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Short Rambling Reviews

Small, hopefully concise , 300 word max book reviews

Proxima

Proxima - Stephen Baxter Origninally reviewed on almightylewry.wordpress.com

This is Stephen Baxter at his best. this is a novel about colonisation of our closest star. the Sci-Fi in this book as is is with the majority of Stephens titles is based loosely on Science and theoretical physics of today and is always a plausible future. It covers a range of humanitarian issues, like children being held accountable for the crimes of their parents.

The story follows Yuri, a child who was frozen by his parents who were part of the “heroic generation”, him adjusting to new environments and worlds. The UN have a prominent role in the future society and their “peacekeepers” are supposed to be used as their title suggests but, as with every organisation, there are some within the ranks that dislike those they are sent to protect and take it out on them….brutally.

The human condition shines through, whether it is a disgruntled nation throwing it’s toys out of the pram or the disdain humanity shows to the natives. This novel shows what we can achieve and how quickly we can lose it through our own greed.

The plan to colonise Proxima C was well thought out, placing genetically diverse groups in strategic locations around the planet, giving humanity the best possible chance of succeeding in the harsh new environment, however not all goes to plan, as humans are curious creatures and like to explore.

I really enjoyed this book, if I were to write a Sci-Fi novel, this is how I would like to write it. It was hard going and you have to pay attention to all the little details, with Stephens writing, all the little details are as significant as each other and help build a well realised future, with a level of concentration on the finer details, I personally haven’t found anywhere else.