A Book A Week

In the spring of 2011, I was the kind of reader who mostly read out of necessity. My mom, a teacher, had instilled in us the value of reading for pleasure, but at that point, I was buried in college textbooks. The idea of picking up a book just for fun felt impossible. Still, there was a nagging thought that I could—and should—be reading more. I’d always loved mysteries and crime novels, but even that tried-and-true genre was failing to hold my attention.

That’s when I first heard about Daniel H. Wilson’s soon-to-be-published science fiction novel, Robopocalypse. Steven Spielberg had already snapped up the film rights and was reportedly planning a blockbuster adaptation. Intrigued, I started searching online for more information and stumbled across the book’s page on Goodreads. I read the summary, created an account, and even entered a giveaway for a copy. To my surprise, I won—and before long, a shiny prerelease hardcover of Robopocalypse arrived on my doorstep. Imagine that: an entire hardcover book, free of charge, no library involved!

I devoured the novel in just a few sittings, drawn in by Wilson’s blend of scientific plausibility, a sprawling cast of characters, and fast-paced thrills. And then something remarkable happened…I started reading more. Just for fun. A few months later, my blog A Book A Week was born, and the rest is history.

These days, my only limitation on how many books I can take on is time (and, of course, shelf space). I even find myself turning down offers from publishers, something 2011 me would never have dreamed of. But looking back, it’s wild to think it all started with Daniel H. Wilson’s debut. So, it should come as no surprise that when his publisher offered me a copy of his latest novel, Hole in the Sky, I couldn’t help but say yes.

Wilson’s latest novel follows four main characters, each with their own stake in humanity’s survival. First, there’s Jim Hardgray, living in Osage territory in Oklahoma. He’s been mostly absent from his thirteen-year-old daughter’s life and is desperate to mend their frayed relationship. In Houston, Dr. Mikayla Johnson works for NASA, keeping tabs on the Voyager spacecraft—a mission that time, and most of her colleagues, seem to have forgotten. Gavin Clark has dedicated his career to identifying and preparing for emerging weapons threats for the U.S. government. And then there’s the Man Downstairs, a shadowy government official who forecasts global threats from his basement bunker and is never wrong.

The titular “hole in the sky” reveals itself as an alien anomaly that draws these four lives together, setting them on a collision course with a threat unlike anything humanity has ever faced. What follows is a high-stakes race against time, blending the grounded science of Robopocalypse with the eerie wonder of first contact.

Hole in the Sky sees Daniel H. Wilson bring his scientific background and sharp storytelling skills to a novel that reads like a full-throttle action thriller. He balances the high-stakes threat to humanity with deeper character exploration, making us care about the people tasked with confronting the unknown. I flew through this one, eager to see how everything would shake out.

Wilson’s writing is reminiscent of the late Michael Crichton. He never lets the science get in the way of telling an entertaining story. Sure, things go a bit off the rails toward the end, but I was having so much fun that I didn’t really mind. Hole in the Sky is fast, cinematic, and thought-provoking in all the right ways. Revisiting an author who reignited my passion for reading felt a bit like coming full circle. It's a reminder of the thrill of losing yourself in a great story. Hole in the Sky is both a return to form and a celebration of everything that makes Wilson such a compelling storyteller.

For more information, visit the author's website, Amazon, and Goodreads. 

(2025, 81)