ORS: American government scientists race to figure out the disappearance of a joint Soviet-US space capsule–and stumble upon a quantum physics conundrum. It is told across largely two characters.
I have such a soft spot for self published science nerdy near-future sci-fi. (See The Martian, which is probably the exemplar of this category.) Is the pacing and plotting, like quantum space, often relative and lumpy? Yes. Are the characters sometimes one dimensional? Yes. But there’s often such an enthusiasm for whatever the “Big Idea” is that you can’t help but be swept along. Not unlike a rousing pub singalong. Quantum Space is a lot more entertaining (and longer) than a drunken round of “Tiny Dancer,” but it has, for me, the same infectious attitude. It follows two scientist/gov’t officials, Daniel Rice (hunky, white guy) and Marie Kendrick (skeptical NASA scientist lady) as they puzzle through a close encounter-like problem. This is the kind of writing where you can skip pages and still know what’s happening. There’s the requisite thriller love scene, but at least Phillips tries to resist conformist gender roles and also to not male gaze everyone. The third genius scientist is from Haiti (although portrayed as sexy/attractive,) and aside from a rather vicious streak of Anti-Chinese sentiment (are they the new Russia?) appears to be fair. There’s also a lack of conspiracy theory cynicism about government work (yay Michael Lewis.) When Phillips finally gets to the “Big Idea,” you can tell he was very excited, as the explanation is long, but full of details, replete with diagrams, and even involves an invented language. Even if the science references require some suspension of disbelief / not fact-checking the latest physics. It’s a fast, fun romp.
362 pages
If On a Winter's Night, a Traveler... 