The Lost Planet


Young Adult - Sci-Fi
221 Pages
Reviewed on 06/28/2022
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Author Biography

As far back as she can remember, Cynthia has been listening to exciting stories told by her mother. She grew up reading books from Edgar Allan Poe, H. P. Lovecraft, and Philip K. Dick, among others.

It was Cynthia’s mother who inspired her to start telling—and writing—her own stories.

Ms. Fridsma’s writing career started after a handicap in 2014—she has a tremor in her right hand, numbness in the fingers, and pain in her wrist. She had to give up her other creative outlets, such as photography, computer programming, and gave up on juggling, so focused on what she could do rather than what she couldn’t do.

Besides writing, she sometimes plays guitar—in Jimi Hendrix style.

Cynthia lives with her husband and pet rabbit Max

    Book Review

Reviewed by K.C. Finn for Readers' Favorite

The Lost Planet is a work of fiction in the science fiction subgenre. It is aimed at young adult readers and was penned by author Cynthia Fridsma. The book is set in 2094 and follows Major Tony Norman, who has recently started a relationship with an airport security officer named Logan. The earth’s pollution levels have reached toxic levels, forcing those who remain on the planet to wear masks when walking outside. When aliens are spotted approaching the earth by a station near Saturn, Tony is sent to open negotiations only to be met with violence by the new yet familiar arrivals as war looms over humanity.

I loved the vision of humanity’s future that this book delivers, one where the pollution across our precious home world has been balanced by our increased capacity to leave it behind. The commentary on our nature that author Cynthia Fridsma makes through the arrival of the aliens and their observations about us and our world was a fascinating insight into how mankind could be viewed from the outside. The best science fiction works always have something important to say about the contemporary world, and The Lost Planet is no exception. Even as it introduces races of alien dinosaurs, the discussion about what it means to be a human and what our legacy is feels grounded and real. This is a fun and exciting work of science fiction that uses engaging prose to tell a dynamic tale of the possible future of our future, and I thoroughly recommend it to all readers.

Pikasho Deka

Are you a sci-fi fan? Does an advanced race of giant lizard aliens sound like an intriguing premise? If the answers to both questions are yes, grab a copy of Cynthia Fridsma's The Lost Planet. After losing contact with a space station over Saturn, the leaders of the Federation realize that an alien fleet of ships is rapidly moving toward Earth. Now, it is up to Major Tony Norman, a communications officer, to make first contact and discover what the aliens want. It turns out that the one leading the alien fleet, Supreme Commander Ilg, represents an advanced alien empire closely resembling the ancient dinosaurs on Earth. But before the Federation and the aliens can come to negotiate, the Alliance launches a nuclear attack on the fleet. Can Tony find a way to keep the peace?

With talking alien reptiles, sentient AIs, political intrigue, and plenty of action, The Lost Planet is a gem of a book for sci-fi lovers. Author Cynthia Fridsma's worldbuilding feels authentic and simply fantastic. An in-depth backstory on the invading aliens adds depth to the antagonists, making them all the more compelling to read. Using a multiple POV narrative, Fridsma showcases all the factions involved, putting readers into the minds of the characters. Major Tony Norman and Supreme Commander Ilg are two characters sharing the majority of the page time, and their scenes together were some of my favorites of the book. Recommended to sci-fi fans who love action-packed space operas.