The Echo - (Anomaly Quartet) by James Smythe (Paperback)

About the Book

"The disappearance of the spaceship Ishiguro twenty-three years ago devastated the global space program and set back exploration for a generation. Now, thanks to the tireless efforts of twin brothers Mira and Tomas Hyvonen, the program has been resurrected. Spearheading a new age of human discovery, the brothers also hope to solve the mystery behind the Ishiguro's disastrous mission. Mira and Tomas are determined to make their trip successful. They have arranged everything down to the smallest detail. Nothing has been overlooked. They don't know that in space, the devil isn't always in the details...and nothing goes according to plan."--Provided by publisher.

From the Back Cover

The disappearance of the spaceship Ishiguro twenty-three years ago devastated the global space program and set back exploration for a generation. Now, thanks to the tireless efforts of twin brothers Mira and Tomas Hyvonen, the program has been resurrected. Spearheading a new age of human discovery, the brothers also hope to solve the mystery behind the Ishiguro's disastrous mission.

Mira and Tomas are determined to make their trip successful. They have arranged everything down to the smallest detail. Nothing has been overlooked.

They don't know that in space, the devil isn't always in the details . . . and nothing goes according to plan.

Review Quotes

"The mystery of the Anomaly is completely compelling. ...with an added spookiness that will give readers chills." - Library Journal
"Dark, cold, claustrophobic, and oh so very scary. THE EXPLORER is literary science fiction at its blackest best." - Adam Christopher, author of Empire State and Seven Wonders
"The Echo is not simply a science fiction thriller - it's also an entertaining character study, making it accessible to fans of psychological suspense." - RT Book Review
"Nicely written and thoughtful." - Kirkus Reviews
"As chilling as it is thrilling ... a fully realized sequel that follows through on the awesome promise made by its predecessor [The Explorer]." - Tor.com
"The Explorer is essentially exemplary: a short, sharp shock of a story from an author who deserves to do as well for himself as he does by us. It's perfectly plotted, smartly characterised and rife with insight and excitement." - Tor.com
"The Explorer by James Smythe is quiet, dark book which focuses on the dark and quiet of space....It may not be a flashy...but it is a fascinating character study that could only exist in a science-fictional world." - io9.com
"A] mind-bending, heart-wrenching, avalanche of a reading experience... an oasis for readers thirsty to find an engaging book... books like this are the kind that create fans, and I'm proud to be one." - SF Signal
"A wonderful examination of coping with loss, time and death." - SFX
"Unsettling." - Daily Telegraph (London)
"The Explorer has the dreamlike detachment of an Ishiguro novel.... reminiscent of a 1970s space movie, where the darkness of the void mirrors the darkness of the human soul." - Financial Times
"Science fiction is best when it does what we least expect, when it transforms narrative into something you don't see coming. Smythe guides this tale with a sure hand, leading readers along a non-linear path where anything might happen and what does happen will make you reconsider all that happened before. It's a trick not every writer can master, but Smythe makes a marvel of this world, and these characters, and makes this reader want the sequel now." - Romantic Times BOOKclub (Top Pick!)
"Science fiction is best when it does what we least expect, when it transforms narrative into something you don't see coming....It's a trick not every writer can master, but Smythe makes a marvel of this world, and these characters, and makes this reader want the sequel now." - Romantic Times BOOKclub (Top Pick!)
"A brilliant book -- funny, desperate, desolate, sad, all in equal measure." - Chuck Wendig
"A challenging and stimulating read." - Booklist
"It's like an episode of Star Trek written by JM Coetzee... The novel stays in the mind as a tightly knotted, expertly constructed space trip of a read.... the narrative winds its way through some brilliantly handled twists and revelations... It is to James Smythe's credit, then, that his new novel manages to pay its respects to the conventions of the astronaut-in-peril genre while still doing something new, and memorable, with it." - The Guardian
"Beautifully written, creepy as hell. The Explorer is as clever in its unravelling as it is breathlessly claustrophobic." - Lauren Beukes, author of Zoo City
"There have been teachers in space, senators, and the wealthy who buy tickets. But never has a journalist been launched over the atmosphere. Until Smythe's gripping novel." - New York Post
"This is a remarkable book: a state-of-the-art spacecraft constructed from ideas, and propelled by a powerful story. Gripping, terrifying and audacious--an exploration in every sense of the word." - Charles Yu, author of How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe