Girl in Space receives a great review here from Steph Nickel. Steph says that with Girl in Space “Each instalment ends with a cliffhanger”
Contact us or comment with your own review of Girl in Space.
Girl in Space
I put in a half day at the church office the Thursday after Christmas. Because the pastors were away and much of what I was doing could be done by rote, I decided to listen to the Girl in Space podcast.
I was so impressed—and caught up in the story—that I listened to all 12 episodes during the course of the day. That’s something, considering each instalment is between 20 and 30 minutes long. Now I’m hooked. I can’t wait until the author, who is also the main voice performer, releases the next episode.
The Protagonist
The series begins with the protagonist, the girl in space, listening to her stream of consciousness audio journal from years earlier. X continues to make recordings throughout the series. She records each entry as if speaking to her deceased father. What a great way to fill in the listener as to what’s happening without including what those in the industry call an info dump!
X has been alone on the stationary ship, the Cavatica, for years. Her only company, the ship’s glitchy AI, Charlotte. Charlotte has quite the attitude and plays a key role in the story.
X is not alone for long—although she’d come to peace with her solitude. Caldwell Enterprises arrives in force to reclaim their property, the Cavatica and all its contents—all!
That’s not going to be as easy as it sounds, even though, as a research vessel, the ship is not equipped with weapons.
Let’s just say welding, strange crystals, and an unhappy red dwarf star all play a role. Not to mention the small but effective mutiny.
Girl in Space Cliffhangers
Each instalment ends with a cliffhanger, one reason I’m glad there were so many episodes to listen to one after the other.
In the past, the author has released at least 1-2 episodes a month. But life happens, and, as I understand it, she wasn’t able to keep up this pace. Hopefully, she’ll be able to release at least that many episodes in the year to come. I can easily see making room in my schedule for one or more episodes per week.
Podcast Recommended
While you can read the transcripts if you prefer, I highly recommend the podcast for a number of reasons.
For one, the voice actors make the story come to life and give each character a distinct personality.
X is a wide-eyed, quirky scientist with an incredibly outgoing personality, considering she’s been alone—at least almost alone—for years.
She and Dani, a Caldwell Enterprises intern, are my favourite characters. But all the characters are unique and well-developed. Even if I don’t like a specific character, I am still intrigued and want to find out what happens to each of them.
Another reason I like to listen to a story rather than read it is that you can do other things at the same time. As I mentioned, I listened to a dozen episodes in a single day and yet, still feel I was productive.
Why Girl in Space?
So, why Girl in Space in particular?
First, it came highly recommended by a fellow Christian I respect and trust.
I’m beginning to enjoy audio stories, especially ones with skilled voice actors who bring the characters to life. As an extrovert, these stories appeal to my desire to be with others in a way reading doesn’t. And, as I said, I particularly like the main character, X, and the intern, Dani. I feel as if I know them, as if I’m right there with them.
Engaging characters and a compelling story drive this series forward—without many of the elements that Christians may find objectionable.
Still, there are violence and some disturbing themes. So, I would recommend listening to the episodes on your own before listening as a family.
Girl in Space is Like a Radio Drama
While I’m not old enough to remember radio dramas, Girl in Space strikes me as very similar. Since audiobooks are a growing phenomenon, I can only imagine this series and other productions like it will do well in the future.
While the story is not written from a Christian worldview, it does qualify as clean fiction. If you like science fiction or are willing to give it a try, I recommend the Girl in Space podcast.
This series has got my wheels turning. Who knows? I may do something similar in the days to come.
Steph Nickel
Stephanie is a freelance writer and a contributor to our Christian internet radio station, HopeStreamRadio. Read and hear more from Steph Nickel on the contributor’s page or at Steph Nickel’s Eclectic Interests.
Stephanie’s show, “Family Life Lessons,” airs from Monday to Friday on HopeStreamRadio.
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