Hole in the Sky

A Novel

By: Daniel H. Wilson

Narrated by: Matt Godfrey, Sacha Chambers, Kholan Studi, Ari Fliakos

A Native American first contact story and gripping thriller from the New York Times bestselling author of Robopocalypse

"Thrilling and personal... an important addition to the landscape of science fiction."—Pierce Brown, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Red Rising

"Hole in the Sky is mind-bending… indigenous knowledge collides with science fiction in a thrilling page-turner."—Sterlin Harjo, filmmaker and writer of Reservation Dogs

On the Great Plains of Oklahoma, in the heart of the Cherokee Nation, a strange atmospheric disturbance is noticed by Jim Hardgray, a down-on-his-luck single father trying to reconnect with his teenage daughter, Tawny. At NASA’s headquarters in Houston, Texas, astrophysicist Dr. Mikayla Johnson observes an interaction with the Voyager 1 spacecraft on the far side of the solar system, and she concludes that something enormous and unidentified is heading directly for Earth. And in an undisclosed bunker somewhere in the United States, an American threat forecaster known only as the Man Downstairs intercepts a cryptic communication and sends a message directly to the president and highest-ranking military brass: “First contact imminent.”

Daniel H. Wilson’s Hole in the Sky is a riveting thriller in the most creative tradition of extraterrestrial fiction. Drawing on Wilson’s unique background as both a threat forecaster for the United States Air Force and a Cherokee Nation citizen, this propulsive novel asks probing questions about nonhuman intelligence, the Western mindset, and humans’ understanding of reality.

Science fiction meets zombie horror — not what I expected

I like Daniel H. Wilson’s stories. They usually offer plenty of science and tech that feel realistic today, plus ideas that seem plausible for the future.

Expecting another story along those lines, I found this one went deeper into fantasy, horror, and religious symbolism than I anticipated. There’s science and tech here, but the backbone of the story leans more into those other elements—which just aren’t my cup of tea. That’s not to say it’s wrong to write about such things; it just wasn’t what I expected or usually enjoy.

The narrators, however, did an excellent job. They brought each character to life and made them leap off the page—well, off the player! As a blind listener who’s heard everything from the bottom of the barrel to the best of the bunch, I know that it takes immeasurable skill to make that happen. A great narrator can make a story shine or sink it completely, and these readers absolutely nailed it.

Even though I wasn’t a big fan of the story’s direction, I can objectively say it’s well written. You can tell a lot of thought and hard work went into it, and the pacing and plot twists kept the story moving.

If you know what kind of adventure you’re getting into, you’ll likely enjoy this one. It has Wilson’s fingerprints all over it.

Another fun Daniel Wilson book

Not as good as robopocalypse but still a fun thought provoking story. The set up is solid, however the pay off seems a bit rushed. Would have enjoyed a bit more fleshed out story

Interesting storyline

The first half was fantastic and I was intrigued. I really liked the Cherokee connection. The man downstairs was really interesting too. Once Makayla started having the awe tremolo in her voice pretty much all the time, that character arc got annoying.

I loved the last few chapters. But in between, the dream battle sequences really didn’t work for me as an audio book. I may reread by reading it-that is usually my preference.

I loved previous books by this author and I love this idea of first contact with a Native American connected storyline. I did not enjoy a bit more than the third quarter of the book. Ending was interesting though!

A superb listen

The book speaks of culture different than mine, and opens new thoughts and ideas. I highly recommend it.

Really enjoyed this audiobook.

I hadn't heard of this author before listening to a recent Scientific American podcast that recommended this book. I was in need of a new book to listen to and decided to just buy it without reading the summary or knowing much about it. I quickly became hooked and found myself sneaking away to listen more. I would echo the sentiment of the person on the podcast who said, "I was in tears at the end, in a good way." The audio performances were good and I felt connected to the characters. I liked that the story felt unique and different than typical scifi first contact stories (I like those as well, but get a little bored when they're too predictable). I enjoyed this book enough that I chose another book by the same author as my next listen.