Eric reviewed Jumpnauts by Hao Jingfang
The real aliens actually were the friends they made along the way
3 stars
Jumpnauts demonstrates the value of sticking with a book even when the beginning chapters seem disappointing.
This story primarily follows three characters (an aloof archeologist named Yun Fan, a self-absorbed tech billionaire named Jiang Liu, and an elite soldier named Qi Fei) all of whom find themselves trapped in an international conspiracy when they discover an alien spaceship en-route to Earth. What follows is a sort of near-future "spy-fi" thriller in which everyone races to find information about this vessel, while also fleeing two warring nations who plan to use this ship's technology against their enemies.
It's a creative premise, but unfortunately Jumpnauts's first half is defined by one-note characters whose motives often feel underdeveloped. Jiang Liu and Qi Fei in particular feel less like fully realized people, and instead toxically masculine gender stereotypes who engage in increasingly cartoonish ego battles as they compete for Yun Fan's nonexistent …
Jumpnauts demonstrates the value of sticking with a book even when the beginning chapters seem disappointing.
This story primarily follows three characters (an aloof archeologist named Yun Fan, a self-absorbed tech billionaire named Jiang Liu, and an elite soldier named Qi Fei) all of whom find themselves trapped in an international conspiracy when they discover an alien spaceship en-route to Earth. What follows is a sort of near-future "spy-fi" thriller in which everyone races to find information about this vessel, while also fleeing two warring nations who plan to use this ship's technology against their enemies.
It's a creative premise, but unfortunately Jumpnauts's first half is defined by one-note characters whose motives often feel underdeveloped. Jiang Liu and Qi Fei in particular feel less like fully realized people, and instead toxically masculine gender stereotypes who engage in increasingly cartoonish ego battles as they compete for Yun Fan's nonexistent affection. Yet what only becomes apparent in Jumpnauts's second half is that all of these flaws are intentional on Hao's part. The point of this novel is an examination of the ways that its characters fail to communicate, with everyone maintaining elaborate ego facades so as to hide their vulnerabilities from one another.
Which is to say that Jumpnauts is an alien first contact novel about characters who venture out into deep space, all so they can avoid contacting the other intelligent (human) beings with whom they share the universe. Outwardly it's a silly story, but also a profound one if you are willing to trust what the author is doing with her narrative.
I've written a longer review of this book on my blog, though be aware that I get into plot spoilers.
erichendel.blogspot.com/2024/12/review-jumpnauts-hao-jingfang.html