The power of science-fiction is to boggle the mind and this story definitely did that for me. I don’t think I’ll be spoiling anything by saying that The Last Astronaut is a first contact novel. However, it is quite unique so you can expect something different here. Without giving too much away let’s just say that how Wellington envisioned the ship and aliens was really interesting. Also, in terms of the science, this story was well researched but what stood out to me was the writing. It was excellent. At times it really grabbed me by the throat and forced me to pay attention.
Here’s an example:
“He was intimately aware of the vast volume of darkness all around him. Above him, to either side. There could be anything out there. Some enormous monster reaching towards him with silent claws. Aliens watching him with inhuman senses, waiting for the right moment to swoop in and snatch him away from the slope. To drag him upward, always screaming, into nothingness.”
In terms of the characters, I never felt desperately invested in the well-being of any of them, except maybe Jansen. But to me That Last Astronaut was more plot-driven than character-driven and the plot is pretty good.
The last thing I want to mention was the ending. An ending to a first contact story is always kind of challenging, but this one worked. Can’t say much more than that, except read it!