Beneath the Sky

by Dan Thompson

Maggie is a young schoolteacher on the multi-generation colony ship, God’s Chariot, bound for their promised world, New Providence. When a faster-than-light freighter crosses their path, a forgotten history catches up with them and puts their future in doubt. Maggie and her father are drawn to the center of the conflict over what will become of their colony, their faith, and even their lives. It’s the space-opera analog of the Mayflower landing in modern Boston, filled with high technology, different customs, and 747’s cutting their travel time down to hours. Battling conspiracy, politics, and even pirates, Maggie must rise to the challenge or face her colony’s doom.

Genres: Science Fiction

309 pages, Paperback

First published April 26, 2012

Reviews

[Dan Higdon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very good freshman novel from Dan Thompson. I'm not very good at writing reviews, so I'll break things out this way, and hopefully avoid any spoilers:

Things that worked for me:

The premise and setting of "Beneath the Sky" were interesting and entertaining, both echoing and contrasting our own history. The plot evolutions were handled deftly, and while Dan Thompson doesn't burden us with all of the scientific details of his universe (as many new authors do), he clearly has a solid grasp on the science of his setting. [I did detect a whiff of the "Traveller" RPG in this book, including what I suspect is an Easter Egg reference to a "standard 1.5 by 3 meter cargo pod". But have no fear, "Beneath the Sky" is definitely NOT one of those books that reads like notes from the author's RPG sessions.]

I also appreciated that the characters who were leaders were competent and intelligent. It's refreshing to see people on all sides of a conflict who are not only honestly invested in their own positions, but intelligently working towards their own goals. There aren't really any "bad guys" in this story (well, there is at least one opportunistic weasel who stirs up some trouble) though of course as the internal conflict grows, characters are forced into corners and reason breaks down.

Things that didn't work for me:

I didn't connect emotionally with the characters. Though I understood their motives, I never felt that I really "knew" any of them. The same is true of the ending. It made perfect sense, and in fact the novel resolved mostly in the way I had wanted it to, but somehow I wasn't moved.

Interesting Asides:

Since this book is published under Mr. Thompson's label, "Quantum Forge Press", I'll add a few words about the quality of the production. First of all, the physical presentation of the book is good. Typesetting and binding were solid. And most refreshingly, the book was VERY well edited, with no grammar or spelling errors I could see. The QFP editorial team (who I realize is likely one person) did a world-class job on this product.

Full Disclosure:

I'm a big fan of Space Opera, so I'm the target audience for a book like this. I'm also an old college friend of the Author's, though I try not to let that influence my opinion of his novel.

Conclusions:

This is a fun book, logically constructed and well thought-through. Dan Thompson weaves a thought experiment only possible in an SF setting and explores the many personal motives that would arise under such circumstances. The universe he portrays is a classic "Hard Space Opera" setting, and I hope he continues to write novels in this setting.

Update:

My wife has started reading the book, and she's not having any trouble with the characterization.

[Brian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Right up front, yes, Dan Thompson is a friend of mine. So it’s a relief to be able to recommend this book to others.

Normally this isn’t the sort of thing I read. I prefer my sci-fi a bit more swashbucklery, and while Beneath the Sky isn’t exactly hard sci-fi, its focus on both the tragedies and rewards of a first-contact situation very much have the feel of a more cerebral read. Which isn’t to say the book is utterly devoid of derring-do (we even get an attack by space pirates), but only that the perils and opportunities of the first-contact situation remain the principal focus.

Just over a millenium ago, a religious sect called the Masonites set out to found a colony in a distant solar system. Travelling aboard a generational colony ship (that is, one in which the colonists live for multiple generations as they travel to their destination), they expect to reach their New Providence in another 600 years.

Of course, things back on Earth haven’t exactly sat still in the meantime. Humanity has mastered FTL travel and settled many worlds, including the one chosen by the Masonites to be their New Providence. The colonists’ co-religionists were principal actors in dramatic historical events. And neither the greater mass of humanity nor the Masonite colonists are aware of what’s been happening with the others during most of that time.

The stage is set, then, for a series of dramatic events and accidents when a survey ship makes contact with the Masonite colonists. What follows is both tragic and happy, and Thompson does a masterful job of weaving the two emotional reactions together, creating a surprising tapestry that is, in the end, both sad and satisfying. He’s also an extremely efficient writer, almost too much so; while all the important threads are neatly finished, I wouldn’t have minded lingering a bit on a few of them at the end.

If you enjoy Elizabeth Moon’s Vatta books, or Weber’s Honor Harrington universe (but wish they included a more “blue collar” point of view) you’ll like Beneath the Sky. For myself, I certainly won’t wait so long before reading Dan’s next book.

[Betsy · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story of a multigenerational colony ship, which is interrupted part way through it's millenium-long voyage when it encounters other earth ships that got there before them, though starting long after. This is pretty well done for a first novel, though it did drag in places and I felt like the final resolution was a bit contrived. The Pope??!!

The characters were generally pretty well drawn, but I lost track of some of them toward the end -- maybe because it took me so long to read.

However, I wouldn't mind recommending it to space lovers.

[Sherry · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fresh idea in sci fi

Really enjoyed this book. Excellent writing, clean edit. The idea is one I haven't seen before. Would like to see a sequel.

[Ron · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good story, well written

A unique and engaging story that is well written. Will be interesting to see what f this turns not a series!

[Red Tide · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very tense

But not a shoot fest. Just when I thought there would be a peaceful resolution, there wasn't. The story has a real world feel to it. I can relate to the characters.

I'd say, try this one.

[Tom · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting story. Expected ending. Not bad.