Just Finished Reading: Secret Harmonies by Paul J McAuley (FP: 1989)

The failure of the colony ship to arrive was only the spark. The underlying cause of the rebellion had been growing down the years, ever since the original settlers had to deal with the regular influx of the disposed from far away Earth. But after decades of regular flights from the Wombworld, as the settlers called their original home, they had inexplicably stopped. No new technology, no new information, no new bodies to help tame a world hardly touched by man. Almost immediately there was a sense of alarm, of loss, of moving into territories unknown. Had they been abandoned and left to their own devices by an uncaring parent? Had something gone wrong with the ship to make it simply late or, worse, had something happened to Earth itself? A war maybe, or plague or asteroid strike. Not knowing was worse than any certainty and the natural instincts of the first families was to hunker down and control the situation. Naturally the long oppressed colony settlements throughout the thinly populated peninsula had other ideas. Finally free of Earth they could also be free from the controlling grip of the city – Port of Plenty. Rebellion, revolt and revolution was inevitable. Trapped in the middle of things is Richard Florey a university professor who dreams of understanding the planets weather systems and Miguel Lucas who just wants to be left alone and wander the scrublands unmolested. Neither would get their wish and before the end of things they would both see a great deal of death and destruction they could hardly imagine. But between the rebels and the city founders there is a third player unknown to either. Something that has little regard for the people of this alien world and something that has a plan that neither the victors nor the vanquished would wish on their most hated enemies.

I’ve read a few of this authors works before and I’ve always been impressed by his character driven stories. Despite that this book is based in the future and takes place on an alien world the people that populate it are as recognisable as your neighbours. They have hopes, dreams, fears and loves. They have depth, needs and disappointments. Before many pages are turned you care about them and want them to do well. All of the science-fiction stuff is background to a greater play – one about freedom and choice and self-determination. It puts people who would just rather get on with their lives in situations where difficult choices need to be made and either way, success or failure, people are likely to die – or worse. Like all good books it also poses the question to the reader: what would you do? Would you choose love over loyalty? Would you stand up to someone pointing a gun at you? Would you sacrifice yourself for future generations even knowing that no one will know what you did or why? Books like this are the reason I still read SF after over 40 years. Its books that involve you in other people’s lives. Its books that make you examine the things that are important in life. Its books, like this, that make you mull over things long after the last page is turned. Recommended.