Arkwright by Allen Steele. 336 pages. Tor Books.
Going back to my early childhood, one of the reasons why I became a writer is that I wanted so much to live so many lives. I wanted to be a soldier, a fireman, a detective, a scientist, an astronaut, well, you get the idea. What I discovered was that being a writer allowed me to live all of these lives vicariously. For by writing about people who lived these lives, I can in a way experience these lives.
That’s what I think of when I read hard science fiction like the books written by Allen Steele. It not only entertains, it educates. It allows me to be the scientist I could have been in another life. Those who don’t know science fiction don’t understand that it goes far beyond Star Wars and Star Trek and allows readers to consider possibilities that expand the mind in ways that other books can’t. Especially hard science fiction, work that is actually based on researched, tried-and-true science.
Enough preaching. Here’s the summary from Amazon:
Written by a highly regarded expert on space travel and exploration, Allen Steele’s Arkwright features the precision of hard science fiction with a compelling cast of characters. In the vein of classic authors such as Robert Heinlein, Isaac Asimov, and Arthur C. Clarke, Nathan Arkwright is a seminal author of the twentieth century. At the end of his life he becomes reclusive and cantankerous, refusing to appear before or interact with his legion of fans. Little did anyone know, Nathan was putting into motion his true, timeless legacy.
Convinced that humanity cannot survive on Earth, his Arkwright Foundation dedicates itself to creating a colony on an Earth-like planet several light years distant. Fueled by Nathan’s legacy, generations of Arkwrights are drawn together, and pulled apart, by the enormity of the task and weight of their name.
This is classic, epic science fiction and engaging character-driven storytelling, which will appeal to devotees of the genre as well as fans of current major motion pictures such as Gravity and Interstellar.
This is an epic story, which starts in 1939 and ends hundreds of years in the future. It tells the story of the Arkwright family over multiple generations and their goal of starting a human colony on another planet. As all of Allen Steele’s books are, it is well constructed, has great characterization, and keeps you guessing until the end. And, as I said, it is EPIC in scope. Because they are dealing with a multi-generational project, their scientific foundation becomes almost religious in nature, which Steele addresses at two points. At the end, the concept of religion and science confront each other, and Steele lets his views be known. But I am not at odds with him here.
If you like Allen Steele’s books, If you like epic science fiction, if you like GOOD hard science fiction, read this book. It’s a fast read, and one that you will love.
Five of five stars.
The Great Adventure 