Brian D McLaren is an American author who writes mostly from a postmodern Christianity perspective and is Dean of Faculty for the Centre for Action and Contemplation in Albuquerque, New Mexico. For those who may be put off by my last sentence, it is not his first foray into sci fi, and this offering contains only the tiniest nod to religion, which is well blended into the story, and replete with well-drawn and realistic characters who employ pretty regular use of the ‘f’ word!
It’s the middle of the 21st century, and mankind has failed to respond adequately to decades of warnings that they are destroying the planet. The world is more or less run by oligarchs, who, by their greed and irresponsibility, have intensified and accelerated the Earth’s journey to the precipice of ecological, economic, and nuclear catastrophe; in the process giving rise to a phrase in common currency; ‘darker than an oligarch’.
The main characters believe that time is running out faster than anticipated, and that apocalypse is nigh. Two of them have already established a viable outpost on Mars. Under equal threat from both the oligarchs and the imminent end of Earth as a viable home, they launch one final trip to the Red Planet in a spaceship containing critical individuals and biodiversity essential to maintain and develop their fledgling Martian colony.
Halfway to their destination an horrific discovery is made about developments on their destination planet. Is it too late to turn back to earth? Could they? Should they? The ensuing practical and moral dilemmas develop further an exciting and well written story, which, although sometimes employing a little too much detail and wokery for my liking, has done enough to ensure I read Book 2 in the trilogy when it’s published.
