I haven't read anything by the author before, but after this book he will be the author to follow. I really liked the book starting with the language. It was sometimes difficult because of unknown words, but after looking them up they are so precise and rich in meaning that I appreciate them even more. The author's imagination is so great, mostly concerning the different creatures. I also liked the main character, was struggling and suffering with him and wished him luck. The ending was suprising, but because of it I appreciate and like the book even more.

I have no idea how to review this without spoilers.

I was riveted.

I'll re-read it.

Any comparisons may well turn out to be spoilers, so I hesitate to say what this book reminds me of. For those that want an atmospheric idea from other books: (view spoiler: I'd say "The Yellow Wallpaper" by Plath crossed with "The Martian" crossed with "Leviathan." It also reminded me of "The Luminous Dead." ). But I will note that while Tchaikovsky might have been inspired by Mark Watney from "The Martian," he went in entirely different directions.


'Aldebaran' is a red star. The name is Arabic and means 'follower,'because it seems to follow the Pleides. Interesting choice, although like others, my reading eye slurred it to 'Alderaan' of Princess Leia's time.

For those that read it, I'd be interested to discuss (view spoiler)

Four and a half aliens, strictly because it doesn't quite suit my must-own requirements.

I absolutely loved this novella from the moment I picked it up to the moment I put it down. It starts out very light. The protagonist is a funny guy. He's lost on an alien artifact humans have been calling "the Crypts."

The story is told in two timelines, present and past. The past timeline outlines how he came to be lost in the Crypts and tells us a little about the state of the world before he left earth. In the present, he's wandering the Crypts encountering all manner of alien life.

The writing was very good. I enjoyed the stream of consciousness style here, and that isn't always my thing. Tchaikovsky employed it very well. This was a context in which it made sense, and it was easy to follow. Another note about the writing, the present timeline is written in present tense. I know for some readers that can be an issue, but I enjoyed it and thought it brought an added level of excitement to the story.

The pace, initially, is ambling. There are a few exciting things happening, but what drew me in was the humor. Gary Rendell is just a guy you want to hang out with. There are some definite elements of horror, but they were balanced well with the humor. As we near the end the tone becomes darker and darker. Nothing is what it seems.

I have a feeling some of the science in this science fiction has no foundation in reality (disclaimer, I know nothing about physics), but there were several fun little nods to biology. Rendell comments on the way the various aliens are formed and how and why they might have developed that way and I thought it was a nice way to flesh out the MC. There were also a few nods to human psychology, and those passages were some of my favorites.

Overall I thought it was inventive and creative. I'd recommend it to readers who enjoy elements of horror with their science fiction or fans of Tchaikovsky's other work.

Thank you to Netgalley and Solaris for providing me with an eARC to review.

After having read, and loved, Children of Time by the author, I was quite interested by reading more of him, and this novella was nicely timely!

The story, the tone, the context were quite different from the big and serious "Children of Time", which didn't surprised me: a novella is a very interesting format to show an author personality and range of writing capacities. "Walking to Aldebaran", a short story, a creepy tale, with a mystery hidden in plain sight, is one perfect example. It's main characteristic and appeal is its tone, a dry desperate one, as the hero progress in the nightmarish maze name the crypts and speaks to an imaginary friend, Toto (like the dog in "The magician of Oz"). If the story isn't funny at all, the way it's told is absolutely delicious!

The narrative is cleverly woven, going back and forth from the present to the past in a very comfortable fashion - no effort and no frustration either for the reader. There are some references, apt to speak to the modern reader; even if there aren't quite credible for the narrator, living in a distant futur, this kind of bending is quite acceptable for our reading pleasure!

The atmosphere is downright horrific. It reminded me, for its mix of dread, disgusting-revolting-but-rather-fun facts, its practical and bizarre atmosphere, the Peggy Sue's books by Serge Brussolo that I used to read when my oldest daughter was a child and a fan (yes, there are children books, the kind of weird and horrific stories some children crave!).

The end was good, and quite unpredictable until the last pages - even if, retrospectively, many hints were given. Still, I was a bit dissatisfied, as I'd have liked some points cleared up. An epilogue, from the other humans point of view for instance, would have been nice.

To conclude a very good story, funny and horrifying in the same time, riveting from the very beginning till the end!

A humorous first person narrative from an astronaut struggling to survive off world? So far, so "Martian". Unfortunately this odd little book isn't in the same league. We're not on any recognizable planet but an alien gateway artefact. The jokey tone grates as the story grows darker and the book ends so abruptly I had to check I hadn't missed another chapter.

I'm grateful to Netgalley for the free advance ebook and note this was produced by Rebellion publishing who do such great work with "2000AD", the terrific British sci fi comic. I'm sorry I can't be more positive as I enjoyed this author's novel "Children of Time". This just felt like a story that ran out of steam/ideas and I'm glad I didn't spend any of my Earth money on it - sorry!

Walking to Aldebaran is a stand-alone novella starring astronaut Gary Rendell, a member of an international expedition team sent to explore an alien artifact that suddenly appeared out beyond Pluto. We follow Gary as he wanders the halls and corridors of the artifact (which he calls the Crypts), intermixed with flashbacks to the strange events that led him there. To say any more about the plot . . . well, that'd be a pretty honking big spoiler.

Adrian Tchaikovsky is one of those incredibly prolific writers who somehow manages to be incapable of writing a bad book. I've long thought of him as the male Seanan McGuire, and this installment just reinforces that impression. His prose sucks you in, and when you're finished, you flip around to find the next installment (and get kind of cranky when there isn't one!) I really loved the overall aura of the setting: it comes across as this sort of bizarre hiking story---like being on some Lovecraftian version of the Appalachian Trail, with fellow hikers you do and definitely *don't* want to meet.

And let's just say, it's definitely the sort of book you'll want to re-read.

Highly recommended.

A big thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

Walking to Aldebaran is a mesmerizing descent into absolute madness. What begins as an exciting trek to a mysterious object nestled at the end of our solar system morphs into untold horrors as a single astronaut descends further into the bowels of an endless cavern. The protagonist begins as a human we can empathize with and, by the end, he’s a pure monster that belongs in the darkened halls of this creature-made structure. I was floored by the brilliant writing on display. Tchaikovsky slowly sucks you in, revealing piece by piece in a masterful first-person account. The sanity begins to trickle away until it’s too late, revealing the book is no longer what you thought it was. I’m frankly amazed at what he was able to accomplish in such a short space.

It’s so easy to get caught up in the majesty of what our protagonist continues to discover. It’s a mix between the wonder of a science fiction novel and the horrors of a creature feature. Through it all, our protagonist seemingly keeps his calm, never devolving into absolute terror, save for a single moment early on. This strange place changes him completely, both literally and figuratively, turning these mind-blowing experiences into everyday drivel. He’s aware that he’s narrating his own story as he walks through the tunnels. It’s easy to imagine this crazed man narrating each step he takes, telling his backstory as he sits on the cold ground taking a break. That sense of self-awareness creates an unease the further you dive into this brilliant account.

Overall, Walking to Aldebaran is a masterful combination of science fiction, horror, and a bit of humor. The mood is constantly shifting, the scene ever-evolving, and, in the end, we’re left with more surprises than expected. This is truly a must-read.

Review will be published on May 24: https://reviewsandrobots.com/2019/05/24/walking-to-aldebaran-book-review

Enjoyably twisted novella. Excellent piece of sci-fi world building, alternating between the discovery and initial stages of exploring a mysterious object in space, and a survivor’s journey through the physically fantastic interior battling monsters. A wry, and particularly British, sense of humour informs this fun, if rather sick, tale. Does more in 140 pages than some books manage in 600.

Adrian Tchaikovsky's novella about a lost astronaut, endlessly wandering the corridors of a vast alien artefact existing in multi dimensional space makes an interesting but slightly frustrating read. There's not much in the way of character play. Occasionally the protagonist comes upon explorers from other planets with whom he is unable to communicate but essentially this is a study in dehumanisation.

Alien consciousness is a subject that Tchaikovsky has explored in previous novels and his depiction of the protagonist's descent into inhumanity is compelling. But there's simply not enough plot for me. It feels more like a sketch than a fully developed story.

This novella has an interesting idea for an alien artefact...if that's what the Crypt can be called. The story is told from the viewpoint of a person who has lost their way and is wandering an enormous artefact, trying to find his way back to the rest of his team, trying to find his way back to the humans he came with.

The Crypt, as our astronaut protagonist refers to it, is both inscrutable and somewhat understandable at the same time. There are parts that we, the reader, can sort of get our heads around, even though the reasons behind it might not be. It contains all sorts of different types of aliens, and they're not of the humanoid bumpy nose variety. This makes for some interesting reading.

In the end, there's a bit of a twist, but it's one that could be anticipated by the reader. It's somewhat satisfying, nonetheless. It's an interesting read, and I enjoyed walking my way through it.

Humanity has found a new artifact beyond Neptune, a shortcut to other stars, but the only way to travel with it is walking. The journey can change the traveller. An interesting setting, with lots of humour, but it's not the best job of this fantastic writer.

I haven't read science fiction for a while. I used to love Clarke and Asimov as a teenager, chuckled at Douglas Adams then had a lull until I was gifted Dune a few years ago. Having just finished Adrian Tchaikovsky's Walking to Aldebaran, I can see myself looking for more sci-fi novels, and certainly more of his.

His writing is tight - a strong voice with credible characters (well, mostly just the one) and enough exposition to keep it interesting without hand-feeding the reader. The novella is rather far fetched, even for science fiction - the gateways in the Knossos like labyrinth, unrestricted by time and place, are fine, but the roaming aliens seemed a push too far for me. But, don't think too hard and just enjoy the quality of the writing.

A very solid 4 stars, and a taster that will definitely get me reading more of the author's works.

Book supplied by Netgalley for an honest review.

What an entertaining, exciting, at times horrifying and unputdownable read this was! Sadly a very short read, too short i‘d even venture to say as I would have loved to follow Gary a little longer while he explores new rooms or encounters fellow travellers or more monsters in this very strange place, Still, a fascinating story and one I will happily re-visit and recommend to any and everyone who loves scifi. .

The book is an extended version of David Bowie's Space Oddity. Major Tom and Gary Rendell are lucky to be picked or are they?

4.5 stars - Tchaikovsky is fast becoming one of my favorite sci-fi authors. His world building is top notch and his writing abilities aren't far behind. I really enjoyed the dark, borderline horror atmosphere. Quick, tight read that any fan of the "big dumb object" type of sci-fi will enjoy.

Ahoy there mateys!  I received this sci-fi eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  So here be me honest musings . . .

walking to aldebaran (Adrian Tchaikovsky)
Title: walking to aldebaran
Author: Adrian Tchaikovsky
Publisher: Rebellion / Solaris
Publication Date: TODAY !!! (hardback/e-book)
ISBN: 978-1781087060
Source: NetGalley

I have been meaning to try Adrian Tchaikovsky's work for ages now, so when I saw this beautiful cover I took a chance.  Turns out this 140 page story deals with first contact through the dark humor of Gary the astronaut.

An alien rock was discovered out in Oort Cloud and Gary was one of the astronauts sent to explore this amazing find.  Of course disaster strikes and Gary is separated from his team and is lost inside the artifact.  The story is told from alternating sections of Gary's present and Gary's perspective on the discovery of the artifact and how he ended up in his predicament.  The problem?  Gary seems a just a bit insane.

I actually really enjoyed Gary's unreliable narration.  It did take me a minute to get absorbed into the story because Gary's modus operandi is a rather scattered approach of putting his thoughts together.  But I wanted desperately to know more about the artifact and how it works.  So I kept reading and found that I loved following Gary on his rather desperate journey.  I was both entertained and horrified by poor Gary.

Turns out there are way more questions than answers.  Also the physics of place kinda hurt me noggin.  But I very much enjoyed the expedition and the silly ending.  This was fun.  I will certainly be picking up more works by Adrian Tchaikovsky in the future.  Arrrr!

Side note: "Aldebaran" from the title is the fourteenth brightest star in our sky and is known as the "Eye of Taurus."  The name derives from the Arabic for "the follower."  Cool!

Goodreads has this to say about the novel:

My name is Gary Rendell. I’m an astronaut. When they asked me as a kid what I wanted to be when I grew up, I said, “astronaut, please!” I dreamed astronaut, I worked astronaut, I studied astronaut. I got lucky; when a probe sent out to explore the Oort Cloud found a strange alien rock and an international team of scientists was put together to go and look at it, I made the draw.I got even luckier. When disaster hit and our team was split up, scattered through the endless cold tunnels, I somehow survived. Now I’m lost, and alone, and scared, and there’s something horrible in here. Lucky me. Lucky, lucky, lucky.

To visit the author’s website go to:
Adrian Tchaikovsky - Author

To buy the novel please visit:
walking to aldebaran - Book

To add to Goodreads go to:
Yer Ports for Plunder List

Funny, shocking, and creative.

A great little novella. Astronaut Gary Rendell has been wandering the "crypts" (a planet-sized orb with various entrances that seem to connect various planetary systems together; the innards of which almost seem randomly generated, like a roguelike video game) for so long that he's beginning to go a little crazy. This insanity starts with a run of sardonic humor about his predicament (and there are some real laughs in here, I tell you what), but as the story winds on, the scales tip closer to the scary kind of crazy--a slow tick-tick-tick from Dr. Jekyll to Mr. Hyde. The result of this insanity was shocking but so seamlessly glossed over that I hadn't realized it until two pages after the fact and had to backtrack. Made me gasp.

It's a good one. Fascinating and very well written.

Walking To Aldebaran by Adrian Tchaikovsky- Another story(novella) of an astronaut lost inside a mysterious alien artifact. Gary Rendell is part of an expedition to explore a gravity anomaly in the Kuiper Belt out past Pluto. They are looking for a planet size signature, but what they find is a revolving orb made by some long ancient alien race, possibly. Once on or in the artifact, Gary finds himself alone and all his fellow explorers quickly killed off. He travels through the dark passageways of what he calls the Crypt, searching for a way back to the ship and home.
This is a first-person slog through, self examination, philosophy, change, fear, determination, and discovery. For such a short book, it is a rather torturously long journey, with little explanation or real excitement. I recently read Tchaikovsky's Children of Time, a superb engaging science fiction extravaganza, but this novella was not that great.

Decent read to add to your Sci-Fi shelf. Basically, humans go into space, play with something they shouldn't, and we follow the repercussions of that decision as we listen to the inner monologue of an astronaut on said expedition. Shades of themes from The Expanse, Prometheus, and 2001.

The writing was occasionally pompous feeling just for the sake of sounding smart, but overall was well put together and flowed neatly. Didn't really have any feelings toward the characters and I don't think the novella length had anything to do with that.

I've really enjoyed all of the books that I've previously read by this author and this was no exception.

I loved the space setting, unreliable narrator and all the aliens/monsters that we met.

My only gripe with it is that it was too short for me. By the point that the story had me thoroughly gripped and wanting to know what's going on, it ended.

But overall, very enjoyable!