Today we’re going to escape Earth for a new beginning in a
new solar system—sounds pretty good given everything going on right now—in this
science fiction/detective mystery “The Ark” by Patrick S. Tomlinson. Don’t
worry—people are still shitty generations later and in space.
What I love about
this book:
It’s an interesting concept because the plot is essentially
a murder mystery baked into a science fiction setting. You might think that
blending the two genres might weaken both elements, but Tomlinson has the chops
to do both justice.
I was pleasantly surprised that “The Ark” is pretty
consistently hard science fiction despite having one of those high-concepts
that could easily shift into soft science fiction. You’d think a murder mystery
in space would be more focused on the more psychological elements, typical of
crime fiction, and shared by soft science fiction. Tomlinson does address the
psychological motives, so it isn’t unaddressed, but he also never takes his
hand off the wheel when describing the science and engineering behind “The Ark.”
What I don’t love
about this book:
Our main character, Benson, for the most part, is a likable
gumshoe to be following around, but his follow-through feels inconsistent to me
at times. So when they discover the body of a murdered crew member, floating
out in space outside of the ship, he personally goes out in a maintenance pod
to retrieve it. Then there is the bit where he alienates the owner of his
favorite restaurant and another time where he storms onto the bridge to demand
answers from the captain, to get the truth, damn it! So you’d think, this here
is a guy that will do anything to get the job done right. Except he also sleeps
with his girlfriend at a crime scene. Then there is the time he calls off a
manhunt half-way through because, eh, he doesn’t feel like they’re going to
find anything.
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Author's Website: https://www.patrickstomlinson.com/
***The Spoiler part of this review***
***Ye be warned to turn back now***
The quick and dirty
synopsis:
So the story begins with Benson at a sports event. It’s a
game called zero played at—you guessed it—zero gravity. Benson is a big fan
because he used to be a captain of one of the teams when he was younger and
before he was a cop. Now, he’s “chief,” such as it is of his own police
department on his side of the Ark, the great generation starship humanity
created to save a select few and find a new homeworld when Earth was destroyed.