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A review by alex_ellermann
Seveneves by Neal Stephenson
5.0
'Seveneves' is a terrific book.
Here's the premise: when the moon is struck by a very large, very high-velocity asteroid, it breaks apart. Scientists calculate that within 2-3 years, enough of the moon's fragments' orbits will fall to Earth to create a phenomenon they dub the "hard rain:" a meteor shower so massive that it will superheat the Earth's atmosphere, burning away all life on the planet's surface and rendering it uninhabitable for thousands of years.
The novel is the story of how mankind attempts to survive that threat, mostly by building a chewing-gum-and-bailing wire space station populated with enough people to keep the species alive long enough either for the planet to cool back down or for them to figure out a better plan. This isn't "space wizards and sword fights" science fiction, but something more along the lines of "HP calculators and pocket protectors." 'Seveneves' is rooted in hard science, like 'The Martian,' and Author Neal Stephenson creates tension by marrying interesting characters to tough problems, then bringing us along for the ride as they try to sort them out.
Hey, not to denigrate space wizards and sword fights, but I'm a sucker for hard science fiction. Stephenson's multi-award-winning book is a new classic of the genre, and I was sorry when it ended. If you like hard science fiction, you cannot go wrong with 'Seveneves.'
Here's the premise: when the moon is struck by a very large, very high-velocity asteroid, it breaks apart. Scientists calculate that within 2-3 years, enough of the moon's fragments' orbits will fall to Earth to create a phenomenon they dub the "hard rain:" a meteor shower so massive that it will superheat the Earth's atmosphere, burning away all life on the planet's surface and rendering it uninhabitable for thousands of years.
The novel is the story of how mankind attempts to survive that threat, mostly by building a chewing-gum-and-bailing wire space station populated with enough people to keep the species alive long enough either for the planet to cool back down or for them to figure out a better plan. This isn't "space wizards and sword fights" science fiction, but something more along the lines of "HP calculators and pocket protectors." 'Seveneves' is rooted in hard science, like 'The Martian,' and Author Neal Stephenson creates tension by marrying interesting characters to tough problems, then bringing us along for the ride as they try to sort them out.
Hey, not to denigrate space wizards and sword fights, but I'm a sucker for hard science fiction. Stephenson's multi-award-winning book is a new classic of the genre, and I was sorry when it ended. If you like hard science fiction, you cannot go wrong with 'Seveneves.'