The
science fiction novel
Earth by
David Brin
at 600 pages is a heavy book, not only in physical weight,
but also in the depth and breadth of topics it covers.
The book is set in 2038, "one possible future" as the author calls it.
Brin attempts to create a world that is plausible enough to be our future,
and yet imaginative enough to be eye opening.
The book starts out as a
loose collection of essays,
each giving a sociological caricature of our past, present, or future,
and as the book progresses, these essays are
tightly woven through a plot involving an apparently accidental
impending doomsday of Earth,
and its eventual prevention. Along the way, through actions, speculation,
and thoughts by characters and groups, we are encouraged to think
about what the Earth has today, and to appreciate it and treasure it.
Various characters in the book speculate on the existence, search for,
and interaction with extra-terrestrial life,
genesis of life on Earth,
struggle to live in and preserve (or destroy) their environment,
and lightly experiment with multiple forms of speculative theology.
Societal characters include, gangs, corrupt politicians,
and several groups of environmental extremists at both ends--including
smugglers, poachers, Mother Earth worshipers, and Sun worshipers.
As typical for science fiction, some solutions to today's problems
are offered, including a solution to political and financial corruption,
a solution to common violent crime, and a partial solution to
the continuing trend of the extinctions of species. Thoughts on
creationism vs. evolutionism and their integration are explored.
The core of science about which the book's plot revolves includes
a partial solution to the physics Theory of Everything, incorporating
string theory and black holes.
Brin also expresses his pessimism on some problems ever being solved, or
being solved in time anyway, including economical controlled
fusion, political corruption, war, global warming,
economical escape from Earth's gravity well, artificial intelligence,
thinning of the ozone layer,
human population growth, man vs. the ecosystem,
and the nature of consciousness.
In short, the book Earth is a long deep speculation on the meaning
of life and the planet Earth's place the universe.
Brin manages to covers a very wide range of topics, while tightly
integrating them into the plot line, and yet still comes up with an interesting
and somewhat surprising ending,
making this book well worth its 600 pages.