Fiction Reviews
Beyond the Hallowed Sky
(2021) Ken MacLeod, Orbit, £8.99, pbk, 340pp, ISBN 978-0-356-51479-6
Yay, space opera! And a series as well (the 'Lightspeed Trilogy'), which is good. This one’s by Scottish writer Ken Macleod and set in the near future (2070) where the world’s now split into three power blocks: the Union (basically EU+), the Alliance (America+) and the Co-Ord (Co-ordinated States: Russia and China). Confusingly, Scotland’s in the Union but England’s in the Alliance (that stretches credibility a bit) and the situation is tense. The Alliance and the Co-Ord have secretly had faster than light travel for 50 years, which they’ve loaded into submarines. They’ve settled an Earth-like planet called Apis, which was home to a mysterious alien race called the Fermi and whose presence lingers. Meanwhile, in the Union, an Alliance defector called Lakshmi Nayak has a visit from her future self with FTL schematics and proceeds to enlist the help of Scottish boatbuilder John Grant to produce their own FTL submarine spaceship.
Because no-one in this future world has leaked anything about FTL travel to the Union (also stretching credibility) they’ve gone and settled Venus instead of heading for the stars. But because of the extreme atmospheric pressure on Venus they’re built a scientific enclave in the clouds. Amongst the people there is self-avowed Alliance spy and android Marcus Owen, who has sabotage on his mind. He’s a particularly interesting character: he eats, drinks, sleeps and forms relationships like a human but has no sense of morality (or at least it's well hidden). You’re never sure if he’s hero or villain, and perhaps he’s both (as many of the great fictional characters are).
Venus, Apis and Earth are connected by three interweaving plotlines and aliens whose intent is not clear (but whose power is dramatic). In this setup novel, enemies are developed, plotlines formed and clues left, and yet even if this is the only one of the trilogy you get a chance to read, there’s a satisfying conclusion of the initial narrative arc.
Much of the Earth-based action is in Scotland, and Macleod is writing in the shadow of Iain M. Banks and Stepen Baxter, who have both written their fair share of fast moving, intriguing space opera and whose influence is clearly part of Macleod’s writing DNA. Macleod is a former BSFA Award winner and has been shortlisted for the Hugo and Nebula Awards, so he has a solid track record which provides reassurance this is a reliable read. For me, I’d have preferred a little more character development (they’re all pretty much the same, even the android) and a plot that didn’t depend on an impossible to keep 50 year old secret, plus the notion of the Scots and the English being divided into different cold war camps made for uneasy reading. That said, there’s much to enjoy here and the second novel is set up well.
Mark Bilsborough
You can see Jonathan's take on Beyond the Hallowed Sky here.
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