Review: Christopher Paolini's, To Sleep In A Sea Of Stars

Not being a fantasy reader, I was not familiar with Christopher Paolini's work on the Eragon series of Young Adult dragon fantasy. A newsletter from Tor Books alerted me to his new upcoming novel, a novel to be his first foray into adult Science Fiction; together with a description of said novel, I decided to gamble and pre-order the book. Gambles such as this have often resulted in pleasant surprises; this was one such enterprise which did not disappoint. Part One of the novel: Exogenesis introduces the reader to the tour de force protagonist Kira Navárez, a xenobiologist currently stationed on Adrasteia, an Earth-sized moon locked in a gravitational ballet with the orange gas giant Zeus. However, when morning arrives, she and her ten-person survey team will be requisitioned to the Fidanza. Twenty-six cryo days later, waking up at 61 Cygni, the team will go their separate ways.

Kira experiences an intense, foreboding sense of loss. Her romantic liaison with Alan (a geologist who works for the Lapsang Trading Corp), threatened by an imminent separation, propels Kira into a future whose only companion is loneliness. Together, they discussed the many options surrounding long term separations within the logistics of their careers and life goals. It seemed that the only logical opportunity: apply to be "a paired bonded couple" with aspirations of colonizing future settlements, in short, get married. Alan's proposal includes a romantic flare; he presents Kira with seven pots of her favourite flower, Midnight Constellation, a flower horticultured by her father. This simple act shows her that he is the right choice: a caring, thoughtful and sensitive future husband; he slips a ring onto her finger. Their plan as a pioneer couple shambles when the end of the company's tour concludes; Kira is asked to sojourn to the surface one last time. A downed drone relayed back some information concerning questionable organic matter along the coastline that needs investigation—Kira fulfills her contract obligations and descends to the surface of Adrasteia one last time. While on the surface of Adrasteia, a curious anomaly piques her interest; investigation ensues, disaster follows. She spots the destroyed drone, but in doing so, she also discovers a crack in the column of a rock formation, whereby upon entry it fails to support her, and she plummets into the maw of a room: intelligent alien artifact?! She discerns the outline of a pedestal mistaken for a stalagmite. The pedestal houses a basin ladened with dust. Employing a canister of compressed air, she blows off the basin's edge, freeing it from the dust. However, her actions have activated the dust into a seething swarm of particles enveloping her rapidly: contact. This one act of reckless scientific curiosity ultimately leads to life-altering series of events that include profound loss and self-discovery.

Christopher Paolini
Credit: Paolini.net

Part two of the novel, Sublimare, concerns itself with alien contact, the result of her tenuous escape from authoritative debriefing gone awry, her enduring relationship with the Wallfish crew, galactic conflict, and the introduction of alien technology, communication across species. And the ever-present relationship Kira fosters with her symbiote (now known as Soft Blade). This part delves deep into character development.

Part three through to six deals with varying episodes of Kira and the burgeoning relationship with her skinsuit, Wallfish crew backstories, the continuing struggle with the alien contingency of Wranaui, the Maw, the Nightmares, a unified quest, a bewildering fractal city, a soupçon of romance, some hostile dynamic confrontations all culminating in a final one-on-one tug-of-war that results in an emancipated universe.

... And Now The Ruminations

That night, in the mess hall, the team gathers to celebrate the end of a mission and possibly their last time together. Paolini includes a nice touch here. Kira pulls out her concertina to play some space reels (shanties) during the festivities upon request. Paolini draws a parallel between the traditional music listened to, sang, and performed on the tall sailing ships of old Earth to that of the sleek space-faring

vessels. Some traditions continue to flourish regardless of the passage of time. Kira, a xenobiologist with no connection to Earth other than being historically human, can play the concertina: an instrument that sailors of yore packed along for those long sea passages to pass the time, ease arduous tasks, entertain, celebrate, and connect with a little taste of home. Paolini recognizes the necessity of traditional maritime shanties and archaically includes them to demonstrate humanity's evolution and the connection to Earth. The music of Earth, far removed from Earth, still has the power to draw people together. Paolini displays a trenchant view of what many would consider a minor point; this exemplifies Kira's humanness and how music keeps her grounded for challenges she will soon encounter. In fact, later on, her concertina is accidentally destroyed; a good soul realizes how important it is to Kira and restores it through the miracle of printing.

What Paolini does next is brilliant: within the first 27 pages, he skillfully reveals the entire plot of the novel esoterically by literally laying it before the reader; if you want to hide something, the best place to hide it is in plain view! "He pulled her closer then, his body hot against hers. Kira responded with equal need, equal desire, clinging to him as if she were trying to press herself through his skin and into his flesh until the two of them became one." The quote is obviously about her relationship with Alan (fiancé) at that moment, but it is also strongly suggestive of foreshadowing! The remaining eight hundred and sixteen pages weave a fantastic adventure that is engaging, covering many aspects of thrills that blend in with self-discovery, contact, aggressive hostilities, romance, and many levels of loyalty. Bear this in mind when reading this book; the quote will reveal itself and become apparent.

Paolini enjoys teasing his readers in the first part of his book by incorporating obvious references to science fiction milestones that have contributed to and impacted the genre. Paolini regales us with a battery of Easter eggs that I always find fun and delightful. I will share some of what I have read and hope that the reader enjoys them too! First, Kira, name shares with the Bajoran Kira Nerys of Star Trek's Deep Space Nine fame, a fitting honorific. Kira grows up on the colony planet of Weyland; the name is an obvious connection to the vilified corporation set upon exploiting the newly discovered xenomorph from the Alien franchise. Another reference to the Weyland-Yutani corporation is their slogan: Building a better future. The Lapsang Trade Corp. motto (featured in this novel): Forging the future together. Splitting hairs?!

An additional mention of Weyland comes after Kira's video chat with her parents: "She missed home. Which didn't mean she would have been content to just stay on Weyland... She was ready for a new challenge, one that balanced the familiar with the alien." More foreshadowing based on the double meaning of alien? In keeping with the Alien theme, Kira's shuttlecraft has an onboard pseudo intelligence named Geiger (the spelling is different nee Giger, but the implication is there). Kira's impression of Geiger: "His voice was calm and emotionless, with a hint of cultured Magellan accent. She thought of him as a Heinlein. He sounded as if he would be named Heinlein, if he were a person." Clearly, a homage paid to one of the more significant gods in the pantheon of science fiction demigods. Paolini tips his hat towards xenobiologist Dr. Crichton, who heavily influenced Kira's directional career choice (reference Micheal Crichton's Andromeda Strain and Jurassic Park). And finally, a futuristic world can not possibly exist without the aid of AIs; again, there is a definite correlation to the Alien franchise, the AI (ships mind) aboard the Extenuating Circumstance is aptly named Bishop. Here is where it gets familiar: the Extenuating Circumstance captain is Captain Henriksen, who (in the film Aliens) is the AI supplied by the Weyland Corp; portrayed by actor Lance Henriksen! I think it's fair to say that Paolini is a fan. I respect Paolini for his graciousness.

Though Paolini's novel has an air of seriousness, peppered throughout its pages are doses of wit, puns and subtle humour. It's witty to read that Kira coincidently finds herself on a ship named the Extenuating Circumstance since extenuating circumstances have put her there! Later, in Part two, Kira crews with the team aboard the spaceship Wallfish, a regional British name for a snail, implying its application to speed. The Wallfish's ship mind is a cantankerous, riddle-laden, eccentric pseudo intelligence punster named Gregorovich, short on patience; long on wit. I can't help but envision a Max Head Room image every time he makes an appearance. However, when the Wallfish captain (Falconi) asks it to do a computer-oriented task, Gregorovich plays muzak/on-hold music over the ship's speaker system while complying with the captain's request. Obviously, muzak, the bain of the 20th century, has survived into the 23rd century; humans are still subject to being put on-hold even in the highly technological world of 2257: that's subtlely humorous to me!

Runcible
Art by Christopher Paolini

How can one not find humour in the sense that the ship has two pet mascot aboard her: a Siamese cat with an attitude coupled with the sophisticated moniker Fuzzypants, together with a brown and pink pig named Runcible¹. Kira asks, "But why a pig?! Cause that way we can always bring home the bacon." Trig cackled. Paolini even has his creations laughing at their bad puns! Paolini has the ship's pets immortalized on a mural (onboard); Fuzzypants flamethrower en paws to intensify the humour. Captain Falconi and crew are galactic criminals with planetary warrants for arrest; the crime, supplying the children of Ruslan with pet newts, "Yeah, a metric ton of them." said Trig. "Sparrow laughed and then grimaced and clutched her side." It's apparent that they released seven hundred and seventy-seven thousand Earth newts on Ruslan with no natural predators; they wiped out a good-sized portion of Ruslan's eco-system. "It was like a newt-ron bomb," said Trig. " Sparrow and Nielson groaned, and Vishal said, " That was the sort of pun we had to endure for the whole trip. Ms. Kira, It was most unpleasant." "Kira fixed Trig

with a look. Hey. What do you call a really smart newt?" He Grinned. "What? Newton, of course." Falconi explains to Kira that they retroactively nulled what they had earned, which left them destitute. Kira's response, "I can see how that may have left you feeling ... newtered."Yeah, Paolini has a funny bone.

Character development appears to be one of Paolini's strong suits. It is apparent that he instilled a significant amount of thought in their directional qualities; some are linear, some skewed, and some are eccentric. His characters effuse a spectrum of emotions that run the gauntlet, emerging on the other side a little worse for wear, but that is what makes them exciting and adds depth and scope to their presence; a resultant gestalt. Paolini has created a crew of diverse characters with sweeping, and in some cases, suspect backgrounds, probably the reason they work so well together. The magnetic attraction that keeps them bound also makes them loyal to each other. Kira, who is the poster child for strangeness, exhibits a mixture of strength and fragility; she fits right in. All the characters have a back history. Their personalities are so varied from one another that keeping track of who is who becomes effortless. Collectively, the challenges faced will make them stronger; what could make them more substantial: a mission, the Quest for Staff of Blue (perhaps a little touch of the fantasy Paolini is famed for). However, in my estimation, the most tragic character is acting captain Falconi (of the Wallfish). Life has dealt him a series of devastating blows that have left scars both physically and mentally. It suffices to say that these are significant contributors to his mien. Pay particular attention to Paolini's use of Beatrice's name in correlation to Falconi's internal struggle (hint, Dante Alighieri).

Fractal
Credit: blog.scotlogic.com

A minor character that most will gloss over is, in my opinion, of some importance: the maven, Inarë. One of many refugees aboard the Wallfish on route to Ruslan. A modern-day Delphi who shares her visionary prophesy with Kira, an oracle, who, when asked about Fuzzypants, is told, "He has many names...At the moment, he goes by Hlustandi, which means listener." A blatant invitation for Kira to talk and for her to listen. Discerned during their brief discourse includes the illegal and immoral way the crew of the Wallfish was essentially blackmailing the refugees: pay up, or we'll leave you stranded in space." Philosophically, Inarë responds, "The path to our goal is rarely straight. It tends to turn and twist, which makes the journey far more enjoyable than it would otherwise be...However, it beats sitting in a room counting pigeons. She gave Kira a stern look. To be clear, I own no pigeons." They come full circle back to the element of names. Upon requesting to know each other's names, Inarë warns her, "Names are very powerful things; you should be very careful whom you share yours with. You never know when a person might turn your name against you. In any case, you may call me Inarë. Because Inarë is who I am." Kira has just supplied Inarë with a false name; Inarë subtlely chides her act of deception. Kira thinks, " It had almost been enough to make her believe in magic." Paolini strengthens this idea of Inarë and her sibyl's insight by having her knit while talking

Fractal Cauliflower
Source: The Amazing World of Fractals

with Kira. " ...the needles in her hands clacked at a furious rate. She didn't seem to need to look at them; her fingers flicked and twisted the yarn with hypnotic regularity..." Oracles often employed hypnotic states in the ancient temples to achieve a heightened sense of prophecy. By far, my most favourite piece of prophecy comes during Inarë's and Kira's final encounter. Kira is short on patience and in no mood to talk. She confesses to Inarë earlier she had lied about her actual name. I genuinely love Inarë's casual response, "Of course it isn't."; not even worth contesting. Kira asks, "Do you want something?" "Why yes," said the woman. " Yes, I do. I wanted to tell you this: eat the path, or the path will eat you."² Sage advice from the departing sage: sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, or when choosing something to eat, and it's not to your liking, go back and select something else. Portents of things to come; I found Inarë endearing.

The more I mused on this character the, more complicated my thoughts were becoming. The more significant Inarë's allocation to Kira's plight began to unravel in my mind. Is it possible that Inarë is Kira's sub-conscience willed into her conscience mind due to the heavy burden she carries? Inarë is Kira's "alter," appearing in the guise of an auger. It became apparent to me that Inarë engages and is visible to no one but Kira. Kira has difficult decisions to make and is limited to whom she can trust; her life's trauma, up to and including the present, needs clarification. Her mind forcible creates a council to help alleviate the pressure of choosing the right path before it eats her. Even Inarë's name (to which she displayed such gravitas) is indicative of a line of reasoning that ultimately lends itself to some form of final decision: IN you ARE the answers.

Carpetbag
Source: Wikipedia

What niggled at me was the issue of Inarë's carpetbag as a metaphor. The historical definition of carpetbagger doesn't fit the character of Inarë, but, if you extrapolate, using some of the same words she uses in describing herself to Kira, then the definition does lay the ground for carpetbagging. Ignore the historical, focus on metaphor and, it begins to make sense. Using generalities, carpetbagging refers to a traveller (time in this case) who arrives at a new local accompanied by only a simple portmanteau constructed of carpet remnants, hence carpetbagger. The carpetbagger proceeds to exert their power or influence on the tenants, often unaware or against their will. In her final meeting with Kira, Inarë tells Kira, "Now I really must be off. People to annoy, places to escape. Choose well. .Traveler. Think long. Think fast. Eat the path." The carpetbag is symbolizing the excess baggage that Kira albatrosses. Inarë's presence could be a manifestation of Kira's alien symbiont. Over time, the symbiont integrates into Kira's essence, both mental and physical, merging into one; the only way to possibly ply its influence on Kira is to delve into Kira's memories, referentially represent itself as an older female confidant; a relatable reference. Carpetbagging defined! To clarify her mind, Inarë assumes the responsibility and symbolically removes the weight from Kira's conscience, now free to devote all her will and energy to the problem at hand. The symbiont's objective: fulfilled.

Christopher Paolini holding an Orsted Station Print
from To Sleep in a Sea of Stars 
Source: PaoliniNet on Etsy

The idea of creating plausible, believable aliens has to be one of the most challenging creative hurdles for any author of science fiction. Dipping into his/her bag of miscellaneous alien parts and coming up with something original and distinct has to be a story's defining moments: the money shot. We all await the unveiling of the monster. When creating alien lifeforms, it so easy to resort to the bipedal humanoid model. Paolini has given us not only one but at least four variations from his fruitful imagination. The alien life form that earns the moniker Jellies is unique enough to be alien but close enough to what is known to garner both awe and sympathy. Even an alien held chained captive in a ship's hull is enough to elicit sympathy, especially one that is desperately trying to cooperate with humanity. It's not enough to merely create an alien entity; proof of its alienness has to be undeniable. Paolini comes through once again. The reader's introduction to farscent, nearscent, and low sound farscent is enough incentive to admire Paolini's ingenuity of alienness and enforces the idea that communication is the cornerstone of civility. One has to learn what the other is saying; cooperation can't be far behind.

I do not know what Paolini's stand on religion is, and I do not wish to use this forum as a platform for debate. I merely want to point out that religion still seems to have a place in Paolini's future of 2257. He skillfully introduces us to novel unorthodox means of worship as Entropists (Nova Energium) and Numenism; both defined in Appendix III. Religion, like technology, has also evolved, and why shouldn't it? While technology advances at an accelerated rate, religion, on the other hand, is immutable and is resistant to ground-shaking changes, preferring small, safe incremental transitions. Why should humanity still need faith in the far future? Humans seem to thrive in the vicinity of beliefs and rituals, which contribute to our better understanding of the world surrounding us; in the past, used to explain the unexplainable. Its foundations in concert with man's evolution; tenets that protect and stabilize us, and in some situations, its principles become laws. It must have unparalleled influence; it has contributed to humanity's success and helps soothes our sense of triviality in the immensity of the cosmos: it gives us the reason for being.

While under combat pressure before boarding a Jelly (Wranaui) ship, Hwa-jung (Wallfish crew)..." crosses herself." Religions ceremony usually reserved for Catholics; Christianity among the stars?! Kira, meanwhile, says a prayer to Thule. Later, on Nidus, Falconi, in awe of the city's magnificence before him, causes him to evoke Thule. Not all religions are Christian, and not all religions have a God. Paolini exemplifies this with his creation of at least two faiths with no bearings on a god figure; instead, they follow the tenets of natural laws, science and mathematics, by definition still a religious construct. We never learn if the Wranuai civilization is rooted in the religious belief of any kind.

While pondering this concept, I began to wonder about salvation. Some religions attempt to explain salvation as a resolute for themselves or others. Kira's association with her symbiote ultimately leads to salvation. As time passes, her relationship with the symbiote is transpiring to that of mutualism. Strength, balance, endurance, and trust, together with external forces and accumulative experiences while becoming one with the symbiote, lend themselves to the idea of an unwilling saviour. The goal of salvation for humanity and the universe all rest on the ever-expanding shoulders of Kira. Kira confronts the tyrannical Ctein (indeposable Wranaui leader); the decisive battle disassociates Kira from a mortal to saviour god's status. Her final act: a peaceful farewell as she severs all ties for a god's lonely existence among the stars.

Fractal: The Mandelbrot Set
Source: Wikipedia

The science in TSiaSoS is accurate and plausible; Paolini has gone the distance with extensive research into biology, physics, astronomy, computer science, physiology, and sociology, displaying a comprehensive resolution conflict knowledge, and it shows. His futuristic fractalverse houses advancement in technology, that when encountered, is presented so that they seem as natural as breathing. Written in such a convincing manner, you are limited only by your imagination. FTL (faster than light) has become a staple of science fiction space travel; the hive mind is not and should not be confused with a hive mentality. Ingenious creativity stems from his alien technology. A sentient alien spacecraft with the ability to organically repair itself is bewildering! My favourite of Paolini's gifted chimera is the ship's mind, a delightful contrivance. Imagine a human who voluntarily submits to an anatomical transference of the brain to an artificial medium whose axions, dendrites and neurons all function to push human intellectual endurance; a single mind in complete control of all ship functions from one central location. There is a caveat, the ship's mind is susceptible to psychosis and in need of regular yearly phycological evaluation once installed. Nice touch, Paolini manages to dignify it with a fallible human trait. The reader should take advantage of Paolini's laborious scientific research in the form of Appendices as well as a Glossary that will help you smoothly navigate through the pages of this engaging epic novel. Besides, they're just fun to read too.

Pay particular attention to, Aspect of the Void, Knot of Minds, and Nest of Transference. These belong to the Wranaui culture, are fascinating to ponder, and clearly define the institution of their social and political order.

The Fractalverse by Christopher Paolini
Source: PaoliniNet on Etsy

The last point I would like to dwell on is; The Fractalverse. The fractal is a somewhat complicated mathematical concept. I lack the mathematical ability to understand the equations. Still, I can appreciate the resultant entropic patterns I find aesthetically pleasing, most stunning being the unearthly Mandelbrot set's recognizable progressive pattern. Humans also appear to be the constructs of many fractal patterns intricately laced, employing alternate fractals of different proportions found in nature. Human bronchial, veins, brain structure all have fractal branch-like tree or leaf veins appearance, even lightning. Fractals become exceptionally interesting when applied to cosmology. Andrei Linde and Alan Guth both implicate inflationary theories to explain fractal cosmology; one considers chaotic inflation, the other eternal inflation. Inflation is defined as "a theory of exponential expansion of space in the early universe." Inflation appears to support the most suitable cosmological model to date; the result, inflating patches of space that develop into "bubble universes" of immense proportions—recent studies involving quantum gravity depict a fractal structure for spacetime that space evolves with time. That spacetime slowly becomes fourth dimensional at larger scales! Some studies have suggested that "the fabric of space itself is fractal." I can only imagine where the existence of a universe such as this can lead. If the above description is not strange enough, just think about the jolt of a place as this can have on a traveller! Will Kira see the stars in some such place?

Fractal
Source: The Amazing World of Fractals

TSiaSoS is Paolini's labour of love, quite evident in the length of time it took to write and the impressive volume of real science that lends itself to the fabric of reality. Because of his physical science grasp, when the crossover to fiction occurs, the transition is seamless; then, his efforts are fully realized. I tip my hat to a fellow who admits he had to learn the science before conveying an audience of its integrity. This single action alone demonstrates his commitment to his readers. His character development is engaging, fascinating, and the reader emotionally invests in their personae. His prose, crisp and buoyant, flow with little effort when reading; this alone makes the book a pleasure to read. The plots, subplots, seemingly impossible situations and solutions, the quests, furiously ferocious battle sequences are all characterized with a resemblance to the Mandelbrot set of fractals. From Kira's point of view, the story is arresting and serves as a cohesive factor, especially aboard the Wallfish: the crew rallies around her. Kira's first contact is singular in its scope; this is not the contact we are familiar with, such as in Carl Sagan's Contact, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Arrival or Close Encounter of The Third Kind. Contact, yes, but in a new and unique way never before encountered, initially evoking a terminal sense but eventually flourishing into an accretion of mutualism, enough to overcome catastrophic consequences.

I loved this work; Paolini offers us a literary banquet, not just a story, but a story that begs the reader to question values. Be a Runcible, root around, and you might find a truffle!

Though the novel was somewhat long, for me, it could have been longer. I enjoyed my stay in this part of the Fractalverse, and I hope Paolini is encouraged to expand its existence. I'm glad he wrote this epic novel, which allowed me to sleep in a field of stars for a short time.

"I'd rather struggle and fail on my own than be coddled as a slave."

~ Captain Salvo Falconi

Christopher Paolini's Website  •  Paolini's Etsy  • Paolini's Fractalverse Jewellery
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¹Runcible - a nonsense word invented by Edward Lear - Appears several times in his works as an adjective -- most famously as the "Runcible Spoon" used boy the Owl and the Pussy Cat.
²Wikipedia: Eat the Path -- Preacher Roe, Elwin Charles Roe (February 1916 - November 9, 2008)
Wikipedia: Rassem, M. and Ahmed E., "On Fractal Cosmology", Astro. Phsy, LETT, Commun. (1996), 35, 311

Guth, Alan (1997) "The Inflationary Universe: Quest for a New Theory of Cosmic Origins" Basic Books, ISBN 978-0-201-32840-0
Society and Solitude, Twelve Chapters by Ralph Waldo Emerson. Boston, MA: Houghten, Mittlin and Company 1888 (1870) p 9 ' 124 | ("Farming")

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