Minimum Safe Distance
X. Ho Yen
[Written and narrated by neurodivergents]
First contact was nothing like we imagined.
Can the aliens save Earth? Should they?
With the Earth teetering on recovery from humanity's 21st century mistakes, two highly advanced aliens observing from the Moon are suddenly on opposite sides of an ethical battle over a dire cosmic threat.
As governments seek to destroy them, the aliens wrestle and scheme, entangling all of humanity as they influence and empower specific humans to achieve their contrary objectives.
Among them are a brilliant AI expert who has channeled her autism in the service of science, and a violent, anti-secular zealot who hates everything she stands for.
Drawn into the conflict, Laurence and Matt must reach minimum safe distance from human nature itself – their own, the rest of humanity’s, and of the former-human, techno-demon ‘monstas’.
Chased into the ruins of the US, they struggle to distill the meaning of personhood, discover the value of their own lives, and in so doing decide the fate of the solar system.
--
"Our Verdict: Get It" -- Kirkus Reviews
8.75/10-rating -- The Booklife Prize 2023
5-stars -- The Wishing Shelf
4/5-rating -- Foreword/Clarion
5/5-rating -- Readers' Favorite
Duration - 9h 45m.
Author - X. Ho Yen.
Narrator - R. J. F..
Published Date - Saturday, 14 January 2023.
Copyright - © 2022 X. Ho Yen ©.
Location:
United States
Description:
[Written and narrated by neurodivergents] First contact was nothing like we imagined. Can the aliens save Earth? Should they? With the Earth teetering on recovery from humanity's 21st century mistakes, two highly advanced aliens observing from the Moon are suddenly on opposite sides of an ethical battle over a dire cosmic threat. As governments seek to destroy them, the aliens wrestle and scheme, entangling all of humanity as they influence and empower specific humans to achieve their contrary objectives. Among them are a brilliant AI expert who has channeled her autism in the service of science, and a violent, anti-secular zealot who hates everything she stands for. Drawn into the conflict, Laurence and Matt must reach minimum safe distance from human nature itself – their own, the rest of humanity’s, and of the former-human, techno-demon ‘monstas’. Chased into the ruins of the US, they struggle to distill the meaning of personhood, discover the value of their own lives, and in so doing decide the fate of the solar system. -- "Our Verdict: Get It" -- Kirkus Reviews 8.75/10-rating -- The Booklife Prize 2023 5-stars -- The Wishing Shelf 4/5-rating -- Foreword/Clarion 5/5-rating -- Readers' Favorite Duration - 9h 45m. Author - X. Ho Yen. Narrator - R. J. F.. Published Date - Saturday, 14 January 2023. Copyright - © 2022 X. Ho Yen ©.
Language:
English
Opening Credits
Duration:00:00:08
Opening Quote
Duration:00:00:28
Prologue
Duration:00:12:56
Part 1: The Dunning-Kruger Effect, or Why We Can't Have Nice Things
Duration:00:00:08
Chapter One: The Cosmologist (arrival + 43 years)
Duration:00:05:39
Chapter Two: The Ethnologist (arrival + 0 to 43 years, before The Cosmologist arrives)
Duration:00:12:54
Chapter Three: Matt Hutney (arrival + 67 to 72 years)
Duration:00:12:53
Chapter Four: Laurence Levesque (arrival + 67 to 73 years)
Duration:00:22:13
Chapter Five: The Cosmologist (arrival + 43 to 72 years)
Duration:00:18:57
Chapter Six: Matt Hutney (arrival + 72 to 85 years)
Duration:00:14:20
Chapter Seven: Laurence Levesque (arrival + 73 to 86 years)
Duration:00:25:06
Chapter Eight: Jeb Hutney (arrival + 88 to 92 years)
Duration:00:05:55
Chapter Nine: The Cosmologist (arrival + 72 to 92 years)
Duration:00:02:00
Chapter Ten: Matt Hutney (arrival + 88 to 92 years)
Duration:00:08:57
Chapter Eleven: The Ethnologist (arrival + 92 years)
Duration:00:19:08
Chapter Twelve: CB, 2B, 21st EFG, TF 10-2 (arrival + 92 years)
Duration:00:02:43
Chapter Thirteen: Matt Hutney (arrival + 92 years)
Duration:00:05:54
Chapter Fourteen: The SelfMade (arrival + 92 to 94 years)
Duration:00:13:19
Chapter Fifteen: Jacques (arrival + 90 to 94 years)
Duration:00:07:36
Chapter Sixteen: Laurence (arrival + 94 years)
Duration:00:08:22
Chapter Seventeen: Divya Ganguli
Duration:00:02:56
Chapter Eighteen: Matt
Duration:00:06:45
Chapter Nineteen: The SelfMade
Duration:00:12:46
Chapter Twenty: Laurence
Duration:00:07:02
Part 2: Cognitive Dissonance / Accidents of History
Duration:00:00:07
Chapter Twenty-One: Implications, Delusions, and Lies
Duration:01:28:11
Chapter Twenty-Two: Motivation, Intention, and Volition
Duration:00:35:50
Chapter Twenty-Three: Observation, Interpretation, and Action
Duration:00:41:53
Chapter Twenty-Four: Existential Crisis
Duration:01:04:49
Chapter Twenty-Five: Absolute Conviction
Duration:00:12:03
Part 3: Aftermath Lives
Duration:00:00:05
Chapter Twenty-Six: Waveform Collapse
Duration:00:17:06
Chapter Twenty-Seven: Integral Transform
Duration:00:54:46
Chapter Twenty-Eight: Memetic Inheritance
Duration:00:36:25
Epilogue
Duration:00:03:37
About the Author
Duration:00:00:58
End Credits
Duration:00:00:11