Ark Liberty

by Will Bradley, Brad Strickland

Some say the world will end in fire...

and in 2084 the heat is on. Borne on the tides of melting polar caps, wafting in the smoke of burning rain forests, the hot wind of death has left its fiery kiss on every nation's cheek. Some are building Arks, self-contained biomes intended to preserve as many species as possible. And others are seeking to destroy them.

But one scientist, Stefan Li, refuses to allow his government to complete its destruction of the Earth. Against orders, he activates Liberty, an undersea Ark, and staffs it with as many refugees as he can before its ports are sealed. Li pays for this act of defiance with his life -- his human life. For on board the Ark a computer genius transfers Li's persona into Matrix 101, Liberty's computer net, and Li becomes the Ark. For some 600 years, he will serve as advisor, technician, and unwilling god to the remnants of a once-lovely planet. And his greatest challenge -- and greatest sacrifice -- is yet to come.

Genres: Science Fiction

336 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published April 7, 1992

About the author

A pen name for Brad Strickland.

Reviews

[Phil · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very intriguing novel by Bradley! The novel is set basically into three parts-- 1. Terricide, 2. explorations of Earth, and finally, 3. rebirth. The story starts about 100 years from now, and Earth is wracked by climate change. Huge swaths of the USA are now desert, and the government relocated to Maine. Canada is booming, but the rest of the world is in dire straights. Wars over declining natural resources and arable land spread and wide spread use of nukes further damages the climate. There are some space colonies in L--5 and the Moon, but humanity is still primarily Earth bound. We witness, via multiple POVs, the end of civilization. The USA, along with some other nations, had constructed various 'Arks', or self-contained communities stocked with genetic resources to help reseed the Earth when the climate eventually stabilizes centuries in the future. Ark Liberty, the center of the story as the title suggests, is underwater off the coast of Florida. As civilization descends toward anarchy, enough refugees make it to Ark Liberty to become self-sustaining.

The graphic depiction of the Terricide is gripping, and all to plausible; given that this was written in 1992, it really stands out. Also, the use of genetic tinkering of plants and animals plays a major role in the story, and this was when GMOs were just starting to become reality. From there, we move centuries into the future, and follow the destiny of Ark Liberty if you will...

While the prose is nothing too fancy, Bradley takes us on quite a journey and it is well written and thoughtful. The human condition features largely, and people over time struggle not just to survive, but to plot the future as well. An enjoyable 'end of the world' story, but one that also features hope for the future. 3.5 stars rounding up!!

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story begins in the late 21st century. Climate change has flooded coastlines, made previously temperate regions too hot for people & crops, and led to social / political / economic crises. Populations moving north have strengthened Canada and weakened the US. Geopolitics finds previously underdeveloped regions acting aggressively - including some nuclear attacks. A project of "arks" - self-contained installations to maintain human gene pools, crops and organized society - is partly ready on doomsday.

Ark Liberty, an underwater installation on the East Coast, chooses to move forward in hopes of providing a new beginning in coming centuries. This is the story of it getting itself going, dealing with obstacles, experiencing social changes and leadership issues, becoming alienated from the natural world, and having to re-enter the natural world at a critical time for the environment.

Personally, post-apocalyptic stories don't tend to be high on my priorities. There were some interesting elements. And the anticipation of crisis and a centuries-long process to recovery from it felt somewhat like Asimov's Foundation, which I recently re-read.

[F. Stephan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was quite a good read and quite mind-blowing on the first read, more than twenty years ago. The book was way in advance on his time, and I was thrilled by it, especially the first part. The follow up is a bit slow at times and if you read it now, some of the ideas have now become cliches. But this is on the book that marked a change in science fiction moods and topics.
The best part is that you get, in a single view, a story over a 600 hundred year span. And for that nowadays, you usually need four to five books.

[Cynthia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading an older sci fi book that I just discovered was written by an author I really enjoy. This quote is just so true. " Life is messy. That includes human life. As much as you try to order it and to circumscribed it with castes and controls, it is fundamentally a messy and random affair. It must be if there is to be any freedom " Will Bradley
Good story, a little long winded but good story in three eras.

[Bryan457 · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the first half of this book as it describes some of the possible effects of climate change. The latter parts of the book dragged a bit, but once I was able to sit down, uninterrupted, and read, it went quickly.

[Deidre · Rating 4 out of 5]

The back cover synopsis is a cliche-ridden piece of "work". I'm glad I read the book before I read the back cover. It's obvious that the author didn't write it.