D. County is a deep science fiction novel that explores the complexities of encounters between entities whose systems of communications are incompatible, and how intuition and the intangible elements of trust and love can succeed where hard, objective fact fails.
A thoroughly riveting and interesting book, particularly when the author switches to the alien (non-human) point of view. I received a complimentary copy of this book. I give it four stars.
The Scent of Distant Worlds by W. D. County is a deep science fiction novel that explores the complexities of encounters between entities whose systems of communications are incompatible, and how intuition and the intangible elements of trust and love can succeed where hard, objective fact fails.
A thoroughly riveting and interesting book, particularly when the author switches to the alien (non-human) point of view. I received a complimentary copy of this book. I give it four stars.
August 14, 2020
As a fan of science fiction books, reading The Scent of Distant Worlds by W.D. County was a thrilling experience. It was pretty good. I was able to discover a whole new bizarre world that blew up my mind. The book is centered around the main protagonist Cassie Clearwater, an exobiologist who had the opportunity to go to the planet called 'Obsidian'. Unlike the earth, this planet sustains life through its liquid water and a nitrogen-oxygen atmosphere. From there, she discovered a lot of things that led her to danger.
I found the plot amazing and well-done. I could say it was even clever. I admit I had a bit of a rough time following the story at first but as I went through the pages, it became much better. I thought the writing style of the author was decent, but I understand that it may not have been perfect for me because writing a science fiction book is tough, all with the world-building and characterization, but as a whole, it was a promising and enjoyable read and I still recommend it.
I found the plot amazing and well-done. I could say it was even clever. I admit I had a bit of a rough time following the story at first but as I went through the pages, it became much better. I thought the writing style of the author was decent, but I understand that it may not have been perfect for me because writing a science fiction book is tough, all with the world-building and characterization, but as a whole, it was a promising and enjoyable read and I still recommend it.
September 30, 2020
Science fiction and pure Entertainment
The Scent of Distant Worlds is a masterpiece and a well-written science fiction about a ship on the path to a scary world. Cassie Clearwater is sent with her crew to explore planet obsidian to find out if living there was possible.
The far travelers arrive a world County describes as dark and scary and filled with a lot of alien species of plant. The crew explores further and figures out that, beneath the intelligent plant life is pure untapped diamonds. Most of the crew members suddenly shift their attention from exploration to payday.
Unknown to the clue, what they see around them is the beginning to the end. A strange force begins to abduct, mutilate, and kill them. Cassie Clearwater needs to come up with something fast if the clue must survive.
Now the point of view of the author is not a new one. However, she takes on the subject so well in a way that makes it feel all new. I recommend this book to lovers of the Sci-Fi. The author did a great job with this book, which proves she can be a great author of tomorrow.
The Scent of Distant Worlds is a masterpiece and a well-written science fiction about a ship on the path to a scary world. Cassie Clearwater is sent with her crew to explore planet obsidian to find out if living there was possible.
The far travelers arrive a world County describes as dark and scary and filled with a lot of alien species of plant. The crew explores further and figures out that, beneath the intelligent plant life is pure untapped diamonds. Most of the crew members suddenly shift their attention from exploration to payday.
Unknown to the clue, what they see around them is the beginning to the end. A strange force begins to abduct, mutilate, and kill them. Cassie Clearwater needs to come up with something fast if the clue must survive.
Now the point of view of the author is not a new one. However, she takes on the subject so well in a way that makes it feel all new. I recommend this book to lovers of the Sci-Fi. The author did a great job with this book, which proves she can be a great author of tomorrow.
September 19, 2020
Author W.D. County tells the story of Cassie Clearwater, an exobiologist who is given the incredible opportunity to explore a new planet known as Obsidian. While venturing through this strange landscape, she comes across an odd type of plant which seems to be able to survive in barren conditions. However, what she doesn’t realize is that there’s an entirely hidden group of plants, known as the Elders, who are displeased at a small sprout called Pepper. Rather than following their tried-and-true ways, Pepper questions everything. To show their displeasure, they emit certain odors. Despite this, they discover they might need to use Pepper’s knowledge to figure out why a scentless force is destroying some in their grove.
County writes with an intriguing style that makes this book a very unique read. The novel features an interesting setting and a handful of plot twists. At 347 pages, it’s a bit long, but it’s the perfect read for those who enjoy science fiction.
County writes with an intriguing style that makes this book a very unique read. The novel features an interesting setting and a handful of plot twists. At 347 pages, it’s a bit long, but it’s the perfect read for those who enjoy science fiction.
September 10, 2020
For Bio-Scientist Cassie Clearwater, a dream came true when she was tasked with joining the team that headed out to explore planet Obsidian. Plenty of favorable factors made this planet seem capable of sustaining life, and the exploratory away team needed to either prove or disprove that hypothesis. Faced with a fascinating new planet, Cassie discovers a unusual species of plant that seems to be the only living thing on the planet. A trove of Diamonds is discovered directly underneath the thickest concentration of plants and so a new mission begins.
I really liked the imagination in this book. The author really gave us a what if scenario where the humans meet a sentient life form, albeit one that does not communicate as we do. How do we proceed? Do we disregard their sentience? These questions and more are posed and then answered and I really enjoyed the story surrounding them.
I really liked the imagination in this book. The author really gave us a what if scenario where the humans meet a sentient life form, albeit one that does not communicate as we do. How do we proceed? Do we disregard their sentience? These questions and more are posed and then answered and I really enjoyed the story surrounding them.
August 22, 2020
Excellent
The author does a fantastic job of sucking you into the story and never letting go. There are lots of interesting twist and turns that would make even M. Knight Shyamalan happy.
The author does a fantastic job of sucking you into the story and never letting go. There are lots of interesting twist and turns that would make even M. Knight Shyamalan happy.
March 14, 2020
I was not fond of this story. It's like a soap opera. With stupid people.
September 18, 2024
Aswone read!
Very interesting take on a scientific fact; actually, the idea is not so far fetched, if there were such a place/planet where the only form of life is vegetion, devoid of animals or any other species but exclusively plants, the logical conclusion is that plants would rise to conscienceness as nothing would hinder their development and they would reach their full potential. My only disagreement with how the story was developed was the amount of violence, I would like to think that the future and future generations are less like us, contemporary humans, we have by far too many flaws that is my hope that someday the human race will reach some form of enlightment and perhaps we'll leave behind our violent tendencies. I know is wishful thinking, but the prime directive is a good example, it's a start.
Very interesting take on a scientific fact; actually, the idea is not so far fetched, if there were such a place/planet where the only form of life is vegetion, devoid of animals or any other species but exclusively plants, the logical conclusion is that plants would rise to conscienceness as nothing would hinder their development and they would reach their full potential. My only disagreement with how the story was developed was the amount of violence, I would like to think that the future and future generations are less like us, contemporary humans, we have by far too many flaws that is my hope that someday the human race will reach some form of enlightment and perhaps we'll leave behind our violent tendencies. I know is wishful thinking, but the prime directive is a good example, it's a start.
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