Prospective Culture — BSFA shortlist review

“A space set, near-future thriller with some high concepts and effective plot twists…
A level of psychological complexity unusual for this type of book…
Twists and turns are cleverly worked out… brought together for the final climactic chapters.
The exchanges between Mitch and Amie add some human warmth to the story…
This gives Edge of Oblivion some genuine substance and leaves the reader thinking…
The very fact I had those feelings testifies to Weddell’s success in getting me invested in the outcome…
I read it over the course of a long train journey—and I can see why people enjoyed it.”

“Logic dictates that the universe should contain loads of planets capable of supporting life, so why have no aliens dropped by to say hello? That’s the basic gist of Fermi’s Paradox, the real-life scientific conundrum that provides an intriguing throughline for this gripping near-future thriller. Recently bereaved computer scientist Mitch Daniels is stationed on the Sentinel defence platform as a chaperone for Amie, the state-of-the-art quantum computer he created. But when he starts to experience vivid premonitions of the Earth’s annihilation – is it war, aliens or something else entirely? – he must work out if he can trust his superiors back home, while convincing them he’s in a fit state to continue his mission. Author Kirk Weddell (who adapted the book from his own unmade screenplay) crams a lot of ideas into a tight 248 pages, shifting the narrative between Mitch’s present-day predicament and flashbacks to his late wife, an expert in extraterrestrial life. But while Edge Of Oblivion belongs in the same “lonely guy in space” subgenre as James Smythe’s The Explorer and Andy Weir’s Project Hail Mary – and the book’s paranoia over AI is so 2025 – this is very much its own beast. The story frequently spins off in satisfyingly unexpected directions and, best of all, wraps up with a clever, thought-provoking ending.”

Richard Edwards

SFX - The World's Leading Science-Fiction Magazine

AudioBooksUK.com Audiobook Review

“Warmly Recommended. Thoughtful, polished, and worth your time.”

Read the full review here.

“Twenty weeks aboard the Sentinel, a space station orbiting Earth, have left Professor Mitch Daniels at his wits' end. Multiple attempts to bring the scientist back to Earth have either failed or been postponed due to more urgent tasks, as decided by the authorities, leaving Mitch alone on the station with no other company except his quantum computing AI, which he calls Amie. This time, the powers that be want him to help launch a deep space program. Mitch is personally connected to this project because his late wife started it. He takes it upon himself to ensure the success of her project. He doesn't realize that his determination will trigger a life changing series of events in Kirk Weddell's Edge of Oblivion.

It's a battle of man versus machine in Kirk Weddell's Edge of Oblivion. Weddell highlights the differences in approach to problem solving between Mitch and Amie, which become clear when Amie points out the futility of Mitch trying to beat it at chess, as the scientist subtly hints at other ways to achieve his goal. The conversations shift smoothly from dry humor about Mitch's forced stay on Sentinel to something much darker as Amie's motives become clear. The author explores the relationship between Mitch and his late wife, emphasizing a unique romantic subplot and a detailed origin story when Mitch recalls courting her, which readers can relate to. Sci-fi fans will enjoy decoding the clues hidden in fascinating science, such as Mitch's Fermi Paradox reference. Weddell weaves these elements with a graduated pace toward the narrative's climax, ticking all the boxes for a compelling science fiction adventure.”

Essien Asian

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