The last Science Fiction that I read and thoroughly enjoyed was Blades of the Fallen by Ross Harrison, focused around the Necurians, a species like the humans, and their adventures in the galaxy. Parasites by Matthew Samuels continues my trek around the universe, but this time, visiting multiple universes and with a very strict mission in mind – sustainability of the human race on the planet, Lyra. Check out the blurb below, and then we will dive into my thoughts:
At the end of the universe, the very fabric of reality is beginning to contract, winding up to the Big Crunch. Alone and isolated on the planet Lyra, humans evolved late on a resource-poor world. Doomed to die out as food and minerals dwindle, a scientist makes a chance discovery allowing people and vehicles to travel through ‘thinnings’ – patches of space linking universes.
Kael and Alessia are explorers charting where the thinnings go and more importantly, bringing back valuable resources to Lyra, trying desperately to extend the lifespan of their home world. Alessia’s father, Ben, set out two years ago to uncover another species’ reference to a ‘solution’ to the big crunch problem – but never returned.
A chance discovery leads Kael and Alessia to a clue, prompting another expedition to see if they can avoid the mistakes of the past and help to unravel the mystery.
Kael, Alessia and their gruff bodyguard Basteel retrace Ben’s steps, seeking closure for Alessia, a solution for Lyra and together begin a voyage through wild, weird and wonderful planets.
Content Notes: Loosing a parent, Self-surgery, descriptions of medical procedures.
Themes for Thought
On Space Faring
Would space travel be an acceptable part of life?
For the people on Lyra, the existence of thinnings make it possible to go to other planets without investing in space travel technology in the traditional sense. Taking advantage of these natural phenomenon that bend distances and work as tunnels between places that are not only far away but belong to different universes is a fascinating concept. I had never thought of that until I read Parasites.
Kael, Alessia and the rest of their crew are seasoned travelers and experts in what they do. Apart from the places that they traveled to and explored, it was interesting to learn about the kind of infrastructure that would need to be in place for making traveling through thinnings possible and reliable. This is world building at a new level and I felt that Matthew Samuels, the author, did an amazing job at it.
I loved how well thought out most of the stops on this journey were. I assumed that the thinnings would only be to planets but after learning that they can be anywhere – even old decaying space stations and moons – the possibilities are endless and the dangers of their exploration magnified. I loved the one space station that had other living species and their history! More of that in the interview with Matthew tomorrow! 🙂
On Parasites
When the last way to survive is to take advantage of resources from other places, what is one but a parasite?
Though our Sun still has 5 billion years to go, our time on Earth is about a billion year. This is a long time and our life expectancy is not even a hundred years, it does not make sense to worry about something that we will not be around for. The situation on Lyra is different. Their sun is approaching its end and that only means one thing – they have to find a new home to keep their species alive.
But that’s not the immediate problem – A dying sun poses other pressing issues related to temperatures and growing crops that will sustain the current population. This is why science is very advanced at Lyra and with the help of the thinnings, there are opportunities to not only explore other places but also scavenge things from there that will prolong survival in the home planet. For this reason, I found the title of this book quite apt to the story.
On Storytelling
Do you ever wonder why stories are written the way they are? Whether it is the point of view of a certain character or the use of certain words and tense, what role do they play in the reading experience?
I don’t often think about the tense in which a book is written, and with book I did. The use of present tense in Parasites stood out to me and made me ponder the questions I posed to you above. The story is an epic space adventure and the reader is taken along for a ride with Kael and Alessia leading the way. Reading in present tense made their actions more real and the unpredictability of what would happen even more stressful. The gravity of the situations they faced, the choices they had to make and the problem solving was made more real this way. The struggles of working with a team, the different kind of agendas during such missions and what it takes to keep everyone together and moving were portrayed really well in the present tense.
Overall, Parasites presents a brilliant concept that I have not read before. Hopping between planets for scientific pursuit and intense problem solving in space – this was so much fun! I don’t often say this but I wish it had been longer and allowed me to savour each of the planets on the way more. There is just so much more I want to know!
** Parasites is now out in stores so get a copy and let me know what you think! **
Amazon Print
Amazon Kindle
(available on Kindle Unlimited)
Be sure to check back tomorrow when I discuss with book with Matthew!
Many thanks to the author for providing me a complimentary review copy in exchange for an honest review.
Cover image: Photo by Fabrizio Conti on Unsplash
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