5.0 out of 5 stars Compelling, fascinating and a story that held attention from beginning to end.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 15 December 2019
This was one of those books I couldn’t put down. Ron Forsyth writes with clarity and power creating a novel that is truly enthralling. The central character Helen is well drawn and bears witness to an ever greater threat to the planet. The author’s command of events and creation of characters, Eunice being a fine example, underpins the catastrophic journey through hope, science and eventually despair. This is more than a science fiction novel. The characters are well created and never superfluous to the dynamic pace and plot. The writing is powerful and emotions are evoked by the credible, though thoroughly undesirable occurrences. The author writes with authority, knowledge and clarity on the scientific basis of the events and their implication. I applaud that. His empathy and passion and an ability to hold me as a reader made this a great read. I highly recommend it.
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David Volek
5.0 out of 5 stars Nice Story to Challenge Your Philosophy
Reviewed in Canada on 24 May 2022
SF writer Ron Forsythe gets to the story’s climax in the first chapter. A giant asteroid hits Earth, wipes out all life, and breaks up tectonic plates. Above the Earth is a space station, and in that space station is humanity’s last human, Helen Southcote.
From that climatic first chapter, Forsythe has story arcs alternating from before the collision to after the collision. In the end, we come to Helen’s decision.
The story moves nicely through its many time shifts. It is a relaxing read. A good way to kill some time.
But there is more. Forsythe has also put together at least 10 sub-themes for readers to question their values and society’s values. Forsythe touches on morality, religion, science & technology, war & peace, media, sociology, political science, and artificial intelligence. If this book finds its way into a book club, its members will have lots to talk about.
The sub-theme that grabbed my attention was the decision-making process from the world government to deal with the asteroid. The asteroid came up to Earth quickly. The government did not have much time to get the facts and prepare. Ad-hoc solutions were discussed, tried, and, in the end, did not work out. I think Forsythe is trying to tell us that, in the real world, many decisions are made with decision makers not too certain of their outcomes. They are just making their best guesses. I think there is a big lesson in that.
I highly recommend this book. It is both entertaining and can make you think.
Thanks guys! Much appreciated!!
God’s Bolt: Amazon.co.uk: Forsythe, Ron: 9781092713597: Books