Review of Generation Ship

Generation Ship by Michael Mammay

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I’ve been a fan of Michael Mammay since his first book came out, so when I got an opportunity to read a pre-release copy of his latest novel Generation Ship I jumped at the chance. It’s a great read and I’m proud to recommend it to all fans of hard science fiction.

The story is simple – the good ship Voyager is ending it’s 250+ years-long trip to the Zeta Tucanae system. (This is a real star, 28 light years from Earth.) There is an Earthlike planet called Promissa which the 18,000 humans on the ship plan to colonize. Our story starts 140 days or cycles prior to arrival and it’s not much of a spoiler to say problems have arisen. More like mysteries, as the advance probe sent to the planet has lost contact with Voyager.

Mammay’s novels are full of intrigue, and this one is no exception. The five main characters in the book all have very different wants and needs, and those are in conflict with each other. Some just want to have a “normal” life, however that’s defined on a tightly-packed spaceship, while others have grander visions. How these people interact with each other while solving the larger mystery of Promissa drive this story.

There are several things I really like about this book that I want to call out. First, Mammay does a great job of depicting change within stasis. The political system of the ship has evolved over the centuries, but because of the environment, much has stayed the same. Second, Mammay does a great job with character growth. All of the main characters start at one level and evolve, sometimes reluctantly, into another. There are no “chosen ones” or self-selected heroes in this book. Lastly, the mystery or Promissa is well set up. Frankly I would like to have learned more about the planet than I did.

I think any fan of hard science fiction would love this novel. Pre-order it now!




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