A review by midwifereading
Earth: a Novel by David Brin

adventurous challenging hopeful informative mysterious reflective tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75


This book is slow, smart, and fascinating. The premise is ridiculous and unique, and I was drawn in immediately. Who doesn't want to find out what would happen in the near future if someone accidentally dropped a micro black hole into the earth and they had to go find it?

The only reason it's not getting four full stars is that I am still feeling ambivalent about the ending. Then again, it's clear the author doesn't intend for the ending to answer all our questions. Instead, it leaves us with food for thought about the nature of consciousness, the future of humanity, and how the Earth itself may influence life.

I loved the many loose threads, in the form of characters and storylines, all came together at the end to form a confusing, yet cohesive whole. I also appreciated how accurate Brin was with his near future world. The book was published in 1990, but takes place in 2038, and while technology isn't anywhere near the book, it felt very plausible and familiar. 

His terminology for various things is different, because those things weren't invented in 1990. People carry around plaques, rather than smartphones. They use programs called ferrets to seek information on the World Data Net, rather than using a search engine to browse the Internet. It was so easy to immerse myself in this Earth, and fit right in with the characters. 

Though the pacing is slow, I had a hard time putting it down, and the action sequences were vibrant, tense, and exciting! The setting and atmosphere are tangible and immersive, rich with color and life. I felt like I was really there. 

If you like science fiction that believes the best of humanity without discounting our folly and wickedness, looks forward to a future that is hard, but good, and doesn't have a pat, easy answer, then you're going to like this one. 
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