A Book of Paradoxes, Both Profound & Fun
This is not your average sci-fi novel, not the normal race to the stars drama. Please give me a couple of minutes to give you some insight into the novel thatââ?¬â?¢s going to be a break-out hit this year. Iââ?¬â?¢m speaking of Randy Brownââ?¬â?¢s mind-blowing, perception-altering, unputdownable book with the understated name, ââ?¬Å"First.ââ?¬Â?
If I had read ââ?¬Å"Firstââ?¬Â? ten or fifteen years ago I would have found it highly implausible, yet fun. But these days, Randy Brownââ?¬â?¢s concept could have been torn from potential headlines. Itââ?¬â?¢s that spot-on with current society. Two mega-billionaires are each determined to put the first astronaut not only on the outer edges of our solar system, but into the next closest solar system as well. Each billionaireââ?¬â?¢s private space company has designed a new type of spaceship that utilizes electromagnetic energy (I wonââ?¬â?¢t attempt an explanation), allowing them to travel well beyond the speed of light. This opens the possibility of travel to distant planets. And beyond. Without the need to put astronauts into stasis for years. Since Iââ?¬â?¢m a total space nerd, I was already excited.
As readers on this astounding space race, we�ll be following a group of five people who have been chosen by SpaceFirst to train as the astronauts who will venture to all the planets in our system- including Pluto, because Chris, SpaceFirst�s CEO still considers Pluto a planet. Then one of the lucky five will be given the chance to be the first person to travel beyond, to Alpha Centauri. The possibilities are nearly limitless.
As if the basic premise isnââ?¬â?¢t enough to get a reader totally engrossed, the characters Mr. Brown has created will certainly do the trick. They are genuine characters with all the quirks and flaws. The storyââ?¬â?¢s POV is from one of the five space travelers, Lewis. He is so warm and witty, soââ?¬Â¦ ordinary (almost) that he seems like someone youââ?¬â?¢d want to sit down and have a beer with. Heââ?¬â?¢s a brilliant engineer whose self-deprecating ââ?¬Å"aww-shucksââ?¬Â? nature keeps him from being overrun by pride and ego. My favorite thing about Lewis, though, is his razor-sharp inner monologue that berates him regularly. Even his shipboard AI computer piles on the deprecating humor to Lewisââ?¬â?¢ chagrin, providing laugh out loud moments that provide balance for the more weighty moments.
Joining Lewis are the others chosen for the space program. Colt is pure testosterone and charisma, and reminiscent of the Mercury/Gemini astronauts; full of the right stuff and bearing the swagger to prove it. Eve is smart and awesome, even if she is super-competitive and shows her feelings easily. Sandra�s got this amazing ability to lead the others without even trying- they just naturally trust her judgment. Then there�s Peter. He�s very volatile, complains about everything, and is largely oppositional to the rest. He can be hard to like. If that sounded like an understatement, well, it was. All five of our intrepid heroes are excited to be part of the program, but they all want to be the first person to Alpha Centauri. Period.
ââ?¬Å"Firstââ?¬Â? is about more than a space race. Itââ?¬â?¢s about the human spirit and its drive to succeed before others. Itââ?¬â?¢s about the breaking of societal norms to accomplish that goal no matter what the cost. Itââ?¬â?¢s about the personal price tag weââ?¬â?¢d like to pretend has no control over us- the price we would allow others to pay so that we may be first instead of them. Some of us, as it turns out, have no problem allowing others to pay the price for our ticket to success. ââ?¬Å"Firstââ?¬Â? is also about the unexpected and unintended consequences of being first.
I want to write thousands more words about this novel and its impact. This story is written with an easy style, like one friend talking to another. In fact, the words seemed to flow over the pages like quicksilver, and with equal fascination. Chock full of ââ?¬Å"holy cowââ?¬Â? moments that donââ?¬â?¢t give any hint theyââ?¬â?¢re coming, this read is spellbinding. Readers will also experience a full range of emotions from pride to gloom, elation to fear, anger to pain, and the complete spectrum within. As if this werenââ?¬â?¢t enough to keep you turning those pages, readers just KNOW who the antagonist is by the halfway point in the book.
Or do they?
Of all the elements Randy Brown has brought together to create a story that is greater than the sum of its parts, the best might just be his use of various creative elements without detracting from the storyline, characters, or pace. Be sure to catch the authorââ?¬â?¢s comments after the epilogue because Iââ?¬â?¢m going to leave those devices like little nuggets to be discovered by readers, just as the author did. Since I read, on average, more than 300 books a year, I am completely confident declaring that ââ?¬Å"Firstââ?¬Â? is truly a novel not to be missed. Sci-fi fans will find a slice of heaven here, so to speak. But so will those who enjoy thrillers, mysteries, character-driven stories, and even romantic suspense. I loved all the flavors of genres that were floating around like water droplets in zero g. It made the entire read that much richer. This wonderful work negotiates the genres much the same way these characters traverse the stars. With ease, strength, intelligence, wit, and grace.
Do not wait to find out what gives Randy Brownââ?¬â?¢s ââ?¬Å"Firstââ?¬Â? that true it factor, making it unforgettable.
