Starred review from June 26, 2017
In Lostetter’s ambitious and stunning debut, the Planet United Missions of a near-future Earth send a convoy off to investigate an anomalous star. Astronomical observation shows that LQ Pyxidis is variable in a way that suggests it’s either a unique opportunity to learn about solar system development or something created by intelligent beings. Convoy Seven travels faster than light, but the journey still takes generations, so it is crewed by clones of Reginald Straifer, the star’s discoverer; Akane Nakamura, the principal engineer; and Jamal Kaeden, who creates an artificial intelligence to help maintain the fleet. Given the dizzying timespan of the journey, Convoy Seven itself is in one sense the protagonist. As time passes, grappling with the individuality of different iterations of the various clone lines becomes as vital and necessary to the crew as figuring out what is going on at the star. Lostetter handles a complex and fractured narrative masterfully, never allowing her novel to become confusing or unconvincing. There are no easy answers to the book’s questions, but the lingering sense of wonder and discovery thoroughly justifies its title.
Starred review from July 1, 2017
In Lostetter's ambitious debut, the year is 2088, and humankind is finally ready to explore deep space, preparing to send convoys of clones on eons-long missions to investigate the outskirts of the galaxy.Astrophysicist Reggie Straifer is convinced that something funny is going on with a distant star; there seems to be something surrounding it and obstructing its light. When Straifer convinces the organization building interstellar convoys to send one of its 12 missions to the mysterious LQ Pyxidis, he and hundreds of other brilliant experts are chosen to have their genes replicated into generations of clones who will staff the ships. The clones of idealistic dreamer Straifer, emotional and empathetic computer programmer Jamal Kaeden, kindly resource specialist Diego Santibar, insightful engineer Nakamura Akane, and the other humans with genes deemed optimal for deep space travel live out their lives working jobs assigned to them based on what their DNA says their talents are. They form new bonds and relationships with each other with every passing generation, even raising the next clones instead of muddying up DNA lines with natural reproduction; two versions of the same clone are alive onboard at the same time, the younger training to take over for the older. Every aspect of life in space, including sustainable materials, cultural development, personality quirks, and life and death among the crew members has been painstakingly accounted for to ensure mission success, all with an omnipresent AI assistant to keep the gears running. But algorithms can only predict so much, and the farther the convoy gets from Earth, the higher the stakes; after all, time is passing exponentially faster for the planet than for the ships, and the Earth the first clones knew is changing. So far removed from their home planet, are the clones doomed to repeat the flaws written in their DNA, or will they prove that people really can change, even if it takes a few lifetimes to get there? This spectacular epic examines everything from the nature of civilizations and societies to the tension between nature and nurture. Lostetter expertly balances the thrill of discovery with the interpersonal consequences of an isolated community. The tools of speculative fiction are deployed with heart-rending attention to emotional reality in this enthralling odyssey. A striking adventure story that could hold a galaxy in its scope, this is an expedition that delves as deep into the human thirst for purpose as it does into the wonders of the universe.
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July 1, 2017
With the invention of subdimensional drive technologies, humanity can finally reach far beyond our solar system. Several manned missions are chosen; one, christened Noumenon, heads for a distant star that appears to be shielded by something, possibly artificial. Since the voyage will take hundreds of years, the ship is crewed by clones. As the centuries go by, the cloned descendents of the original crew discover the many difficulties of maintaining a society in space, not to mention the challenges they face when they reach their destination. The extreme time jumps necessary to tell the story of multiple generations means that this is not a primarily character-driven tale, although that doesn't mean that there are not interesting characters featured, most notably the only constant over the eons--the ship's AI. While readers might be let down by how little we learn about the star the mission discovers, there is apparently a sequel in the works. VERDICT Revolving around a space ship's crew that is cloned and recloned, this first novel explores questions of genetics and identity.--MM
Copyright 2017 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
August 1, 2017
Humanity is finally going to reach beyond the home planet and investigate deep space in Lostetter's debut. One project, designated Noumenon, will travel to and return from a variable star that may confirm the existence of other intelligent life in the universe. The voyage, undertaken by a convoy of nine ships, will take centuries in ship time, with thousands of years passing on Earth. The crew consists of clones of individuals selected for their DNA after a scrupulous review of personal and family backgrounds for health and psychological stability. The story is told in sections recorded from individual points of view, including a fascinating Inter Convoy Computing personal assistant. The challenges faced will cause the crew to adapt and change, leading to a new form of human society. Foremost on everyone's mind iswill they make it? What will they find when they reach their destination? Once the mission is completed, what will they find upon returning to Earth? Offer to fans of hard science fiction who enjoy speculating about the possibilities of the human condition.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)