Fractal Noise by Christopher Paolini is an excellent science fiction novel. The hard cover is 286 pages long, so unlike his previous sci fi novel, To Sleep in a Sea of Stars, it was easy to read within my local library’s twenty-one day borrowing limit.

Fractal Noise is the story of a four person team sent to investigate a giant hole on the planet Talos VII. The anomaly sends out a pulse about every ten seconds, and as the team approaches the hole, it increases in intensity as tension grows among the team members.

Alex, the main character is tormented by the death of his partner, Layla. When she died, she left him with a video record of all her memories. Throughout the unfolding drama, he often looks back at them, knowing he pain it’s going to arouse, but unable to overcome the addiction

What makes Paolini’s novel compelling, is how he reminds us that we’re vulnerable, despite technical advancements. Sand turns self-propelled sleds into burdens to be dragged. And human nature doesn’t change, as the hatred between the team leader Talia and geologist Puskin intensifies.

The rock-like entities on the planet, which Alex refers to as “Turtles,” are a constant presence. Since surface scans didn’t show any military threat, the only weapon they have is a bolt-gun used to drive in tent pegs for their shelter, and the pegs just bounce off the “Turtles.”

As the story unfolds, the team moves across the surface of Talos VII, sustaining injuries, pulling their supply sleds, while constantly struggling against sand blown by gale-force winds. The never-ending “Thud” of the pulse grates on their nerves, prevents sleep, and exhausts their energy, growing stronger, the closer they get to the hole. The pulse interferes with communication, leaving the team without any outside help or guidance.

Great fiction makes you wonder what you would do if you were in the same situation as those in the story. And that’s exactly what Christopher Paolini does in Fractal Noise, by creating characters we can relate to. You feel their fear, desperation, and ultimately, hope.

Copyright © 2023 by J. Paul Cooper