First Ascent

Ascending Carbon Series, Book 1

By: Douglas Phillips

Narrated by: Anna Caputo

Orbits in ruin. A tether into space. But how much is a lie?

When an unauthorized oil rig appears offshore of Ecuador, a military team is sent to investigate. The deep-water platform has no markings, no drilling rig, and no workers—but it's surrounded by a curious bank of fog. When their helicopter closes in, it's swallowed without a trace.

Sahalie Spark is the host of a popular TV show, Don't Believe It! Each week, she debunks another baseless conspiracy theory or takes a lighthearted poke at misinformation infecting unfiltered media. Like most, she dismisses the story out of Ecuador as nonsense, but when a Korean billionaire offers exclusive access, Sahalie connects the dots. It's not an oil platform, it's a tether into space, and it could be the solution to the debris catastrophe that has crippled spaceflight for years.

Questions remain, answers are elusive, and danger lurks along this vertical railway. With the world watching, Sahalie will need to climb ever higher to discover the truth or die trying.

From the author of the Quantum series comes an exciting new novel framed in real science that takes listeners on a journey of discovery through the back doors of reality.

©2025 Douglas Phillips (P)2025 Tantor Media

Great science, some unnecessary side elements

I really enjoyed the science in First Ascent. The quantum and carbon based tech is presented clearly and feels believable without being overwhelming. Phillips makes the big ideas accessible, and the exploration and survival aspects kept me engaged.
The main story and protagonist are solid, but a couple of things felt pointless. One character’s sexuality is brought up early and then never matters to the plot or character development, it added nothing. The “bad guys” also felt underused; they create some conflict but don’t really impact the core journey or pay off in a satisfying way.
Still, the science and central premise are strong enough to make this a worthwhile read. 4 stars good hard-ish sci-fi with a few distractions that could have been trimmed.

The brilliant use of real science

This is an amazing book! I wanted to go up the elevator myself. The story kept me on the edge of my seat. I was so intrigued by the science I often had to re-listen to some of the chapters so I could fully absorb the concepts. Now, I can’t wait for the next book in the series.

Fantastic!

I loved it! I can’t wait for the next book in the series! Also great work Anna Caputo!