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The Intrepid: Dawn Of The Interstellar Age

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This riveting science fiction tale of humanity’s first interstellar journey made for an addictive reading experience.

The Intrepid: Dawn of the Interstellar Age is author Arnie Benn’s fantastic fictional debut, and science fiction fans should grab a copy and experience it for themselves. With a stellar ensemble cast of characters, this tale of a history-making space voyage has action, adventure, suspense, mystery, and a touch of romance. There is something for everyone to enjoy cleverly woven into one highly satisfying whole.


The story got off to a quick and suspenseful start, and I was hooked. The captain of the Centaurian I is awakened from hibersleep years earlier than planned in preparation for a rendezvous with a faster vessel dispatched from Earth. The transfer to the newer ship has tense moments, but the separation of the first ship and send-off for Eesa was bittersweet. The Centaurian II brings with it additional crew members and personalities, and combining the two commands requires some delicate changes in leadership dynamics. I liked how the two captains maintained a professional atmosphere and balance of command, and everyone blended as if they had all been together from the beginning.


The crews are diverse groups of individuals representative of what a future Earth global human community might look like, and some have chosen to improve their physical abilities with intriguing technical enhancements. They get along well with each other, with the expected likes and dislikes, and it was fun to watch the eventual but cautious pairing up of romantic partners. The reasons behind some of the individuals’ reluctance to get involved were well thought out and sensible because of the logistics and nature of their professions. The author provides a great “Cast of Characters” with names, pictures, assignments, birth information, and ages in the book’s Appendix. I quickly found a favorite among the crew, Johnny Bang, but I was most intrigued by Jae-Sung Luck’s mysterious storyline.


The story follows the crew’s exploration of Proxima-b; they are the first humans to set foot on the planet, and the scientists’ excitement is infectious. I liked that everyone was careful taking those first steps on alien soil rather than just bounding out onto the surface like the characters in most movies and television shows do. But even with all their caution planet side, the story had a gut-wrenching twist that I never anticipated happening.


Besides the adventure, the story explores some philosophical issues as relevant today as they are in the story. The issues aren’t opportunistic additions but are integral to the plot and yield surprising results. The author’s writing is compelling, featuring well-explained and smoothly incorporated technology that even those unfamiliar or uncomfortable with the terminology will find interesting and easy to follow. There is even a helpful “Glossary of Scientific Terms” in the Appendix.


With its robust story and all the extras, this book is almost 500 pages long, leading to my only complaint. It’s not enough! After the final scene, I wasn’t ready to say goodbye to these characters. There’s still so much more to their stories, so I hope there will be a sequel. I highly recommend THE INTREPID: DAWN OF THE INTERSTELLAR AGE to science fiction readers, especially those who like action, adventure, mystery, and a little romance in their stories.

Reviewed by

I love to read and hook up others with books that they might enjoy. I like genre fiction with a weakness for cozies, post-apocalyptic, dystopian, and westerns. My professional background is in law enforcement, fire, water, and environmental education. I have basset hounds and ham radio is a hobby.

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About the author

When I am not writing, I enjoy creating pressure-wave harmonic resonances in the air around my piano. I am also involved in some interesting scientific research, probing the mysteries of the sub-quantum universe within electrons and magnetism, amongst other things. view profile

Published on April 06, 2023

Published by

130000 words

Contains mild explicit content ⚠️

Genre: Science Fiction

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