Starred review from December 18, 2017
Translator Burke takes new science and drives it to the logical extreme for her impressive debut novel, a classic multigenerational story of space exploration and colonization. When scientists on a colonizing mission veer off course and land on the distant planet of Pax, they run up against the sentient native flora. Intrigue and secrets divide the generations, and the efforts to commune with the plants on Pax take on a cultish quality. Communication is at the heart of the story: debates among the human colonists, the intricacies of plant communication, and the challenge of reaching across the species divide. Burke’s writing is as lush as the environment of Pax; her characters show considerable depth, and she unflinchingly captures the horrors of space exploration. She has rendered an alien planet in beautiful, believable detail. Fans of space adventure will eagerly await Burke’s future books.
December 15, 2017
Colonists land on a planet with unexpected sentient species in this sci-fi debut.In the 2060s, a group leaves Earth to create a new, peaceful society. They arrive 158 years later on a planet they name Pax. The botanist, Octavio, knows that planting seeds from Earth, without symbiotic microorganisms in the soil, would be futile, but Pax is already teeming with plants. He tests a persimmonlike fruit growing on snow-white vines and finds it safe to eat--but later, three Pacifists die after eating the same fruit from a different vine that's now, somehow, poisonous. The deadly crop, he discovers, comes from an identical snow vine that's competing for space with the vines closer to the colonists. He knows the chemical alteration is too fast to be mere ecological adjustment, and when the deadly vine changes its chemistry again to destroy a field of grain the colonists planted, Octavio begins to understand that the poisonous vine sees them as a threat. The plants of Pax are able to think and plan ahead--and the colonists must learn to communicate with them in order to survive. Beginning with Octavio, the story is told from seven different points of view, spread out over more than a century, and each perspective change sends the story years ahead. Every chapter is like a short story within a shared universe--and it's a phenomenal universe. The worldbuilding is astonishing: the human society is richly detailed, and it's riveting to watch the colonists learn to communicate with a life-form so different from us. The flora and fauna of Pax are magnificently alien, calling to mind sci-fi classics such as Larry Niven's Ringworld. But the story's overwhelming scope is also its downfall: readers scarcely have time to register who the colonists are and what's happened during the intervening years before being rushed forward again. Interesting storylines end abruptly, and action scenes, including a monumental battle, feel rushed. None of the genuinely engrossing characters or ideas are allowed enough space to develop. When the prevailing trend in science fiction is to turn even the flimsiest plots into bloated trilogies, cutting this extraordinary story short feels like a deplorable waste.An outstanding science-fiction novel hobbled by its rushed story structure.
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January 1, 2018
In the not-too-distant future, with Earth facing blight and war, a group of 50 space travelers endure a 158-year hibernation to reach the planet Pax. There they hope to create a harmonious society attuned to nature and devoid of Earth's contentious politics. While deciphering the planet's secrets, the colonists discover that the predators on the planet number beyond various carnivores and include sentient plants that view the humans as both enemies and allies. With a different character narrating each chapter, this multigenerational novel has the feel of linked short stories, and the vast cast can seem, at times, overwhelming. But Burke's world building is exceptional, and her ability to combine the intricacies of colonization with the science of botany and theories of mutualism and predation is astounding. Ecological science fiction normally takes its cues from Earth-bound issues, such as climate change, food scarcity, and global catastrophe. Burke's ambitious debut takes to the stars and offers a thought-provoking look into the politics of survival.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)
Starred review from January 1, 2018
DEBUT As environmental collapse is seemingly imminent, 50 colonists from Earth undertake a journey to save humanity from complete destruction. However, when their ship runs into trouble, the group is forced to land on a different, unexpected planet, which becomes Pax, their new home. Generations of humans are born here, evolving to adapt to the special environment, as do the native plants, creating an unusual, sometimes troubling, symbiotic relationship that grows through the years. The colonists work to thrive in their new society and other life forms watch the progress, waiting for their own moment to thrive. Told from an unusual perspective (each chapter follows a member of a succeeding generation), this first-contact tale is extraordinary. VERDICT Burke's riveting debut offers a compelling look into communication and sentience on a world where humanity is not the highest on the food chain nor in actual control of their environment. The unusual landscape and range of characters through the years show that evolution affects all.--Kristi Chadwick, Massachusetts Lib. Syst., South Deerfield
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