Lack - Softcover

Robertson, Maxwell Colin

Softcover

ISBN 10: 103584298X ISBN 13: 9781035842988

Publisher: Austin Macauley Publishers, 2024

Synopsis

As Earth's biome crumbles, humanity fails to develop the technologies necessary to stop an impending climate disaster. Faced with widespread starvation and environmental ruin, a radical faction seeks to preserve a segment of humankind by unleashing a deadly virus, targeting the vast heterosexual majority in a drastic attempt to reduce the population and save the planet.

However, this extreme measure falls short of halting the escalating environmental catastrophe. With the planet deteriorating rapidly, the remnants of humanity embark on a daring exodus. They set off on a 6,000-year journey to the nearest habitable planet outside our solar system. This epic voyage, devoid of star or warp drive, demands a completely self-sustaining environment, where everything, including the colonists themselves, must be recycled.

Amidst this backdrop, one man finds himself an outsider on this formidable journey, constrained by strict rules governing all aspects of life, including reproduction, which is meticulously controlled to preserve the colony's genetic health. Defying these regulations, he forms a clandestine relationship, leading to the conception of an unauthorized child. This grave breach of protocol poses a moral dilemma for the crew: how should they deal with this infraction, and what consequences will their decision have for the future of their fragile society? This narrative explores the complexities of survival, ethics, and human relationships in the face of a daunting interstellar challenge.

About this title

About the Author

The author has studied and tutored English and writing while earning a more prosaic living until recent decades. Recent incarnations have included tutoring Effective Writing, Critical Reading, and Reading and Writing the Short Story at James Cook University Cairns Campus in North Queensland. A longtime love of science fiction, the author’s homosexuality and the developing climate crisis have coalesced into a parable of possibility revealing the strength inherent in human variability.

Edition details

• Publisher: Austin Macauley Publishers
• Publication date: 2024
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 103584298X
• ISBN 13: 9781035842988
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 181