Blindsight

With enhanced capabilities, a small collection of quasi humans aboard the spaceship THESEUS must make first contact with an alien race at the edge of the solar system. However, upon approach to the alien ship, they realize just how ill-equipped they are for such an engagement. Though a well-used plot, Watts's exploration of the psychological and cerebral aspects of first contact will keep listeners engaged. T. Ryder Smith drives the entire story through the eyes of Keeton, a man incapable of legitimate empathy but great mimicry. Smith's emphasis and pacing work to tease out the story's suspense and intrigue while his character voices capture the sense of alienation among the crew of the THESEUS. L.E. (c) AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine

Starred review from August 28, 2006
Canadian author Watts (Starfish
) explores the nature of consciousness in this stimulating hard SF novel, which combines riveting action with a fascinating alien environment. In the late 21st century, when something alien is discovered beyond the edge of the solar system, the spaceship Theseus
sets out to make contact. Led by an enigmatic AI and a genetically engineered vampire, the crew includes a biologist who's more machine than human, a linguist with surgically induced multiple personality disorder, a professional soldier who's a pacifist, and Siri Keeton, a man with only half a brain. Keeton is virtually incapable of empathy, but he has a savant's ability to model and predict the actions of others without understanding them. Once the Theseus
arrives at the gigantic and hideously dangerous alien artifact (which has tellingly self-named itself Rorschach
), the crew must deal with beings who speak English fluently but who may, paradoxically, not even be sentient, at least as we understand the term. Watts puts a terrifying and original spin on the familiar alien contact story.