Book Review: Ark

By Sandy Amazeen May 11, 2010, 2:34 GMT

With the discovery of another life-sustaining planet light years away, there is hope for a chosen few to leave the soon-to-be submerged Earth. Holle Groundwater is one of the candidates, having been trained for this purpose since childhood, when the ships Ark One and Ark Three were being built. But as Holle prepares to endure life aboard the Ark, she comes to realize that her attempt at escape may ...more

With the world’s population facing extinction due to the Earth’s vast underground reserves of water bubbling up from the mantle to the surface, scientists, the military and private billionaires back a desperate plan to build spaceships. Ark One and Ark Three will each be capable of transporting about eighty of the brightest young candidates to Jupiter in order to collect the power required to make the warp jump outward toward the distant stars in hopes of finding suitable planets to colonize.

While being held hostage years ago, Lily Brooke made a promise to Grace’s mother to look after her infant daughter. It was a promise that placed Lily at odds with her family as she worked tirelessly throughout Grace’s life to groom the young woman for a place on the Ark. Earning a seat on the starship was just the start to Grace’s journey as Baxter plumbs the human psyche in this frequently dark look at how a closed population can tear itself apart. Within the confines of the Ark, there is no such thing as privacy, no escaping close contact with people of very different personalities. The resulting conflicts nearly destroy the mission and force leaders to make unenviable, often heartbreaking choices.

This story builds upon Baxter’s earlier novel Flood and while not absolutely necessary, it would be best to read that first to gain a better appreciation for the characters and situation. There is enough science to add a bit of realism along with religious and cultural evolution but the heart of this excellent tale is about human interactions in all it’s down and dirty complexity.