A mind-bending speculative thriller in which the sudden appearance of a mountain in the middle of the Pacific Ocean leads a group of scientists to a series of jaw-dropping revelations that challenge the notion of what it means to be human
An enormous snow-covered mountain has appeared in the Pacific Ocean. No one knows when exactly it showed up, precisely how big it might be, or how to explain its existence. When Harold Tunmore, a scientist of mysterious phenomena, is contacted by a shadowy organization to help investigate, he has no idea what he is getting into as he and his team set out for the mountain.
The higher Harold’s team ascends, the less things make sense. Time moves differently, turning minutes into hours, and hours into days. Amid the whipping cold of higher elevation, the climbers’ limbs numb and memories of their lives before the mountain begin to fade. Paranoia quickly turns to violence among the crew, and slithering, ancient creatures pursue them in the snow. Still, as the dangers increase, the mystery of the mountain compels them to its peak, where they are certain they will find their answers. Have they stumbled upon the greatest scientific discovery known to man or the seeds of their own demise?
Framed by the discovery of Harold Tunmore’s unsent letters to his family and the chilling and provocative story they tell, Ascension considers the limitations of science and faith and examines both the beautiful and the unsettling sides of human nature.
Well, if the mark of a good book is how long it lingers in your mind, this one is up there; I've been dreaming about mountains and hiking since I read this.
Written as a series of letters/diary entries, with only a brief framing story, this is the story of a strange mountain that suddenly appears; the team who go to investigate it, and the anomalies they start to notice as they climb. The anomalies include time moving strangely, visions of the future, and dead people walking around just to name a few!
I've been a sci fi fan for a long time, so the discussions of dimensions were resonably easy to follow. The RNA stuff was a bit harder, though! If you're thinking about this one, it does have some hard science and I'm not sure how intelligible it would be if you weren't following, so just be aware of that.
(also I had two thoughts about two characters and they were both proved right! I love when that happens.)
This is a creepy, mind bending thriller ride and I highly recommend it!
Ascension publishes on the 27th of April, 2023. I received a free copy and am giving an honest review.
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