I enjoyed Sylvain Neuvel's Sleeping Giants more than I thought I might. My hesitation was not because I knew anything about Neuvel or the book, but because writing a fresh story about a found alien artifact--a common sci-fi trope--can be a huge challenge. Neuvel pulls it off masterfully.
Part of the freshness is Neuvel's style. He chooses to tell the story through a series of journal entries, interview transcripts, news reports, and other "third-party" sources. He gives the novel a documentary feel. Writing well in this style seems like it would be much more challenging than writing a traditional narrative. Neuvel makes it enjoyable and readable, revealing just enough, yet answering the pressing questions that come up in the reader's mind.
The story itself is fun, too. A little girl falls in a sink hole and lands in what appears to be a giant, metal hand. Years later, more parts are discovered which, when assembled, form a giant humanoid robot, which has a pilot compartment for two controllers. The technology is far beyond anything human civilization has developed, yet the robot is thousands of years old. The human, scientific, and political implications are staggering.
I particularly enjoyed the audio version, in which several actors played the various speakers of the text. This is one case where the audio really enhanced the written form, rather than just narrating. Perhaps the best part was the unexpected cliffhanger. I'm ready for book two of this trilogy!
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