Sunday 4 October 2015

SCIENCE FICTION REVIEW: Children of a Dead Earth 1: The Ark - Patrick S Tomlinson

Release Date: 04/10/15
Publisher:  Angry Robot

SYNOPSIS:

Humankind has escaped a dying Earth and set out to find a new home among the stars aboard an immense generation spaceship, affectionately named the Ark. Bryan Benson is the Ark’s greatest living sports hero, enjoying retirement working as a detective in Avalon, his home module. The hours are good, the work is easy, and the perks can’t be beat.

But when a crew member goes missing, Benson is thrust into the centre of an ever-expanding web of deception, secrets, and violence that overturns everything he knows about living on the Ark and threatens everyone aboard. As the last remnants of humanity hurtle towards their salvation, Benson finds himself in a desperate race to unravel the conspiracy before a madman turns mankind’s home into its tomb.


REVIEW:

This is a bit of a strange book as its set completely upon a space station where crime has virtually been wiped out as mankinds last descendants make their way to a new home amongst the stars. It’s a well written plot, the twists work wonderfully well and when you throw a good few spanners, the quirkiness of living in virtually a tin can all round generates a story where it feels not only claustrophobic in places and agoraphobic in others.

Add to this good solid prose, dialogue that helps endear the principle player to you as well as discovering that whilst things appear fine from the outside, goes to show that secrets really don’t survive in such an enclosed area especially when it seems that everyone has something to hide. A solid read and one that I had fun reading. I really can’t wait to see how future outings develop.

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