Across the Great Rift

There is a lot happening within the pages of this novel and many of them very thought-provoking. We embark with characters in the midst of what seems like a simple mission for a highly advanced society–colonize untouched parts of the galaxy–but the plot quickly escalates when sabotage and murder lead to the upheaval of plans of the daring “Gate” builders and their team. You have honest and rather humble characters like Crawford having to take command posts they never wanted, you have zealots with lingering doubts like Carlina pushed to their brinks, and you have a political and cultural quagmire open up when it becomes clear the area they’re fighting over is in fact inhabited. If you like social commentary as I do, all of the details are riveting.

I was very impressed by how much is addressed in this book and how complicated the issues were. I’m not the biggest sci-fi reader, so perhaps this is just from my limited experience, but I think a lot of books don’t bring up the less obvious dangers of interstellar travel–namely how humanity may literally have to change itself to survive and what that means, psychologically and spiritually. The author definitely leaves a lot open concerning history and what-came-before (a sequel or prequel would be fantastic!), but the world we do see here tackles some big question marks for humanity’s future: how will we survive when we expand past our meager homeward and what will become of us if we succeed?

Murder, politics, ethical quandaries concerning genetics, and even a bit of romance–I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and would love to know more about the complex background the story sits on.