AS1

By: Trevor Lewis

Narrated by: Daniel Thomas May

Gideon, a young and gifted electromagnetics engineer, finds himself stationed at Green Bank Observatory, with the United States' most powerful radio telescope at his fingertips.

Utilizing groundbreaking techniques, he stumbles upon an unexplainable radio signal emerging from just outside our solar system. Soon, he is thrust into a world of science and politics as humanity steps into the unknown. Trust morphs into fear as the dark shroud of the discovery is lifted, revealing the true intentions that will forever alter the course of the human race.

AS1 is a hard science fiction epic that combines meticulous scientific accuracy with a gripping narrative. This tale of discovery, speculation, and deceit will captivate fans of acclaimed works such as Arrival and Project Hail Mary, offering a realistic and thought-provoking journey into the unknown.

©2024 Trevor Lewis (P)2025 Podium Audio

A Science Fiction Standout

This book took me by surprise. It is labeled Hard Science fiction, and the book is all of that, well researched and completely plausible, what; surprised me is how much more the book had to offer its readers. From the first page to the last the reader is continuously challenged to think about how our society works, character relationships, and science. It will have you rooting for goodness in the world and beyond-both with skepticism and hope. Two thumbs up!

Excellent, thought-provoking hard science fiction.

This story captured me until I was done. It felt like it could be a reality. Lots of strong characters, that I felt emotionally connected to. There's humor and tragedy. and it wraps up with a strong positive message.

A Unique Take On The Genre

AS1 is a unique take on the first contact sci-fi genre. Overall, I enjoyed it. The description of the aliens and their approach was engaging, and the characters were interesting. Narration was fine. I don’t really understand the “woke” accusation. The book comes with a lot of secular presuppositions like almost every book in this genre, but that should be no surprise. I thought the take on humanity was pretty balanced, if a bit anemic. My primary criticism is that there are a number of just-so elements to the story. I won’t put any spoilers, but I’ll say that human decisions seemed ad hoc at key moments. Meanwhile, the secular presuppositions seriously weaken the force of a major part of the plot. Criticisms aside, it’s a solid story and worth the listen if you enjoy first contact novels.

Amazing up until Chapter 86. (Warning- Spoilers)

I was quite literally prepared to say this might have been the greatest First Contact story I've ever read. But then, at the end, it devolved into the classic "Farewell to the Master" (The Day the Earth Stood Still) trope. A fun and thoughtful story giving an excellent account of how human politics might address first contact, but don't expect too much at the end. At least it wasn't "To Serve Man" (V)

Great story!

Great story. Makes you wonder what our first interaction will be if we survive long enough to meet another species.