Alien: Echo is a 2019 young adult novel, written by Mira Grant and published by Imprint. Set on the human colony world of Zagreus, the subsequent location of a violent Xenomorph outbreak, Olivia Shipp is caught in the middle of the mayhem and works to both survive and make it off-world with her sister, Viola. The book was released in hardcover on April 9, 2019; a paperback edition was also released on April 7, 2020.[1]
As well as standard print editions, the novel was released simultaneously in audiobook format, read by Kate Marcin and published by Macmillan Audio.
Publisher's Summary[]
Olivia and her twin sister Viola have been dragged around the universe for as long as they can remember. Their parents, both xenobiologists, are always in high demand for their research into obscure alien biology.
Just settled on a new colony world, they discover an alien threat unlike anything they've ever seen. And suddenly the sisters' world is ripped apart.
On the run from terrifying aliens, Olivia's knowledge of xenobiology and determination to protect her sister are her only weapons as the colony collapses into chaos. But then a shocking family secret bursts open ― one that's as horrifying to Olivia as the aliens surrounding them.
The creatures infiltrate the rich wildlife on this virgin colony world ― and quickly start adapting. Olivia's going to have to adapt, too, if she's going to survive...
Plot[]
Xenobiologists Katherine and John Shipp, along with their twin daughters Olivia and Viola, have been assigned to conduct a study of Zagreus, an Earth-like planet orbiting twin suns. Olivia would also perform field work to help her parents catalogue the planet’s wildlife which she does to save money, hoping to arrange her and her sister's return to Earth, where doctors can treat Viola's autoimmune disease.
That same day, she received a visit from Kora Burton, a girl whom Olivia had a crush and the daughter of Zagreus colony’s governor. Olivia takes her in a field trip to a patch of giant flower-like fungus where she discovers a new type of carnivorous grass. Kora confesses to Olivia that the excuse for which she accepted the appointment was to verify the existence of her sister, who her schoolmate Michel Petrov insists, is an invention to get more resources than the strict rationing of the colony allows them, but the real motive was to get to know her better. Both girls kiss for the first time.
The date goes wrong when a lion-worm, a subterranean predator, attacks and almost devours Kora, but she’s saved by Olivia thanks to her xenobiology skills. Back to the Shipp’s residence, The Shipp’s scold her for putting the governor’s daughter in danger and John Shipp hints at a possible great deal for the colony and he’s on the team who would go in to investigate. Olivia also informs her mother about the new grass she discovered.
Back to school, Olivia has a fight with Michel about her sister Viola and kisses Kora for second time and invites her and five classmates to a party at home while her father is in the scout team to a derelict science vessel which Kora’s mother had recently purchased to be dismantled and recycled by the colonists. At the party, the group composed of Kora, Michel, Alisa, Juan, Lin and Paul Gladney finally meet Viola.
The teenagers are shocked when an emergency transmission by John Shipp is received. He informs about something deadly onboard the derelict ship had attacked them and killed Michel’s mother and is now in the shuttle bound for Zagreus. John asks his wife Kate tells Olivia something she has to know. Olivia has a flash of a chitinous black shell before her father is killed and the transmission is off.
Viola suddenly flees to the forest in search of her mother, despite being too weak to get up bed more than twice a day. Olivia, Kora, Michel and Paul take the ATV and chased her to the grass patch. On their way, they see the shuttle crash in the mountains. On the patch they found Viola but there’s no sign of their mother. Aliens attacks them, killing Paul and completely ignoring Viola. The rest are saved when a Zagreus-hippo provoked by Katherine rammed one of the creatures.
The group returns to the Shipp’s residence. Katherine now confesses Olivia the truth about Viola. She died when the twins were three years old, the Vi she knows is in fact an advanced android model. An alien attacks the residence and Katherine sacrifices herself so the teens could escape to the main colony. At the gates, the creatures attack and Michel and Viola are taken.
Olivia and Kora go to see Delia Burton, Kora’s mother, who explains she had purchased the science vessel from smugglers who had seized it in route to a scrapping, but in reality she suspects it was a top secret research facility. Olivia returns to her residence with the intention of finding Viola. Kora accompanies her.
The pair head towards the site where the shuttle crashed. Olivia finds the remains of a chestbursted lion-worm before entering a cavern. Inside, they find the hive, a cocooned Michel and Katherine and a badly damaged Viola. They are attacked by one creature and flee with Viola’s head. They manage to escape by attracting a lion-worm with pheromones that Olivia took from her mother's laboratory. Another alien tracks them and using the same pheromones, Olivia sent a Zagreus-Hippo against the creature.
Back at the colony, they find the xenomorphs have overrun the place by melting the duroplastic dome. They find a Alisa still alive, wandering on the streets. In Kora’s home they find Delia cocooned to the wall. She explains the aliens had placed a flower-like object and impregnated her. Now the only means to escape the planet is the Shipp’s shuttle, While there’s Hope, docked in the spaceport at the center of the city.
A lion-worm alien hybrid burst through the floor and kills Delia. Olivia, Kora runs for the spaceport and they soon find Alisa dead. The creature followed them to the spaceport and Olivia finally kills it by dropping it into construction equipment and shooting it in the head. Finally, Olivia, Kora and Viola aboard the shuttle and escape the planet. In orbit, Olivia sent a distress call, warning anyone not to land in Zagreus.
Audiobook[]
Alien: Echo audiobook.
Simultaneous with the physical release, Macmillan Audio produced an unabridged audiobook of Alien: Echo, read by Kate Marcin. The audiobook runs for 8 hours and 24 minutes.
Tie-in Media[]
Comic series[]
A sequel in the form of an eight-issue comic series titled Aliens: Colonial Marines - Rising Threat had been announced and was set to be released in September 2019. The story was to follow on from an earlier comic, Aliens: Rescue, and would have starred Olivia Shipp. The series was cancelled just under three weeks from the release of the first issue due to allegations of sexual misconduct against lead writer Brian Wood.
Trivia[]
- Despite the presence of a hive and cocooned people, Ovomorphs are only mentioned by Delia Burton and the presence of facehuggers are totally absent.
- The existence of a Queen is hinted but never seen by Olivia, as she never ventured deeper into the Hive.
- The events of Echo are mentioned in Aliens: Fireteam Elite.
- Based on dates detailed in Olivia Shipp's Aliens: Fireteam Elite character profile, the story of Alien: Echo takes place in 2172.
References[]
- ↑ "Goodreads.com - Alien: Echo by Mira Grant". Retrieved on 2020-01-24.
