“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
“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
“A wonderful examination of coping with loss, time and death.” - SFX
“As if Philip K Dick and David Mitchell collaborated on an episode of The West Wing. Unsettling, gripping and hugely thought-provoking.” - FHM
“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
“A challenging and stimulating read.” - Booklist
“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
“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
“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
“The first person perspective and unpretentious prose style are enhanced by accomplished pacing.” - SFX (UK)
“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
“The Explorer is smart, scary and seductive. Like its protagonist, it explores the queasy strangeness of space-time, and puts the reader at the heart of a tale of watching and fearing that comes off like a collaboration between Hitchcock and Heinlein. Excellent stuff.” - Lloyd Shepherd, author of The English Monster
“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
“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!)
“Beautifully written, creepy as hell. The Explorer is as clever in its unravelling as it is breathlessly claustrophobic.” - Lauren Beukes, author of Zoo City
“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
The Explorer is smart, scary and seductive. Like its protagonist, it explores the queasy strangeness of space-time, and puts the reader at the heart of a tale of watching and fearing that comes off like a collaboration between Hitchcock and Heinlein. Excellent stuff.
A brilliant book — funny, desperate, desolate, sad, all in equal measure.
Beautifully written, creepy as hell. The Explorer is as clever in its unravelling as it is breathlessly claustrophobic.
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.
Dark, cold, claustrophobic, and oh so very scary. THE EXPLORER is literary science fiction at its blackest best.
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.
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.
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.
A challenging and stimulating read.
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.
As if Philip K Dick and David Mitchell collaborated on an episode of The West Wing. Unsettling, gripping and hugely thought-provoking.
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.
The first person perspective and unpretentious prose style are enhanced by accomplished pacing.
A wonderful examination of coping with loss, time and death.
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.
Unsettling.
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.
A challenging and stimulating read.
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.”
%COMM_CONTRIB%Romantic Times BOOKclub
