The history of alien invader fiction is long and storied. Arthur C. Clarke's Childhood's End was the precedent-setter, and its premise still makes for compelling storytelling. Sure, there's serious excitement to be had in stories of fighting off malevolent alien invaders. But there's a quieter, more thoughtful story at the heart of stories like the aforementioned, and like Message from Orion: the concept of Earth as a lesser-evolved planet under the watchful eye of higher intelligence whose goals, while not wicked, may not be ideal for Earth's longevity.

We rotate between two points in time: our protagonist "John" talking to an alien being, and the same protagonist speaking to a scientist six weeks later. John makes contact with Su, a being from the planet Syf who has come to Earth to bear a message. Why to "John Smith"? Su deliberately does not know. But John absorbs all Su has to say: the truth of the intergalactic community known as Orion, its technological advances, and where the planet Earth falls into it all.

While the message is meant for John, he consults a scientist to make sense of it—for better or for worse. Armed with a miraculous high-tech implement of travel, he sets out to prove his story, and then to unravel his strange message. While this is not what Su wanted, his choice to share this wisdom (and the aftermath of that choice) will help the final piece of Orion's message fall into place.

Message from Orion is a curious read, leaving the reader as adrift as its protagonist for much of the story. It's a dry read at times, infodumps interspersed with space travel. While this may be a necessity for the story, it can make sections of it something of a slog. That said, the story pays off in spades in its final act.

The strongest part of Message from Orion is its postscript: a trio of snippets from other times in the history of humanity that bring further context to Su's message. These final windows to the truth are the strongest writing in the book, springing from the past to the far past to the beginnings of Su's predictions taking hold.

Overall, it's a promising book. The worldbuilding and plot progression are all there. I would be fascinated to see what the author brings to the table next.

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