4 out of 4 stars
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Six crew members travel on the spaceship Far Traveler to the planet Obsidian for exploration and to see if there are any natural resources worth developing. The crew consists of Cassie, Max, Jonas, Lyra, Li, and Doc. Upon landing, everything looks black and bleak, but they notice a water supply. Rounded shapes resembling large, black mushrooms are subsequently observed close to the water. They don’t realize initially that these plants are intelligent and communicate with each other by different scents as well as their roots.
It is Cassie’s job as the science officer to determine if there is life on the planet and if it is intelligent. If there is intelligent life, their Prime Directive states they have to take a hands-off approach to the planet. This will make many people unhappy as the planet is thought to be rich in diamonds. So, they bring a few samples of the mushroom-like plants into the lab for research. Because of corrosives inside their bodies, most of the plants are destroyed as soon as they are cut. This causes them to disintegrate and turn to black sand. After experimenting on several samples, only one is left alive.
A small creature tries to rescue the plant. It gets away after being noticed but is captured after appearing a second time. Then, a second animal appears and sprays corrosives on the spaceship’s supports, causing the ship to tilt. While chasing the second animal, Jonas runs into a bog, is pulled underground, and disappears. A gigantic sandstorm appears out of nowhere, forcing the crew to abandon the search for Jonas and seek shelter in the ship.
Will the owner of this ship and the captain (Max) be willing to give up the diamonds to save the lives of the civilization on Obsidian? Will these natives forgive the Earthlings for killing their family members or will they demand revenge?
When I started reading The Scent of Distant Worlds, by W. D. County, I was pulled into the story right away. It moved rapidly to the Earthlings landing on the planet, encountering the “mushrooms”, and starting their research. Then, it repeated what just happened through the Obsidian natives’ point of view. There are quite a few stories of meeting unfriendly aliens while exploring other planets. You get that and more in this book as the author gives the reader both viewpoints. We see what the natives go through as their friends and family members are captured and, from their perspective, tortured. I loved this addition to the story, and it was my favorite part.
The book is 338 pages, broken up into 62 chapters, and is told in third person. The author, W. D. County, has been a nuclear reactor operator aboard a ballistic missile submarine, a quality assurance manager at Three Mile Island, and a developer of custom software for the federal government. Because of his knowledge of technology, he can make life aboard the spaceship seem believable but doesn’t make it seem overly complicated. He has a very vivid imagination and has the ability to bring Obsidian to life with descriptions that are picturesque and clear. His writing is articulate and easy to understand.
The characters are all well developed. Cassie is our main protagonist and wants to do what is right. However, she has made a horrible mistake by experimenting on the natives. Nonetheless, she is brave and resists bowing to authority if they are wrong. Jonas and Cassie had been in love before they left Earth, and this journey will severely test their relationship. The reader sees how different characters react to the possibility that intelligent life exists on this planet, perhaps ending their endeavors to become rich. It brings out the best in some people and the worst in others.
Treating other beings, even though they look and act differently from us, with respect and compassion is a strong theme throughout this book. Also, the need to abstain from the plundering of resources haphazardly is addressed; man’s greed can create destruction. The author quotes Newton’s Third Law, “For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction”. We can apply the lessons learned here to our daily lives.
A few minor errors were found in the book, mostly in the form of misspelled words and words left out. Since there were only a few and not distracting, I did not take off any stars.
As there was nothing about this book I didn’t like, it deserves a rating of 4 out of 4 stars. Readers who like science fiction and fantasy will appreciate this novel. There is violence in the book; therefore, it is unsuitable for children or sensitive readers.
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The Scent of Distant Worlds
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