Science Fiction isn’t a genre. It’s a setting. Of necessity, the story line must deal with a specific conflict of some type. So we have Sci-Fi Romance, Sci-Fi Military, Sci-Fi Action, Sci-Fi Detective and the list goes on. This novel should probably be labeled a Sci-Fi Business Procedural. The story provides an in-depth look at how the commercial world might function in the Space Age. Sort of “The Devil Wears Prada” meets “Star Trek.”
The futuristic business model is well thought out and carefully presented. Its main strength is that it’s not much different from the American rat race we see today. If anyone should ask, “Is it likely that the commercial world will look like this in a hundred years?” the answer would be a resounding, “Yes.”
Unfortunately, the author’s cynical attitude towards the business community results in a string of negative events that continues throughout. I sometimes find it hard to recommend a book because I don’t want to spend time with the people. In the case of this book, it’s the environment I don’t particularly want to spend time in.
This leaves it up to the characters to keep us involved. It’s a large cast, comprising all levels of the business world, from the lowest worker to the highest flier. All are well presented with realistic motivation and reactions, but few of them attract our sympathy, because most of them, both winners and losers, buy into the manipulative business methodology of the age.
And there are so many of them, we spend the first hundred pages or so trying to figure out who is who, and especially which are the heroes we’re supposed to be cheering for. This difficulty is not helped by a fluid point of view that switches without warning from one character to the other.
The writing style could use some tightening and polishing. Long sentences and page-long paragraphs abound. Dialogue is evocative and realistic, and the space environment gives plenty of opportunity for action sequences.
The story improves in later chapters, as the plotlines finally intertwine and we get a handle on a couple of sympathetic characters. It all adds up to an unexpected happily-ever-after ending with a sad note to keep us grounded.
Recommended for readers who enjoy the dog-eat-dog world of modern American business.
Three stars.
This review was originally posted on Reedsy Discovery
