«Fractal Noise» Christopher Paolini: science fiction that hurts. Review by ITC.ua

When I opened the new book by Christopher Paolini, author of the already iconic «Eragon» series, I was expecting a great story full of adventure and drama. But «Fractal Noise» turns everything upside down, forcing the reader to go deeper into themselves. The novel became a prequel in the writer’s new series, called «Fractalverse», published in Ukraine by Yakaboo Publishing. It also includes another, actually the first novel, «To Sleep in a Sea of Stars», which will soon be published by the same publishing house.

«Фрактальний шум»

Pluses:

high-quality publication with an attractive cover; deep psychological and emotional immersion; combination of science fiction and human drama; unusual presentation of the theme of grief and first contact; accessibility of presentation of complex ideas without loss of depth; atmospheric world building without excessive exposition; Paolini's writing level has become significantly better and more mature

Minuses:

someone will not like the slow pace and lack of active dynamics; someone will also not like the lack of a bright ending and spectacle

9/10

Rating
ITC.ua

«Fractal Noise»

Author Christopher Paolini
Interpreters Natalia Semushchak, Iryna Gudkova
Publisher Yakaboo Publishing
Language Ukrainian
Number of pages 384
Cover Solid
Year of publication 2025
Size 145×215 mm
Website yakaboo.ua

«Fractal Noise» is not about a battle for colonies, interstellar wars, or a new civilization to be discovered or destroyed. It’s about something much more subtle, deeper — about the painful human consciousness that tries to stay on the edge of pain, grief, loss, and endless walking somewhere where there may be nothing. But we have to walk. We put one foot in front of the other, and again. And again. Otherwise, death. Physical or mental, which is sometimes more frightening. If you are already interested, then read on because Paolini definitely managed to surprise me.

In the distant future, on one of the edges of explored space, the crew of the ship «Adamura» discovers something inexplicable — a giant hole on the surface of the planet Talos VII. This is not just a hole in the ground. This is a real challenge. An alien mystery that beckons, a threat that humanity cannot ignore.

For the protagonist, xenobiologist Alex Crichton, this expedition is not only a work assignment, but also a chance to cope with his traumas. To make sense of his inner chaos, to survive the loss of his wife, and to understand whether it is possible to find meaning where nothing matters. But the further he and his team of equally traumatized colleagues go, literally and metaphorically, the more obvious it becomes: the mystery they face is not external. It is within them. And the answer may be more frightening than the question.

Christopher Paolini turns out to be able to write about physical exhaustion as if he were walking this path himself. In «Fractal Noise», walking is not just a way of getting around. It is an act that eventually becomes suffering, an effort that tests the limits of the body’s endurance. And at the same time, it is the only way not to break. This element is not just for decoration or to replace the action, it is the essence of the whole story. Alex’s simple physical movement through the desolate alien landscape is no less intense than any space battle. Every step hurts and reminds him of something. And it is in these repetitions of movement and pain that a person is revealed.

«Fractal Noise» — is not a novel for everyone. It’s for those who have put one foot in front of the other at least once in their lives, just to keep going.

It’s not a story that falls on the reader with action. On the contrary, it creeps along, inexorably, but it fits the story perfectly. In «Fractal Noise» there is almost no action in the usual sense. There is silence. There is an alien signal that repeats every 10.6 seconds. There is a background hum of thoughts that cannot be turned off. This is also a first contact novel, but the writer takes a different angle from which people confront themselves and the past.

Here, everything happens slowly, with long pauses. Scenes are repeated, which creates a certain pace of narration. Alex Crichton and his colleagues do the same thing. They walk. They set up camp. They listen. They reason. They argue. They pack up camp. They leave. And so on in a circle.

But inside, each of these actions is an important stage for everyone. A gradual transformation under the pressure of circumstances and the past that does not let go. And while the reader is given all the details about the protagonist’s trauma, the problems of the other three characters can only be guessed at through hints and statements. But in the end, there are no explanations or answers. And that’s cool, because it happens in life.

The theme of grief and loss runs throughout the text. This is not a loud tragic loss. On the contrary, we have a quiet devastation and self-destruction afterwards. All of this shapes the character, so I wouldn’t call him a «hero» in the classical sense. He doesn’t save the world. He doesn’t even know why he’s there. But this is the truth. Alex Crichton is very «earthy» and that’s why he’s extremely realistic.

The philosophical part of the novel is constantly evident in the details. In the reflections on the signal and the hole made by the aliens, on recurrence and extraterrestrial life, on the development of civilization, on faith and God. And here, Christopher Paolini does not give ready-made answers, but invites us to a conversation. There is no ideological pressure in the novel, no ready-made conclusions or answers. But there is room for reflection, which sometimes means much more.

At the same time, «Fractal Noise» a scary novel. Not because of classic fear, but because of uncertainty. Because of the feeling that the hole in the planet is not the answer to all questions, that at the end of the journey only new ones will appear, but there is no way to stop.

And there is no big conclusion or clarity. Instead, there is honesty because the world is not always clear, and our missions are not always about saving. And this is the best and most important thing, in my opinion, that the author was able to convey to the reader.

Despite all this philosophical depth described above, Paolini does not sacrifice accessibility. The text is light and readable, the style is clear and makes the novel read quickly. All available science fiction concepts are presented simply and without excessive technicality. And if anything, there is a glossary, a reference book, and a description of the history of the universe at the end. And this is very important, especially in a novel with a slow pace and a dense emotional atmosphere. The ease of presentation here does not contradict the complexity of the content. On the contrary, it supports it and makes the book a de facto bestseller because it is read with enthusiasm. I also want to tell others about it. And that’s what I’m doing.

The story of first contact is not about aliens, but about contact with oneself. It’s about facing your own human pain. With your tragic past. With your meaningless «now». This, in my opinion, is the power of the novel «Fractal Noise».

Christopher Paolini has written science fiction that does not lose its fantastic scale, but remains painfully intimate. His universe is big. But this particular story is small and intimate. And because of this, it sounds strong, almost deafening.

I liked the publication itself. It has adequate quality and an eye-catching cover. However, as always, I am not satisfied because I think there is not enough fantastic and genre-specific stuff in it. But it is what it is. The main thing is that the translation is good, I didn’t find any gaffes or typos, I liked the paper, the font and its size. There are no bibliographies, but illustrations are available.

Conclusion:

«Fractal Noise» by Christopher Paolini is not ordinary science fiction. It is a story about a man who wades through the pain, fatigue, and shadows of his past to find some sense of meaning in life. This is a mature, philosophical novel set on an isolated planet, but touching on very familiar, earthly things. The author unexpectedly changes his role and creates a novel that has no magic, but has a terrible and beautiful truth about us. This is not a book to be read in one go, although it is very easy to do so. It is a work that is lived step by step.