The Wandering Earth

Liu, Cixin. The Wandering Earth. New York: Tom Doherty Associates 2013. Print.

First Sentences:

 

The Forerunner now knew that he was the only person left in the universe. 

Description:

Well, that first sentence certainly makes me want to read more. And the ten science fiction stories contained in Cixin Liu's The Wandering Earth collection never disappoint on any level: character, plot, setting, and writing.

Reading this volume is an immersive, challenging, and thought-provoking experience, one I highly recommend to anyone even mildly interested in Earth, space, and the humans (and other beings) that struggle to survive against daunting obstacles.

Here are a few examples of the plotlines for you to decide for yourself this is one of the best collections of Sci-Fi tales:

• Scientists recognize their sun will explode in several centuries, vaporizing Earth. It is decided the only means of mankind's survival is to make the Earth itself, the only ecosystem large enough to support the world's population, into a gigantic satillite, and blast it towards the nearest habitable planet 4.3 light years away. Humans will move underground during the 2,500 year trip as the Earth heats, cools, and ices over while circles the sun to get necessary momentum to sling it to its destination and then surviving in deep space. During this time, all surface life on Earth will vanish.

• A lone astronaut is the survivor of a twenty-three year mission to discover an alternate, habitable planet for Earth's population. As his ship traveled at the speed of light over those many years, trying to cover the most distance and explore the most worlds, the actual number of years differ between his trip and Earth's time. He realizes he had been gone for twenty-five thousand years. When he finally returns to Earth, what he finds on the seemingly dead planet, is beyond surprising.

• Earth is soon to surrounded by the Devourer alien spaceship, containing a huge civilization confined to their wandering metal world. Along their voyage, the alien ship must eat up resources of victim planets in order to preserve their own lives. They siphon everything useful off the chosen planet until that world and all life on it is sucked dry and the Devourers move on to the next planet. The Earth, its next target, has barely 100 years to respond to this looming peril and deal with the aliens before their world is completely consumed.

• An illiterate skyscraper window washer from a poverty-stricken family is trained as an astronaut to travel into low Earth orbit to polish space dust and debris off the artificial sun recently created and aunched to control weather on the planet. His new job changes his life and perspectives forever.

OK, I admit some (well, all) of these premises sound rather bleak. But the writing and intricacies make the situations and people of each story so compelling that these ominous scenarios totally grabbed me and held on to the very end, usually one that was completely unexpected. 

There is even a joke, a conversation with God (but don't expect any more laughs):

"Oh, God, for you thousands of years are just a brief moment!"  

 God answered, "Indeed, they are just a second to me."

"Oh, God, for you vast riches are just small change!"

God answered, "Just a nickel."  

"Oh, God, please spare me a nickel!" 

To which God then answered, "Certainly. Just give me a second."

The stories are fairly long, so readers have an opportunity to really get to understand the situation, the options, the pathways selected or rejected, and the people who try to coinquer them to survive. A bonus "Easter Egg" feature is that there is a subtle connection among most of these stories, revealing backgrounds to incidents and people previously mentioned, providing even more mind-expanding perspective to the tales, a unique revelation style in my experience that greatly enhanced my appreciation and understanding of the world and people Cixin creates.

I really enjoyed these engrossing stories and hope you will too. Highly recommended for fans of Sci-Fi, world apocolypse, and great writing.

[If this book interests you, be sure to check out:] 

  

Stephenson, Neal. Seveneves.   

When an unexplained explosion completely destroys the moon, scientists worldwide reach the conclusion that the Earth will soon be bombarded by its fiery falling pieces, ending all life on the planet. Their solution? The world must work together and create a ship to take representatives and resources into space to await a time when the Earth is habitable once again. What could possibly go wrong? Brilliant writing with unexpected problems, solutions, and characters on every page. A wonderful, challenging read that gets my highest recommendation.  (Previously reviewed here.)

Happy reading.

Fred

 

Click here to browse over 435 more book recommendations by subject or title

(and read the introduction to The First Sentence Reader).