Get it on Audible Now - https://amzn.to/4aYlfLJ
New to Audible? Join Now and get two audiobooks for free - https://litrated.com/audible-buy
7/10
Author - Brandon Q. Morris
Narrated By - Daniel Thomas May
Length : 10h 21m
Publisher - Tantor Audio
Release Date - July 30, 2019
Genre : Hard Science Fiction
A Quick Overview - The Hole:
I’d only read a few sci-fi books before and had no clue what "hard sci-fi" was until I listened to The Hole. I almost gave up after the first hour, but then I remembered—I'm a blogger, and I should be open to trying all kinds of genres. So, for anyone else like me who's not super familiar with it, hard science fiction is all about taking real science and imagining how it could evolve in the future, with everything feeling as real and believable as possible. It’s like picturing what could really happen if we had all the tech and science figured out. The narration was decent, and I was actually pretty surprised at how the author managed to capture the thoughts of both humans and AI—something new but interesting! Although, I think the author could’ve put in a bit more effort to explain the scientific stuff, since a lot of it was hard to follow.
In-Depth Review - The Hole:
The story has two main parts: first, we’re on Earth with Maribel Pedreira, a young astrophysicist interning and looking for better opportunities where she’ll be more recognized. The second part follows a crew—Doug, Maria, and Stephano—who are working on an asteroid mining mission. At first, I found it a little slow since I realized hard sci-fi isn’t really my thing, but things picked up when Watson was introduced. He quickly became my favorite character!
The real twist comes when Maribel, while working with her boss on a paper about "galaxy dynamics," stumbles upon an anomaly in the solar system. Her boss dismisses it, saying the measurements of planets and other objects aren’t perfect. But Maribel can’t shake the feeling that something’s off, even after trying to adjust the calculations to make the anomaly go away. She reaches out to one of her professors, and together they discover a tiny black hole, just 6 meters across, that’s slowly moving toward the sun and could eventually cause humanity's extinction.
Meanwhile, Doug, Maria, and Stephano come across an unrecognized spaceship and ask the crew to identify themselves. Watson, the AI, is hesitant at first but decides to join them, curious to learn more. Watson is a unique AI who can also feel emotions.
The two storylines finally merge when the discovery of the black hole leads to the crew of 2003EH1 working to save Earth. The Hole is actually the first book in the ‘The Solar System’ series, with six more parts to go. I’m not sure if they continue the same plot and characters, but I might check out the next one sometime. In the meantime, let me know in the comments if you’ve read or listened to The Hole, or if you’re planning to!
About The Author
Brandon Q. Morris
Brandon Q. Morris is a British author known for his work in science fiction, particularly his The Solar System series. With a background in engineering, Morris brings a unique technical and scientific perspective to his writing.
His stories often explore hard science fiction, blending real scientific concepts with imaginative, futuristic scenarios. The Hole is the first book in this series, where he delves into complex ideas like astrophysics, AI, and space exploration. Morris aims to make his fiction as realistic and scientifically grounded as possible, offering readers a thought-provoking experience.
Outside of writing, he is passionate about technology, space, and innovation, which often influences the themes in his work. His writing has received positive attention for its blend of intriguing plots, emotional depth, and scientific accuracy.
