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Liminal Sky: The Ariadne Cycle #1
The Stark Divide
Some stories are epic.
The Earth is in a state of collapse, with wars breaking out over resources and an environment pushed to the edge by human greed.
Three living generation ships have been built with a combination of genetic mastery, artificial intelligence, technology, and raw materials harvested from the asteroid belt. This is the story of one of them—43 Ariadne, or Forever, as her inhabitants call her—a living world that carries the remaining hopes of humanity, and the three generations of scientists, engineers, and explorers working to colonize her.
From her humble beginnings as a seedling saved from disaster to the start of her journey across the void of space toward a new home for the human race, The Stark Divide tells the tales of the world, the people who made her, and the few who will become something altogether beyond human.
Humankind has just taken its first step toward the stars.
The Earth is in a state of collapse, with wars breaking out over resources and an environment pushed to the edge by human greed.
Three living generation ships have been built with a combination of genetic mastery, artificial intelligence, technology, and raw materials harvested from the asteroid belt. This is the story of one of them—43 Ariadne, or Forever, as her inhabitants call her—a living world that carries the remaining hopes of humanity, and the three generations of scientists, engineers, and explorers working to colonize her.
From her humble beginnings as a seedling saved from disaster to the start of her journey across the void of space toward a new home for the human race, The Stark Divide tells the tales of the world, the people who made her, and the few who will become something altogether beyond human.
Humankind has just taken its first step toward the stars.
292 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 10, 2017
77 people are currently reading
362 people want to read
About the author
J. Scott Coatsworth
90 books187 followersScott lives with his husband in a leafy Sacramento, California suburb, in a cute yellow house with a pair of pink flamingoes in the front yard.
He has always been in the place between the here and now and the what could be. He started reading science fiction and fantasy at the tender age of nine, encouraged by his mother. But as he read the golden age classics and more modern works too, he started to wonder where all the queer people were.
When Scott came out at 23, he decided he wanted to create the kinds of stories he couldn't find at the bookstore. If there weren't gay characters in his favorite genres, he would reimagine them, filling them with a diverse universe of characters. He'd remake them to his own ends, and if he was lucky enough, someone would even want to read them.
Scott's brain works a little differently from most folks - he sees connections where others don't. Born an introvert, he learned how to reach outside himself and connect with other queer folks.
Scott's fiction defies expectations, transforming traditional science fiction, fantasy, and contemporary worlds into something fresh and surprising. He also created both Queer Sci Fi and QueeRomance Ink with his husband Mark, and is an associate member of the Science Fiction Writer's Association (SFWA).
His writing, both romance and genre fiction, brings a queer energy to his work, infusing them with love, beauty and strength and making them fly. He imagines how the world could be, and maybe changes the world that is, just a little.
Scott was recognized as one of the top new gay authors in the 2017 Rainbow Awards, and his debut novel "Skythane" received two awards and an honorable mention.
He has always been in the place between the here and now and the what could be. He started reading science fiction and fantasy at the tender age of nine, encouraged by his mother. But as he read the golden age classics and more modern works too, he started to wonder where all the queer people were.
When Scott came out at 23, he decided he wanted to create the kinds of stories he couldn't find at the bookstore. If there weren't gay characters in his favorite genres, he would reimagine them, filling them with a diverse universe of characters. He'd remake them to his own ends, and if he was lucky enough, someone would even want to read them.
Scott's brain works a little differently from most folks - he sees connections where others don't. Born an introvert, he learned how to reach outside himself and connect with other queer folks.
Scott's fiction defies expectations, transforming traditional science fiction, fantasy, and contemporary worlds into something fresh and surprising. He also created both Queer Sci Fi and QueeRomance Ink with his husband Mark, and is an associate member of the Science Fiction Writer's Association (SFWA).
His writing, both romance and genre fiction, brings a queer energy to his work, infusing them with love, beauty and strength and making them fly. He imagines how the world could be, and maybe changes the world that is, just a little.
Scott was recognized as one of the top new gay authors in the 2017 Rainbow Awards, and his debut novel "Skythane" received two awards and an honorable mention.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 68 reviews
October 15, 2017
This was a very interesting read. The premise of sentient spaceships isn't new, of course, nor is the idea of a space ark as the refuge of the remains of humanity. But when the 'ark' is a created world, Forever, complete with mountains, rivers and farms, all held within a space ship grown from a seed and inhabited with sentient, aware, intelligent AI with ambivalent motivation... that's a little different.
This is essentially a trilogy of interconnected novellas, with some reasonably large timeshifts between each segment. That didn't actually bother me - I rather liked the feeling that each segment was clearly complete, and the jumps to the next segment at least did away with the need for pesky (and pointless!) transitions that wouldn't have added anything to the plot. Instead, the author tells three tight, carefully structured tales that are woven together through the ensemble cast of characters and the book's theme of mankind's self-destruction
The least cheerful element of the overarching tale is that even with today's lessons in front of us, humanity has learned very little, certainly not enough to improve the future. Earth is dying, devastated by ecological disaster and by war. All the issues we face today: demagoguery politics, climate change tackled too little and too late, war and the human cost, refugees, deprivation, prejudice... all are still problems in this future world. Not just problems, but world-killing events. No. Mankind doesn't learn anything much at all. And perhaps the most depressing thing, is they take the problems with them to Forever.
Excellent worldbuilding, an ensemble of engaging characters and the promise of conflict to come. Very well done.
This is essentially a trilogy of interconnected novellas, with some reasonably large timeshifts between each segment. That didn't actually bother me - I rather liked the feeling that each segment was clearly complete, and the jumps to the next segment at least did away with the need for pesky (and pointless!) transitions that wouldn't have added anything to the plot. Instead, the author tells three tight, carefully structured tales that are woven together through the ensemble cast of characters and the book's theme of mankind's self-destruction
The least cheerful element of the overarching tale is that even with today's lessons in front of us, humanity has learned very little, certainly not enough to improve the future. Earth is dying, devastated by ecological disaster and by war. All the issues we face today: demagoguery politics, climate change tackled too little and too late, war and the human cost, refugees, deprivation, prejudice... all are still problems in this future world. Not just problems, but world-killing events. No. Mankind doesn't learn anything much at all. And perhaps the most depressing thing, is they take the problems with them to Forever.
Excellent worldbuilding, an ensemble of engaging characters and the promise of conflict to come. Very well done.
October 12, 2017
I’ve read a number of books by the author, and I’ve enjoyed them. This one blows them all away. It is a phenomenal piece of writing that had my undivided attention from the first page.
There is so much in here that hits all my personal hot spots: World-building that slowly unfolds without a ton of expository text; flawed but likable characters; both subtle and overt references to favorite speculative fiction; action that’s low on both sex and violence; social themes; and a what-will-happen-next plot.
This is not a romance by any stretch, but the relationships among the various people are important. I loved the friendship aspects and the way people in this world are allowed to simply be who they are without question, despite the horrific and tragic circumstances of the story. In fact, those parts seem so mundane as to be of little importance to the plot. It’s refreshing to see LGBT+ people simply existing rather than being the driving force of the novel.
I absolutely love the world the author has created. The ship-mind, and later the station-mind and the world-mind, are fascinating. I can’t wait to see how that’s explored more fully in future books. I’m particularly interested in the world-mind and some aspects of it that have (for me, at least) metaphoric significance. Saying more would be spoilers, but it is so completely fascinating to me, and I want to know more.
There’s a lot of diversity here, in particular with regard to LGBT+ identities. I’ll admit to being a bit disappointed not to have spotted anyone obviously bisexual or any trans women or non-binary people (though gay, lesbian, and a trans man are all covered nicely). However, there is at least one character that I chose to read as bi, and I’m hoping that when they return, that will be confirmed. And if not, perhaps that’s what good speculative fiction is for: my perceptions may be correct even if it’s never spoken. In any case, I loved that there were so many different people.
Another theme which grabbed me was the way aspects of faith and spirituality are woven into the narrative. It’s not a bash-you-on-the-head kind of religion. Like gender and orientation, it’s simply part of who some characters are. But there are also some more subtle and deeper connections (for example, one aspect of the world-mind). While only one religion is specifically named in the book, there are things which may be relatable to people of faith regardless of spiritual identity.
The novel is told in three parts, and the first two are resolved fairly easily. The third one left me feeling simultaneously anguished, hopeful, and on the edge of my seat. It does leave off with what I consider a cliffhanger, so I’m hoping we’ll see part two sooner rather than later.
For a diverse cast, a highly absorbing story, and an ending that left me wanting more, this gets 5 stars.
There is so much in here that hits all my personal hot spots: World-building that slowly unfolds without a ton of expository text; flawed but likable characters; both subtle and overt references to favorite speculative fiction; action that’s low on both sex and violence; social themes; and a what-will-happen-next plot.
This is not a romance by any stretch, but the relationships among the various people are important. I loved the friendship aspects and the way people in this world are allowed to simply be who they are without question, despite the horrific and tragic circumstances of the story. In fact, those parts seem so mundane as to be of little importance to the plot. It’s refreshing to see LGBT+ people simply existing rather than being the driving force of the novel.
I absolutely love the world the author has created. The ship-mind, and later the station-mind and the world-mind, are fascinating. I can’t wait to see how that’s explored more fully in future books. I’m particularly interested in the world-mind and some aspects of it that have (for me, at least) metaphoric significance. Saying more would be spoilers, but it is so completely fascinating to me, and I want to know more.
There’s a lot of diversity here, in particular with regard to LGBT+ identities. I’ll admit to being a bit disappointed not to have spotted anyone obviously bisexual or any trans women or non-binary people (though gay, lesbian, and a trans man are all covered nicely). However, there is at least one character that I chose to read as bi, and I’m hoping that when they return, that will be confirmed. And if not, perhaps that’s what good speculative fiction is for: my perceptions may be correct even if it’s never spoken. In any case, I loved that there were so many different people.
Another theme which grabbed me was the way aspects of faith and spirituality are woven into the narrative. It’s not a bash-you-on-the-head kind of religion. Like gender and orientation, it’s simply part of who some characters are. But there are also some more subtle and deeper connections (for example, one aspect of the world-mind). While only one religion is specifically named in the book, there are things which may be relatable to people of faith regardless of spiritual identity.
The novel is told in three parts, and the first two are resolved fairly easily. The third one left me feeling simultaneously anguished, hopeful, and on the edge of my seat. It does leave off with what I consider a cliffhanger, so I’m hoping we’ll see part two sooner rather than later.
For a diverse cast, a highly absorbing story, and an ending that left me wanting more, this gets 5 stars.
August 29, 2017
The author gifted an ARC of this novel for an honest and fair review. Publication date October 2017.
Sci-fi can be a little po-faced at times, or quirky to the point of artifice. It can be difficult to strike the balance between intelligent story-telling and dumbing down the science-y bits for the masses. This author has been on my radar for a while. I’ve read some of his short stories, but never a full-blown novel.
Basically, this is a story split into three parts, threaded together by three generations of the same family. In the first part, we are introduced to the mothership, Dressler (or Lex, in ship-mind form, so the humans can relate to it.) Lex is critically wounded by a fungus that may or may not have been introduced intentionally, entailing a heart-stopping race to save her cargo from destruction before she is destroyed. Her cargo is the seed which will create a new world for humans wanting to escape Earth, which is slowly being torn apart by wars, big business and human fallibility.
Each part of the book is set a few years ahead from the next, so there is a real epic quality, a sense of journey, as humans attempt to start again, having screwed up the planet they were originally put on. Inevitably, the same old problems rear their ugly heads even in this Utopian worldly (called Forever.) This is a potent tale in an era where the problems the characters are coming up against are very familiar. Namely, the refugee crisis, capitalism and politics, power play, and wars that escalate, causing mass devastation. The fate of the dying Earth is very dark indeed.
In contrast, it is wonderful to see the birth and development of Forever, borne out of the asteroid Ariadne, where the seed was planted. And whilst this could easily be a bleak tale of a dystopian future, it isn’t, due to the ingenuity, compassion and generosity of the characters the author has created. The potential villain appears near the end, and is bound to have his day further down the series.
I loved the diversity of the characters, all without the common angst over who they are, or the usual mutterings of those around them. Some are gay, some are straight, some are trans. Get over it. It’s so refreshing to have a character that just happens to be trans, and yes, it is inevitable that their personal circumstances have a bearing on how they act around other people, but it isn’t a big thing. And the gay couple are in a long term, loving relationship. Again, that’s it. Accepted. Move on. We should have more characters in mainstream novels like this, which would go a long way to aid acceptance in the wider world.
Anyway, soapbox time over. This is a great science-fiction novel, and a cracking start to a gripping series. There is also a helpful glossary at the back. I’ve said this before with books. I just wish I had known the glossary was there before reading the whole book first! This would have been helpful to either, a) have it at the front or, b) mention it at the front so I know it’s there. It isn’t as easy to flip back and forth with an e-reader, but anyway, I was grateful for the added information. Not that there are a lot of unfamiliar words, but it does help to enrich and understand the world the author has created.
Finally, there are elements of everything here. An adventure, a rescue, the creation of a new world, machines with organic elements and Artificial Intelligence. The Lex character may or may not have the humans’ best interests at heart. That’s all I’m saying. In a word, this is a great novel, with awesome world-building and a plot that satisfies the sci-fi buff in all of us.
Sci-fi can be a little po-faced at times, or quirky to the point of artifice. It can be difficult to strike the balance between intelligent story-telling and dumbing down the science-y bits for the masses. This author has been on my radar for a while. I’ve read some of his short stories, but never a full-blown novel.
Basically, this is a story split into three parts, threaded together by three generations of the same family. In the first part, we are introduced to the mothership, Dressler (or Lex, in ship-mind form, so the humans can relate to it.) Lex is critically wounded by a fungus that may or may not have been introduced intentionally, entailing a heart-stopping race to save her cargo from destruction before she is destroyed. Her cargo is the seed which will create a new world for humans wanting to escape Earth, which is slowly being torn apart by wars, big business and human fallibility.
Each part of the book is set a few years ahead from the next, so there is a real epic quality, a sense of journey, as humans attempt to start again, having screwed up the planet they were originally put on. Inevitably, the same old problems rear their ugly heads even in this Utopian worldly (called Forever.) This is a potent tale in an era where the problems the characters are coming up against are very familiar. Namely, the refugee crisis, capitalism and politics, power play, and wars that escalate, causing mass devastation. The fate of the dying Earth is very dark indeed.
In contrast, it is wonderful to see the birth and development of Forever, borne out of the asteroid Ariadne, where the seed was planted. And whilst this could easily be a bleak tale of a dystopian future, it isn’t, due to the ingenuity, compassion and generosity of the characters the author has created. The potential villain appears near the end, and is bound to have his day further down the series.
I loved the diversity of the characters, all without the common angst over who they are, or the usual mutterings of those around them. Some are gay, some are straight, some are trans. Get over it. It’s so refreshing to have a character that just happens to be trans, and yes, it is inevitable that their personal circumstances have a bearing on how they act around other people, but it isn’t a big thing. And the gay couple are in a long term, loving relationship. Again, that’s it. Accepted. Move on. We should have more characters in mainstream novels like this, which would go a long way to aid acceptance in the wider world.
Anyway, soapbox time over. This is a great science-fiction novel, and a cracking start to a gripping series. There is also a helpful glossary at the back. I’ve said this before with books. I just wish I had known the glossary was there before reading the whole book first! This would have been helpful to either, a) have it at the front or, b) mention it at the front so I know it’s there. It isn’t as easy to flip back and forth with an e-reader, but anyway, I was grateful for the added information. Not that there are a lot of unfamiliar words, but it does help to enrich and understand the world the author has created.
Finally, there are elements of everything here. An adventure, a rescue, the creation of a new world, machines with organic elements and Artificial Intelligence. The Lex character may or may not have the humans’ best interests at heart. That’s all I’m saying. In a word, this is a great novel, with awesome world-building and a plot that satisfies the sci-fi buff in all of us.
October 31, 2018
4 1/2 Hearts, Reviewed by Pixie for MM Good Book Reviews
The Stark Divide throws you into the stars as Earth races towards extinction. Humanity takes one last grasping chance to save themselves even as the world dies around them because of their stupidity, and even in the dying last breaths they continue throwing nuclear missiles at each other and condemning the entire species.
J. Scott Coatsworth has written an amazing science fiction novel that sends shivers down your spine because of the ring of truth to it.
The setting of the story is a living world/ship that’s an amazing combination of organic/technology with an artificial intelligence that is more than it seems.
The story starts from the very beginning of Forever’s life when she’s still a seedling and the amazing crew who first ‘plant’ her. The Dressler’s crew, Captain Colin McAvery, Anastasia Anatov scientist and creator of the seedlings (Forever) and Jackson Hammond ship’s engineer, have the important task of ensuring that the seedling is planted on an asteroid so it can begin growing so it can save a portion of humanity. The problem is something’s wrong with the Dressler and it’s a race against time.
The story then jumps in time with Colin, Anastasia and Jackson’s son Aaron meeting as Forever is being colonised for human habitation. It’s a fraught time as truths come out and Forever doesn’t forget grudges.
The final segment in the story is 30 years on from Forever’s birth, while Forever still isn’t quite big enough or ready for mass human habitation the Earth is failing, and refugees are flocking to Forever.
This really is an amazing story and while it has gay, lesbian and Trans characters I would actually say that this is a more mainstream story. There’s no romance and no one character to focus on, the story is about Forever’s journey with the stories of some of the humans who are important to her survival coming through.
The world building is absolutely amazing; we get to see a new world emerging through determination and survival instincts, we get to picture through the authors words exactly what a new world for humans might be like, living inside that world… it’s just amazing.
The characters each come to life, their hopes, dreams, fear, anger, desperation and shame comes through brilliantly, we are left in no doubt as to what the characters are going through.
This isn’t your usual science fiction story, there’s no danger other than that brought on by humans stupid actions, there’s no aliens racing to help humanity, there’s no devastating natural world event, there’s no nicely timed rescue of Earth. It’s a story of amazing ingenuity, characters connected by the beginning and shear survival instincts.
I recommend this to those who love deep science fiction stories, who adore a storyline that pulls you along in its wake, who love interesting characters, and an ending that is also a brand new beginning.
The Stark Divide throws you into the stars as Earth races towards extinction. Humanity takes one last grasping chance to save themselves even as the world dies around them because of their stupidity, and even in the dying last breaths they continue throwing nuclear missiles at each other and condemning the entire species.
J. Scott Coatsworth has written an amazing science fiction novel that sends shivers down your spine because of the ring of truth to it.
The setting of the story is a living world/ship that’s an amazing combination of organic/technology with an artificial intelligence that is more than it seems.
The story starts from the very beginning of Forever’s life when she’s still a seedling and the amazing crew who first ‘plant’ her. The Dressler’s crew, Captain Colin McAvery, Anastasia Anatov scientist and creator of the seedlings (Forever) and Jackson Hammond ship’s engineer, have the important task of ensuring that the seedling is planted on an asteroid so it can begin growing so it can save a portion of humanity. The problem is something’s wrong with the Dressler and it’s a race against time.
The story then jumps in time with Colin, Anastasia and Jackson’s son Aaron meeting as Forever is being colonised for human habitation. It’s a fraught time as truths come out and Forever doesn’t forget grudges.
The final segment in the story is 30 years on from Forever’s birth, while Forever still isn’t quite big enough or ready for mass human habitation the Earth is failing, and refugees are flocking to Forever.
This really is an amazing story and while it has gay, lesbian and Trans characters I would actually say that this is a more mainstream story. There’s no romance and no one character to focus on, the story is about Forever’s journey with the stories of some of the humans who are important to her survival coming through.
The world building is absolutely amazing; we get to see a new world emerging through determination and survival instincts, we get to picture through the authors words exactly what a new world for humans might be like, living inside that world… it’s just amazing.
The characters each come to life, their hopes, dreams, fear, anger, desperation and shame comes through brilliantly, we are left in no doubt as to what the characters are going through.
This isn’t your usual science fiction story, there’s no danger other than that brought on by humans stupid actions, there’s no aliens racing to help humanity, there’s no devastating natural world event, there’s no nicely timed rescue of Earth. It’s a story of amazing ingenuity, characters connected by the beginning and shear survival instincts.
I recommend this to those who love deep science fiction stories, who adore a storyline that pulls you along in its wake, who love interesting characters, and an ending that is also a brand new beginning.
October 13, 2022
A Stark Divide (Liminal Sky: Ariadne Cycle 1)
By Scott Coatsworth
Published by Other Worlds Ink, 2020
Five stars
I was drawn to this book initially because of the character of Colin McAvery. The presence of a gay character, with a partner, in a sci-fi series. What I didn’t expect was that, while McAvery is central to the story, whose epic sweep covers thirty years in the life of the Ariadne project, he is just himself. My reading trends these past dozen years have taken me to books that feature gay characters, gay plotlines, gay context. That’s not really what Coatsworth does. He establishes Colin McAvery as one of the critical characters over the long arc of the plot, and never makes it about his being gay, or his relationship. Coatsworth does what sci-fi writers generally have not done previously: he makes McAvery’s being gay no big deal. It is a fact, ever-present; a fact of which we are reminded when necessary by the appearance of Colin’s boyfriend/partner/husband Trip.
This set me back at first, because that has been my reason for reading much of what I read for a long time now. Then I got caught up in Coatsworth’s startling vision; his scientific fantasy of a new colony formed by human genius on a failing Earth; a colony that could germinate and grow in the barren rock of an asteroid named Ariadne. The simultaneous brilliance and stupidity of humankind is the hub of this story, the squandered potential that gets put to use in creating a second chance for the human race.
The main cast of characters is not big, and only two of them appear in all of the three major segments of the book—McAvery, and Lex, the “World Mind” of the Ariadne project. Coatsworth has taken the contemporary interest in sentient AI and pushed it to its logical (fantastical?) conclusion. The author’s cinematic writing brings the world of Ariadne to life, and makes each of his characters as familiar as a member of our own family.
For a story that the author feels is hopeful, the carefully crafted cliffhanger of an ending felt terribly bleak to me. And yet, it is the beginning of a great adventure, and (of course) the first of a nine-part series of books. How much fun will it be to see this saga of human survival unfold at the hands of its gifted creator?
By Scott Coatsworth
Published by Other Worlds Ink, 2020
Five stars
I was drawn to this book initially because of the character of Colin McAvery. The presence of a gay character, with a partner, in a sci-fi series. What I didn’t expect was that, while McAvery is central to the story, whose epic sweep covers thirty years in the life of the Ariadne project, he is just himself. My reading trends these past dozen years have taken me to books that feature gay characters, gay plotlines, gay context. That’s not really what Coatsworth does. He establishes Colin McAvery as one of the critical characters over the long arc of the plot, and never makes it about his being gay, or his relationship. Coatsworth does what sci-fi writers generally have not done previously: he makes McAvery’s being gay no big deal. It is a fact, ever-present; a fact of which we are reminded when necessary by the appearance of Colin’s boyfriend/partner/husband Trip.
This set me back at first, because that has been my reason for reading much of what I read for a long time now. Then I got caught up in Coatsworth’s startling vision; his scientific fantasy of a new colony formed by human genius on a failing Earth; a colony that could germinate and grow in the barren rock of an asteroid named Ariadne. The simultaneous brilliance and stupidity of humankind is the hub of this story, the squandered potential that gets put to use in creating a second chance for the human race.
The main cast of characters is not big, and only two of them appear in all of the three major segments of the book—McAvery, and Lex, the “World Mind” of the Ariadne project. Coatsworth has taken the contemporary interest in sentient AI and pushed it to its logical (fantastical?) conclusion. The author’s cinematic writing brings the world of Ariadne to life, and makes each of his characters as familiar as a member of our own family.
For a story that the author feels is hopeful, the carefully crafted cliffhanger of an ending felt terribly bleak to me. And yet, it is the beginning of a great adventure, and (of course) the first of a nine-part series of books. How much fun will it be to see this saga of human survival unfold at the hands of its gifted creator?
January 14, 2021
The stark divide is a sci-fi series, an epic story of the first-generation ship heading for the stars. The story is about The Dressler, a living ship that is on its way to deliver a genetically engineered seed as an organism to the asteroid 43 Ariadne. Considering the earth is in a state of collapse, the author takes on us a thrilling adventure with artificial intelligence, technology, and raw materials that make you wonder after the book is finished.
I found this LGTB science fiction written well and filled with notions of a very exciting quest. The science behind the matter was well researched, and the author clearly had done his homework. The cast of characters was fully specialized for the mission, and everyone knew exactly what they are meant to do or figure out. I think the tale would have been a little complicated for a person who was not into the genre or rarely read it.
The literature had a nice flow to it, and the author considered describing parts that mattered in a very well way.
I recommend it to anyone who likes to read intense and thrilling sci-fi material. The author can write and tell stories in a way that you can fantasize about and easily envision the plot. This ability comes with skills that I admired.
I found this LGTB science fiction written well and filled with notions of a very exciting quest. The science behind the matter was well researched, and the author clearly had done his homework. The cast of characters was fully specialized for the mission, and everyone knew exactly what they are meant to do or figure out. I think the tale would have been a little complicated for a person who was not into the genre or rarely read it.
The literature had a nice flow to it, and the author considered describing parts that mattered in a very well way.
I recommend it to anyone who likes to read intense and thrilling sci-fi material. The author can write and tell stories in a way that you can fantasize about and easily envision the plot. This ability comes with skills that I admired.
July 11, 2020
Written in three parts – set in 2135, 2145, and 2165 – this novel is a sweeping vision of a future where humankind has no choice but to leave the dying Earth behind and look for a new home among the stars. Self-destruction through climate change, war, and the effects of human greed are the cause of this step, but as this series of three stories shows, humans have learned nothing even over a century from now and end up taking all their problems with them. While scientific advances make the invention of a living, sentient spaceship possible, nothing seems to be able to improve humans to the point where mental and emotional evolution can take place. It makes for a suspenseful, intense analysis of a potential future that did not give me any solutions, but did manage to leave me with some hope that, eventually, we might understand that not only survival at any cost is not the be-all and end-all for us, but also that we cannot do it alone.
Please find my full review of the second edition on Rainbow Book Reviews.
Please find my full review of the second edition on Rainbow Book Reviews.
January 28, 2018
This was an absolute joy to read. The writing was clean and easy. The characters were fun and interesting and I loved the setting. I also enjoyed the mix of mostly Sci Fi with the touches of fantasy, that was great fun (in fact I kind of wanted to see more of that, especially in Part 3 with Andy). My only issue with this book (and it's not a bad thing) is the ending didn't feel like an ending. I wanted more. I knew going in this was a prequel for a larger story that will be coming out, but I didn't want it to end. I think there could have been a bit more to it.
This book sets the table for what is to come and it works. It leaves you wanting more and I so want more.
This book sets the table for what is to come and it works. It leaves you wanting more and I so want more.
July 24, 2020
The one thing I absolutely love reading about is a dystopian world that is equal parts hope and equal parts depressing. During the Pandemic, I came across The Stark Divide which written in three parts. The book's premise is a dying earth which has been destroyed through wars, climate change and all other man-made factors which threaten our survival even today.
What happens when humankind heads towards the stars with its own selfish interests, without learning a lesson from the consequences of its greed? So the story begins and the author tries to merge too many ideas into one book. There's a spaceship, artificial intelligence, a search for a new life but since the book is set in three parts, there are Huge jumps in the timeline.
The sentient spaceship and the diverse characters, all of whom carried their prized possession into the new world created this dynamic book. The characters are really fun to read about but I wish the book didn't rush the storyline.
What happens when humankind heads towards the stars with its own selfish interests, without learning a lesson from the consequences of its greed? So the story begins and the author tries to merge too many ideas into one book. There's a spaceship, artificial intelligence, a search for a new life but since the book is set in three parts, there are Huge jumps in the timeline.
The sentient spaceship and the diverse characters, all of whom carried their prized possession into the new world created this dynamic book. The characters are really fun to read about but I wish the book didn't rush the storyline.
December 31, 2019
This was a reasonably easy read; the writing style is approachable and not overly complex. There is one major thread, but it is not really clear what the plot is. There is a core of characters which the reader follows along with two generations of offspring, but the focus is not on them, as they merely facilitate the forward movement of the story. Similarly, the development of the living planet offers frequent interesting asides but adds little to the plot. Without a clear purpose to the story the other aspects of literary construction, characterisation and world-building, must bear the weight. The timeline is largely linear, but there is a tendency to leap forwards and occasionally backward in time; unfortunately, this does not occur following a rounding off of the current period and the jump can leave the reader wondering why.
The characters have histories that place them in context, but little in the way of personality and if it weren’t for the circumstances they would easily merge into one another. Life, death and emotion are the focus of much of the description and yet there is little emotional strength to the writing.
The living world is a clever concept, but not unique and this aspect of the story bears similarities to John Varley’s Titan. As the key feature of the novel, it is disappointing that more is not made of the parallel mind-verse and the character growth of the being.
There are gay characters in the story, but this is not an m/m romance but rather a sci-fi novel with characters of different sexual orientations, none of which have any impact on the plot. Sex is implied rather than discussed and relationships are not treated in any depth.
There is limited tension at times throughout the story but this does not raise the pace above its steady progress. The difficulty with the book as a whole is that it tries to do too much, it feels like a much-edited version where somewhere in that process the heart has been lost.
The story draws to a close with the preparation for the next phase, which has been seeded with political pressures and a new potential baddy. However, the story might just as easily jump forwards in time, to a point where all except the living planet are now dead. Once again there is little to hold on to in terms of plot to bring the reader back for another visit.
The characters have histories that place them in context, but little in the way of personality and if it weren’t for the circumstances they would easily merge into one another. Life, death and emotion are the focus of much of the description and yet there is little emotional strength to the writing.
The living world is a clever concept, but not unique and this aspect of the story bears similarities to John Varley’s Titan. As the key feature of the novel, it is disappointing that more is not made of the parallel mind-verse and the character growth of the being.
There are gay characters in the story, but this is not an m/m romance but rather a sci-fi novel with characters of different sexual orientations, none of which have any impact on the plot. Sex is implied rather than discussed and relationships are not treated in any depth.
There is limited tension at times throughout the story but this does not raise the pace above its steady progress. The difficulty with the book as a whole is that it tries to do too much, it feels like a much-edited version where somewhere in that process the heart has been lost.
The story draws to a close with the preparation for the next phase, which has been seeded with political pressures and a new potential baddy. However, the story might just as easily jump forwards in time, to a point where all except the living planet are now dead. Once again there is little to hold on to in terms of plot to bring the reader back for another visit.
November 8, 2017
The Stark Divide is a space opera on the level of David Brin's Heart of the Comet.
Coatsworth has assembled a cast of characters- human and AI- who leap from the page and make you care for them.
The world building is phenomenal. Living ships created to travel the stars with sustainable resources are the center of the story. Colin McAvery is the common thread throughout this book, and he is a compelling character who propels many of the events.
The story is told in a series of vignettes with significant time passage in between each section. We meet McAvery first as the captain of the ship towing the "seed" of the ship which, once planted on an asteroid, will grow and become a self-sustaining, life supporting entity, like an artificial planetoid. But the artificial intelligence destined for this seed grows beyond anything dreamed of by its creators.
This living ship and others like it will become the last hope of the survivors of a war-torn planet Earth. I can't wait to see what else is in store in this epic space adventure. It has the feel of the most recent Battlestar Galactica and it's sweep of amazing characters.
Read this book!
Coatsworth has assembled a cast of characters- human and AI- who leap from the page and make you care for them.
The world building is phenomenal. Living ships created to travel the stars with sustainable resources are the center of the story. Colin McAvery is the common thread throughout this book, and he is a compelling character who propels many of the events.
The story is told in a series of vignettes with significant time passage in between each section. We meet McAvery first as the captain of the ship towing the "seed" of the ship which, once planted on an asteroid, will grow and become a self-sustaining, life supporting entity, like an artificial planetoid. But the artificial intelligence destined for this seed grows beyond anything dreamed of by its creators.
This living ship and others like it will become the last hope of the survivors of a war-torn planet Earth. I can't wait to see what else is in store in this epic space adventure. It has the feel of the most recent Battlestar Galactica and it's sweep of amazing characters.
Read this book!
July 11, 2020
Written in three parts – set in 2135, 2145, and 2165 – this novel is a sweeping vision of a future where humankind has no choice but to leave the dying Earth behind and look for a new home among the stars. Self-destruction through climate change, war, and the effects of human greed are the cause of this step, but as this series of three stories shows, humans have learned nothing even over a century from now and end up taking all their problems with them. While scientific advances make the invention of a living, sentient spaceship possible, nothing seems to be able to improve humans to the point where mental and emotional evolution can take place. It makes for a suspenseful, intense analysis of a potential future that did not give me any solutions, but did manage to leave me with some hope that, eventually, we might understand that not only survival at any cost is not the be-all and end-all for us, but also that we cannot do it alone.
Please find my full review on Rainbow Book Reviews.
Please find my full review on Rainbow Book Reviews.
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April 28, 2018This writing isn’t working for me. Not enough time spent on meaningful character development so I didn't care enough about any of them. And there’s too much head hopping. If you’re going to do multiple POVs, don’t switch so frequently. DNF@35%
April 18, 2023
A light and easy read, introducing us to a dying Earth 100 years in the future, and the generation ship that is going to bring humanity to a new solar system. Nothing truly novel, but interesting enough.
September 19, 2018
While this book is interesting and intense, its also very slow (for me, at least)
I may come back to it, but for now, it is a DNF around 43%.
I may come back to it, but for now, it is a DNF around 43%.
December 24, 2019
DNF: 19%
Lost interest. The action centers around some implausible sci-fi tech that's so unrealistic as to be a fantasy. The writing is pretty unsophisticated and becomes boring after a while.
Lost interest. The action centers around some implausible sci-fi tech that's so unrealistic as to be a fantasy. The writing is pretty unsophisticated and becomes boring after a while.
October 9, 2017
Review rounded up to 3.5 stars.
The book is divided into three parts. Part One is the discovery of sentient AI’s and the birth of the generation ship. Part Two is the growth and development of the generation ship and the Cities therin, and Part Three is end/beginning of a new era. Each part advances the time line by decades, which kept the entire plot moving forward without getting bogged down in minutia.
Overall premise is Earth is on the brink of disaster – climate change has irrevocably altered the landscape, the political climate has fractured states and nations, the threat of a global war is imminent. In Part One we are introduced to the shipmind/AI Dressler aka “Lex”; Jackson Hammond, the Engineer; Dr. Ava, daughter of the man who created the biological and generation seed ships; and Colin, Captain. Dr. Ava and the Captain find a fungus coming from Hammond’s crucifix jewelry is quickly killing the shuttle and the asteroid 43 Ariadne is their only hope for rescue. Hammond has to convince Dr. Ava and the Captain to save “Lex” by combining her with the seed that will eventually create a generation ship. The melding is successful and “Lex” becomes the mind of the generation ship.
They are successful but at a cost: Dr. Ava goes off to prison for killing Jackson and Colin becomes director of Transfer Station for AmSplor, the oversight body for the growing and developing generation ship.
A decade passes, and Dr. Ava returns to Transfer Station to witness the result of her creation. Alex Hammond is on the same ship to get answers to why his father died. “Lex” takes exception to Dr. Ava’s return, confronts her, and she flees. Hammond, carrying the wetware virus his father did, is told to save her.
A decade passes, and Colin has retired from Station director and Hammond is now in charge. His daughter Andy, has inherited the same ability to talk and merge directly with the ship-mind. The situation on Earth has exploded, Transfer station is hacked and its core attacked, “Lex” and her human cargo may be all that’s left of the human race.
Whew! A lot to recap without spoilers! If you like scifi, you’ll probably like this. There’s the melding of mechanical and biological to make ships which is an interesting concept, the idea of growing a generation ship from the raw materials of an asteroid is different, as long as you don’t think too hard about certain scientific aspects and the use of three parts to move the story forward was nicely executed.
Where I struggled with the book was aspects like Jackson performing mouth-to-mouth and chest compressions on Dr. Ana after a near-fatal incident space and upon reviving, she gets up and walks around. Ah…no. Big NO. If you do chest compression's on someone you have just cracked/broke their ribs where they connect to your sternum. It’s going to hurt like a sonofabitch to move. She’s not going to be pushing anything around. I’m overlooking doing chest compression's while in a space suit…
I also found it highly unlikely that a shuttle ship captain would be given the directorate of a space station.
I grappled with Ana and Colin being so quick to accuse Jackson of putting the ship in peril, of knocking the man out and trussing him up in his bunk without even questioning the man. But when the truth comes to light and Dr. Ana confesses, Colin is all “Well…okay then.” The emotions didn’t fit the crime.
I had a bit of a Star Wars (Episode 4) moment, when Aaron Hammond goes in search of answers regarding his father, and doesn’t like what he’s told. It was a bit reminiscent of Luke Skywalkers anguished NNnnooo echoing through the chamber. After my eyes stopped rolling, all I could think was, don’t go looking for the truth IF YOU CAN’T HANDLE IT.
My final grumble with the book was the repetitive statements – I wish there was a way to track on my e-reader every time a character said “X”, only to repeat “X” three paragraphs over because it was a lot.
Overall, despite the items above, this was an interesting read. I liked the decade jumps to bring on new characters and move the timeline forward, the concept of growing a generation ship was different (as long as you don’t think too hard of the science and timelines), and the characters were interesting.
I do feel a shout out for the cover art is a must: Aaron Anderson did a fantastic job.
I’ll close with a note – while this doesn’t end on a cliffhanger (some might debate that point), this is by no means a standalone book.
Review is cross-posted on Gay Book Reviews
A copy of the book was provided by the author/publisher in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!
The book is divided into three parts. Part One is the discovery of sentient AI’s and the birth of the generation ship. Part Two is the growth and development of the generation ship and the Cities therin, and Part Three is end/beginning of a new era. Each part advances the time line by decades, which kept the entire plot moving forward without getting bogged down in minutia.
Overall premise is Earth is on the brink of disaster – climate change has irrevocably altered the landscape, the political climate has fractured states and nations, the threat of a global war is imminent. In Part One we are introduced to the shipmind/AI Dressler aka “Lex”; Jackson Hammond, the Engineer; Dr. Ava, daughter of the man who created the biological and generation seed ships; and Colin, Captain. Dr. Ava and the Captain find a fungus coming from Hammond’s crucifix jewelry is quickly killing the shuttle and the asteroid 43 Ariadne is their only hope for rescue. Hammond has to convince Dr. Ava and the Captain to save “Lex” by combining her with the seed that will eventually create a generation ship. The melding is successful and “Lex” becomes the mind of the generation ship.
They are successful but at a cost: Dr. Ava goes off to prison for killing Jackson and Colin becomes director of Transfer Station for AmSplor, the oversight body for the growing and developing generation ship.
A decade passes, and Dr. Ava returns to Transfer Station to witness the result of her creation. Alex Hammond is on the same ship to get answers to why his father died. “Lex” takes exception to Dr. Ava’s return, confronts her, and she flees. Hammond, carrying the wetware virus his father did, is told to save her.
A decade passes, and Colin has retired from Station director and Hammond is now in charge. His daughter Andy, has inherited the same ability to talk and merge directly with the ship-mind. The situation on Earth has exploded, Transfer station is hacked and its core attacked, “Lex” and her human cargo may be all that’s left of the human race.
Whew! A lot to recap without spoilers! If you like scifi, you’ll probably like this. There’s the melding of mechanical and biological to make ships which is an interesting concept, the idea of growing a generation ship from the raw materials of an asteroid is different, as long as you don’t think too hard about certain scientific aspects and the use of three parts to move the story forward was nicely executed.
Where I struggled with the book was aspects like Jackson performing mouth-to-mouth and chest compressions on Dr. Ana after a near-fatal incident space and upon reviving, she gets up and walks around. Ah…no. Big NO. If you do chest compression's on someone you have just cracked/broke their ribs where they connect to your sternum. It’s going to hurt like a sonofabitch to move. She’s not going to be pushing anything around. I’m overlooking doing chest compression's while in a space suit…
I also found it highly unlikely that a shuttle ship captain would be given the directorate of a space station.
I grappled with Ana and Colin being so quick to accuse Jackson of putting the ship in peril, of knocking the man out and trussing him up in his bunk without even questioning the man. But when the truth comes to light and Dr. Ana confesses, Colin is all “Well…okay then.” The emotions didn’t fit the crime.
I had a bit of a Star Wars (Episode 4) moment, when Aaron Hammond goes in search of answers regarding his father, and doesn’t like what he’s told. It was a bit reminiscent of Luke Skywalkers anguished NNnnooo echoing through the chamber. After my eyes stopped rolling, all I could think was, don’t go looking for the truth IF YOU CAN’T HANDLE IT.
My final grumble with the book was the repetitive statements – I wish there was a way to track on my e-reader every time a character said “X”, only to repeat “X” three paragraphs over because it was a lot.
Overall, despite the items above, this was an interesting read. I liked the decade jumps to bring on new characters and move the timeline forward, the concept of growing a generation ship was different (as long as you don’t think too hard of the science and timelines), and the characters were interesting.
I do feel a shout out for the cover art is a must: Aaron Anderson did a fantastic job.
I’ll close with a note – while this doesn’t end on a cliffhanger (some might debate that point), this is by no means a standalone book.
Review is cross-posted on Gay Book Reviews
A copy of the book was provided by the author/publisher in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!
October 6, 2019
This was something very different for me to read and I really enjoyed it. It took a chapter or so to draw me in but the way in which the author has written the POV’s brings you right into the story from three different people’s perspectives along with their own thoughts and dramas. That’s not even including the creation of a new world for humanity to escape to as earth clicks on self destruction with war and extreme climate change. There is a lot going on across three parts that the book is split into and though it’s with different characters each time, it follows a story arc and keeps you thinking as to what is going to happen to the characters themselves but also to the world that they are striving to create for humans to be able to live on permanently
The Stark Divide is split into three sections, each set in a different time period with characters that are important to the future of 43 Ariadne. Part one – Seedling 2135AD – tells the story of a three man crew transporting a seed been built/grown to enable a world to be created. Part two – Colony 2145AD – We see how far 43 Ariadne has come in building a sustainable and livable world for humans whilst we reunite two characters and meet the son of another. Part three – Refugee 2165AD – Slightly different as we follow two men on their escape from earth to 43 Ariandne and see how the new world is coping with the influx of people from a rapidly declining earth with help from the original captain and the daughter of the new one.
It makes for hard reading as the author writes the troubles that earth is having and rather than it being fantasy and out of the realm of possibility, it’s something that I can completely imagining being in the future of our planet. Wars to try and gain control of reduced resources, floods due to higher sea levels, crazy weather across the globe. It all leads to the invention of a combination of genetic mastery, artificial intelligence, technology, and raw materials harvested from the asteroid belt. They are basically a living ship that humans can interact with whilst the AI is working to keep everything growing, flowing and in working order. We occasionally get to read from the POV of the AI and it’s interesting to read the way they think of themselves in relation to their role and place within the system and what they can grow to be.
There is a great mix of characters that we meet across the book. Captain Colin McAvery is the ship captain who is the only character we hear from in all three sections. His journey is full of drama, challenges but also hope as he helps to build this new world that is the hope for a lot of people. I think it’s fitting that we have at least one person who is there from the start of trying to build this new home that, hopefully, will one day be a safe place from people to relocate to from earth. It means we get to read the struggles that they face but also the possibilities and things that they have been able to do from the moment the seed is transported to its new home in the Void. Three characters we have are related and three generations of the same family. Part one is Jackson Hammond, two is Aaron and three is Andy. Their physical abilities are amazing as they develop a connection with the AI and technology that is integrated with the biological matter that makes up 43 Ariadne.
This is classed as an LGBT book and whilst we have two men in a relationship and a trans man comes into the story in Part three, I wouldn’t class this as a romance. The community is represented well and as we only hear from three or four characters per part, I think it would be a misrepresentation to have just LGBTQIA+ characters as the leads. Absolutely having more in the community would be a huge plus and as the series goes on, definitely introduce more characters who have different genders, religions, orientations, abilities etc.
It’s exciting to think of where this series could go, especially with how the book ended. There is absolutely hope for those that are living on 43 Ariadne though they will all have to think about the challenges that they face at the moment. There is also a little bit of fear for what one or two characters may be capable of in what they want to do for themselves and not the future of those on the world.
The Stark Divide is split into three sections, each set in a different time period with characters that are important to the future of 43 Ariadne. Part one – Seedling 2135AD – tells the story of a three man crew transporting a seed been built/grown to enable a world to be created. Part two – Colony 2145AD – We see how far 43 Ariadne has come in building a sustainable and livable world for humans whilst we reunite two characters and meet the son of another. Part three – Refugee 2165AD – Slightly different as we follow two men on their escape from earth to 43 Ariandne and see how the new world is coping with the influx of people from a rapidly declining earth with help from the original captain and the daughter of the new one.
It makes for hard reading as the author writes the troubles that earth is having and rather than it being fantasy and out of the realm of possibility, it’s something that I can completely imagining being in the future of our planet. Wars to try and gain control of reduced resources, floods due to higher sea levels, crazy weather across the globe. It all leads to the invention of a combination of genetic mastery, artificial intelligence, technology, and raw materials harvested from the asteroid belt. They are basically a living ship that humans can interact with whilst the AI is working to keep everything growing, flowing and in working order. We occasionally get to read from the POV of the AI and it’s interesting to read the way they think of themselves in relation to their role and place within the system and what they can grow to be.
There is a great mix of characters that we meet across the book. Captain Colin McAvery is the ship captain who is the only character we hear from in all three sections. His journey is full of drama, challenges but also hope as he helps to build this new world that is the hope for a lot of people. I think it’s fitting that we have at least one person who is there from the start of trying to build this new home that, hopefully, will one day be a safe place from people to relocate to from earth. It means we get to read the struggles that they face but also the possibilities and things that they have been able to do from the moment the seed is transported to its new home in the Void. Three characters we have are related and three generations of the same family. Part one is Jackson Hammond, two is Aaron and three is Andy. Their physical abilities are amazing as they develop a connection with the AI and technology that is integrated with the biological matter that makes up 43 Ariadne.
This is classed as an LGBT book and whilst we have two men in a relationship and a trans man comes into the story in Part three, I wouldn’t class this as a romance. The community is represented well and as we only hear from three or four characters per part, I think it would be a misrepresentation to have just LGBTQIA+ characters as the leads. Absolutely having more in the community would be a huge plus and as the series goes on, definitely introduce more characters who have different genders, religions, orientations, abilities etc.
It’s exciting to think of where this series could go, especially with how the book ended. There is absolutely hope for those that are living on 43 Ariadne though they will all have to think about the challenges that they face at the moment. There is also a little bit of fear for what one or two characters may be capable of in what they want to do for themselves and not the future of those on the world.
December 15, 2018
The Stark Divide by J. Scott Coatsworth was a wonderfully written space adventure filled with suspense! I fell in love with the characters immediately and could not wait to see what was going to happen next.
When I logged on to Goodreads to mark this as finished, I was thrilled to see that it was labeled as book number one! I NEED to get my hands on a copy of The Rising Tide soon! I cannot wait to see where this story goes next!
Full disclosure: I was given a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. This did not affect my rating in any way.
The book began with an absolutely lovely dedication page filled with wonderfully heartfelt messages! I just loved this so much.
The story then began with quite the bang! I was hooked immediately!
As the story continues, the reader learns that the Earth is becoming a very dangerous place to live. There is too much carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and the planet is very warm. So warm that many coastal cities are now under water and a great number of the population has been wiped out...
Over the course of this novel, Earth begins to fall apart as the humans wage war and the atmosphere becomes more and more toxic. Luckily, three living generation ships have been built, each with an artificial intelligence. When a seed is planted on an asteroid, a new living world begins to grow.
It is on this planet that three generations focused on in this first book work together to properly colonize the planet.
But is the new planet they are helping grow going to be safe?
The Characters:
My goodness, I loved this crew! Each character was so wonderfully developed and interesting. I loved that they were a diverse cast as well and that their diversity wasn't overly discussed or brought up too frequently; it was just totally natural, as it should be!
I really enjoyed that in the first part of the book, we met three characters that played very important roles in the creation of the planet. It was so nice to see their influence throughout the rest of the book as other generations came through. These three were Collin McAvery, the ship captain, Anastasia Anatov, the “doctor” who is an expert in the ship genetics, and Jackson Hammond, the engineer with a very useful ability.
Part One: Seedling, 2135 AD
The first part of the book was so suspenseful! It was a major life and death situation for more than just the ship and the three crew members, but also for the humans on Earth as the crew of three raced the clock to get off the dying ship and save the seed.
The overall situation that they were all in was terrifying, but there were also many other things that occurred that got my heart racing! Each time they got out of one sticky situation, another popped up! I could never have guessed what was going to happen next! It was so nerve wracking and so wonderfully written!
Part Two: Colony 2145 AD
The Hammond! Oh my gosh they named a ship after him like he requested; “Name something after me.” And his son, Aaron, is on the ship! And then the lake?! Welp, there came the water works for me... What a lovely touch!
This part of the story was another action packed section with a fun little whirlwind romance. I loved learning more about the growing world in this section and I really enjoyed meeting the new characters!
Part Three: Refugee, 2165 AD
I loved seeing how the third generation Hammond’s powers have evolved! I thought it was so neat that each generation had something slightly different.
Just like the other sections, this one held many suspenseful situations.
My favorite passages:
Somewhere out there, their destination awaited them, an asteroid floating in a sea of stars.
Men were often dismissive of the things they didn’t understand.
My final thoughts:
Overall, a super fun and action packed read that kept me totally engaged. This was so wonderfully written and it was very easy to get totally immersed while reading. I adored the wonderful characters and the plot was so interesting! I just couldn't wait to see what was going to happen next!
If you enjoy space adventures with a wonderful cast, this is one that I highly recommend to you!
When I logged on to Goodreads to mark this as finished, I was thrilled to see that it was labeled as book number one! I NEED to get my hands on a copy of The Rising Tide soon! I cannot wait to see where this story goes next!
Full disclosure: I was given a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. This did not affect my rating in any way.
The book began with an absolutely lovely dedication page filled with wonderfully heartfelt messages! I just loved this so much.
The story then began with quite the bang! I was hooked immediately!
As the story continues, the reader learns that the Earth is becoming a very dangerous place to live. There is too much carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and the planet is very warm. So warm that many coastal cities are now under water and a great number of the population has been wiped out...
Over the course of this novel, Earth begins to fall apart as the humans wage war and the atmosphere becomes more and more toxic. Luckily, three living generation ships have been built, each with an artificial intelligence. When a seed is planted on an asteroid, a new living world begins to grow.
It is on this planet that three generations focused on in this first book work together to properly colonize the planet.
But is the new planet they are helping grow going to be safe?
The Characters:
My goodness, I loved this crew! Each character was so wonderfully developed and interesting. I loved that they were a diverse cast as well and that their diversity wasn't overly discussed or brought up too frequently; it was just totally natural, as it should be!
I really enjoyed that in the first part of the book, we met three characters that played very important roles in the creation of the planet. It was so nice to see their influence throughout the rest of the book as other generations came through. These three were Collin McAvery, the ship captain, Anastasia Anatov, the “doctor” who is an expert in the ship genetics, and Jackson Hammond, the engineer with a very useful ability.
Part One: Seedling, 2135 AD
The first part of the book was so suspenseful! It was a major life and death situation for more than just the ship and the three crew members, but also for the humans on Earth as the crew of three raced the clock to get off the dying ship and save the seed.
The overall situation that they were all in was terrifying, but there were also many other things that occurred that got my heart racing! Each time they got out of one sticky situation, another popped up! I could never have guessed what was going to happen next! It was so nerve wracking and so wonderfully written!
Part Two: Colony 2145 AD
The Hammond! Oh my gosh they named a ship after him like he requested; “Name something after me.” And his son, Aaron, is on the ship! And then the lake?! Welp, there came the water works for me... What a lovely touch!
This part of the story was another action packed section with a fun little whirlwind romance. I loved learning more about the growing world in this section and I really enjoyed meeting the new characters!
Part Three: Refugee, 2165 AD
I loved seeing how the third generation Hammond’s powers have evolved! I thought it was so neat that each generation had something slightly different.
Just like the other sections, this one held many suspenseful situations.
My favorite passages:
Somewhere out there, their destination awaited them, an asteroid floating in a sea of stars.
Men were often dismissive of the things they didn’t understand.
My final thoughts:
Overall, a super fun and action packed read that kept me totally engaged. This was so wonderfully written and it was very easy to get totally immersed while reading. I adored the wonderful characters and the plot was so interesting! I just couldn't wait to see what was going to happen next!
If you enjoy space adventures with a wonderful cast, this is one that I highly recommend to you!
October 10, 2017
5 out of 5 stars
Description ~
Some stories are epic.
The Earth is in a state of collapse, with wars breaking out over resources and an environment pushed to the edge by human greed.
Three living generation ships have been built with a combination of genetic mastery, artificial intelligence, technology, and raw materials harvested from the asteroid belt. This is the story of one of them—43 Ariadne, or Forever, as her inhabitants call her—a living world that carries the remaining hopes of humanity, and the three generations of scientists, engineers, and explorers working to colonize her.
From her humble beginnings as a seedling saved from disaster to the start of her journey across the void of space toward a new home for the human race, The Stark Divide tells the tales of the world, the people who made her, and the few who will become something altogether beyond human.
Humankind has just taken its first step toward the stars.
My Review ~
The Stark Divide is the first in a new science fiction series. While this story does feature LGBTQ characters it is not a romance.
Can we talk classic science fiction? Because that is exactly what The Stark Divide reminds me of as I read it... well no I didn't just read it, I devoured it, pretty much in one sitting. I grew up reading classic sci-fi and fantasy before I even discovered romance. So how I judge most books is along the lines of what my favorite elements are in a sci-fi or fantasy story. This story combined all those elements of my favorites like Pamela Sargent's Earthseed, and especially Anne McCaffrey and Elizabeth Scarborough's Ship Who Sang series.
First we have a dying Earth and a people who need options to survive, setting up that classic dystopian/post-apocalyptic world feeling. Then we have space exploration with a twist in these large ships that fuse both sentient systems with mech and bioware, and then they take it to another level by crafting the beginnings of a new planet that is also a sentient being. A FULLY aware sentient being who has feelings, and emotions, and knows what is going on. Lex completely and utterly grabbed me.. a PLANET became one of the main characters of the story and that's when I about vibrated off my chair because that is my kind of science fiction story. There are so many other elements that make this story so good and so very addictive, at least for this reader.
So I raved a bit about the non-human aspects of this story first... Now I'll delve into the human aspect just so you know that the story is more than space and sentient planets. As I said above this isn't a romance, but it does have a strong LGBTQ element and at least one long term m/m couple. The human aspect is more about telling the story of a dying planet, finally destroyed by war, and learning to live with the bare bones that is a new society on a new planet. They are the catalyst for many of the events that happen throughout the story, including the creation of Forever. That is another one of those things that make a good science fiction story highly readable, to have a strong human element that moves the story forward along with the incorporation of the tech and space discovery, etc.
I'll admit that when the author was telling me about the bones of this story I was excited because it sounded like a perfect read for me. I was definitely not wrong there and I really can't wait to see what's will happen next in this world. I'll stop raving there and highly encourage you to read this book.
This one I am highly recommending for all those that love classic well written science fiction stories.
Description ~
Some stories are epic.
The Earth is in a state of collapse, with wars breaking out over resources and an environment pushed to the edge by human greed.
Three living generation ships have been built with a combination of genetic mastery, artificial intelligence, technology, and raw materials harvested from the asteroid belt. This is the story of one of them—43 Ariadne, or Forever, as her inhabitants call her—a living world that carries the remaining hopes of humanity, and the three generations of scientists, engineers, and explorers working to colonize her.
From her humble beginnings as a seedling saved from disaster to the start of her journey across the void of space toward a new home for the human race, The Stark Divide tells the tales of the world, the people who made her, and the few who will become something altogether beyond human.
Humankind has just taken its first step toward the stars.
My Review ~
The Stark Divide is the first in a new science fiction series. While this story does feature LGBTQ characters it is not a romance.
Can we talk classic science fiction? Because that is exactly what The Stark Divide reminds me of as I read it... well no I didn't just read it, I devoured it, pretty much in one sitting. I grew up reading classic sci-fi and fantasy before I even discovered romance. So how I judge most books is along the lines of what my favorite elements are in a sci-fi or fantasy story. This story combined all those elements of my favorites like Pamela Sargent's Earthseed, and especially Anne McCaffrey and Elizabeth Scarborough's Ship Who Sang series.
First we have a dying Earth and a people who need options to survive, setting up that classic dystopian/post-apocalyptic world feeling. Then we have space exploration with a twist in these large ships that fuse both sentient systems with mech and bioware, and then they take it to another level by crafting the beginnings of a new planet that is also a sentient being. A FULLY aware sentient being who has feelings, and emotions, and knows what is going on. Lex completely and utterly grabbed me.. a PLANET became one of the main characters of the story and that's when I about vibrated off my chair because that is my kind of science fiction story. There are so many other elements that make this story so good and so very addictive, at least for this reader.
So I raved a bit about the non-human aspects of this story first... Now I'll delve into the human aspect just so you know that the story is more than space and sentient planets. As I said above this isn't a romance, but it does have a strong LGBTQ element and at least one long term m/m couple. The human aspect is more about telling the story of a dying planet, finally destroyed by war, and learning to live with the bare bones that is a new society on a new planet. They are the catalyst for many of the events that happen throughout the story, including the creation of Forever. That is another one of those things that make a good science fiction story highly readable, to have a strong human element that moves the story forward along with the incorporation of the tech and space discovery, etc.
I'll admit that when the author was telling me about the bones of this story I was excited because it sounded like a perfect read for me. I was definitely not wrong there and I really can't wait to see what's will happen next in this world. I'll stop raving there and highly encourage you to read this book.
This one I am highly recommending for all those that love classic well written science fiction stories.
May 12, 2020
Oh, how to review this book. I will first say that I was truly delighted to see a gay author blending science fiction and fantasy (two of my favourite genres, and an excellent combination.) So I bought this immediately upon finding it. The Author's Note at the beginning of the book further raised my hopes.
The book itself had a phenomenal concept, and the execution was largely well-done. Some of the sentences, particularly towards the beginning, were awkwardly written and threw me out of the story momentarily. But it was well worth sticking around for, and the blend between sci fi and fantasy was beautifully done. Truly wonderful. Please don't let the next section of my complaints fool you into thinking I didn't enjoy this book - I absolutely did. But like anything (aka, I'm a nitpicky bastard), there were aspects of it that I didn't enjoy.
This book, by no fault of its own, contained a few things I thoroughly dislike. Religion, for one, particularly in a mostly positive light as it was here. I prefer my books 100% christianity-free. That is a personal thing, but if you are the type of lgbt+ person who has religious trauma or dislikes religion (specifically christianity), know going in that it is a prominent part of this book. Lots of mentions of god, sin, forgiveness, and divinity. Particularly in the beginning section, after which it slows down but is still present. And it is not portrayed as a negative thing. If you have no problem with religion, you're golden.
The second thing is a YA adventure placed in the middle. Personally, I avoid YA books because I'm not a huge fan of reading about teenagers and how they act and think. In this book, it was acceptably written, but for me it was a slog to get through. It also felt out of place, thrown into the middle of an otherwise adult-focused story. The traditional fantasy inspiration was clear (farm boy goes on adventure with brave friends, magic, etc), so in a way I get it. Unfortunately for me, that's a subsection of fantasy that I avoid like the plague, so encountering it here was vaguely disappointing.
In a nitpick kind of way, spoiler tagged just in case,
But don't let my frustrations fool you. Regardless of my dislikes for aspects of the book, the overall book was thoroughly worth reading, and a great book. I'm a huge sucker for science fiction/fantasy blends, especially done as smoothly as it was here. Huge fan. I won't say too much, to avoid spoiling the fun, but just...damn. Loved the world-building so much.
Will I be reading the next book in the series? Halfway through this book I was pretty sure the answer was no. But by the end...that ending...I think I will indeed be picking it up. I was particularly intrigued by the potential hinted at for the story, and I want more of this world-building.
The book itself had a phenomenal concept, and the execution was largely well-done. Some of the sentences, particularly towards the beginning, were awkwardly written and threw me out of the story momentarily. But it was well worth sticking around for, and the blend between sci fi and fantasy was beautifully done. Truly wonderful. Please don't let the next section of my complaints fool you into thinking I didn't enjoy this book - I absolutely did. But like anything (aka, I'm a nitpicky bastard), there were aspects of it that I didn't enjoy.
This book, by no fault of its own, contained a few things I thoroughly dislike. Religion, for one, particularly in a mostly positive light as it was here. I prefer my books 100% christianity-free. That is a personal thing, but if you are the type of lgbt+ person who has religious trauma or dislikes religion (specifically christianity), know going in that it is a prominent part of this book. Lots of mentions of god, sin, forgiveness, and divinity. Particularly in the beginning section, after which it slows down but is still present. And it is not portrayed as a negative thing. If you have no problem with religion, you're golden.
The second thing is a YA adventure placed in the middle. Personally, I avoid YA books because I'm not a huge fan of reading about teenagers and how they act and think. In this book, it was acceptably written, but for me it was a slog to get through. It also felt out of place, thrown into the middle of an otherwise adult-focused story. The traditional fantasy inspiration was clear (farm boy goes on adventure with brave friends, magic, etc), so in a way I get it. Unfortunately for me, that's a subsection of fantasy that I avoid like the plague, so encountering it here was vaguely disappointing.
In a nitpick kind of way, spoiler tagged just in case,
But don't let my frustrations fool you. Regardless of my dislikes for aspects of the book, the overall book was thoroughly worth reading, and a great book. I'm a huge sucker for science fiction/fantasy blends, especially done as smoothly as it was here. Huge fan. I won't say too much, to avoid spoiling the fun, but just...damn. Loved the world-building so much.
Will I be reading the next book in the series? Halfway through this book I was pretty sure the answer was no. But by the end...that ending...I think I will indeed be picking it up. I was particularly intrigued by the potential hinted at for the story, and I want more of this world-building.
January 13, 2018
Fantastic world-building, dynamic and enthralling story.
The Stark Divide is the type of book I never thought I'd read. I usually only read books with some type of romantic component. The romance doesn't have to be the center of the story but there must be a romance. Well, back in November 2017 J. Scott Coatsworth asked me if I'd review The Stark Divide for Xtreme Delusions. At the time I was just too busy to accept but he asked if I could do it in January and I said yes.
I was really nervous to start reading the book because it's just not my usual kind of story. I'm a huge Star Trek fan, beginning with The Original Series which came out when I was around 12, but I've never read science fiction books and never really cared to. It's hard to say why I even said "yes" to Scott when asked to read The Stark Divide. I guess part of the reason is that I was a bit flattered that he wanted me to read it and was willing to wait until I had time in my schedule.
I am SO glad that I said yes and convinced myself to start reading this book. I didn't have to read very far into the story to get hooked. The Stark Divide is broken into three parts with ten years between part one and two, and then 20 years between part two and three.
Because I've never read this type of book before I'm not really sure how to review it. I'm one of those readers who has a hard time describing exactly what it is about a book that catches, and keeps, my attention. The Stark Divide was fascinating to me. Parts of it definitely remind me of Star Trek episodes, and the idea of creating a new world out of an existing "dead" planet is similar to one of the movies, but the complexity of the writing and the "world" that Scott has created are truly something.
The Stark Divide contains a rich cast of diverse characters, both queer and straight, with creative names for the flora and fauna contained on the new world. Scott has thoughtfully provided a glossary of terms and names of people in the story but I actually had very little trouble keeping track of things and didn't refer to it much.
I'm going to conclude by saying that the blurb describes the story accurately and much better than I ever could. I was kept on the figurative edge of my seat much of the time while reading this and had to force myself to put it down at 5 a.m. at one point so that I could be at least partially functional when meeting with friends later that day. At 87, 239 words it's longer than the books I normally read. It also took me a bit longer than normal to read it but I don't mean that in a bad way at all. I had to take more care when reading because I don't usually read science fiction, but, believe me, it was time well spent.
The Stark Divide doesn't have a cliffhanger but the scene is set for more to come and I'm looking forward to reading the next book in this series.
An advanced copy of this book was provided to me but my review was voluntary and not influenced by the author.
***Reviewed for Xtreme-Delusions dot com***
The Stark Divide is the type of book I never thought I'd read. I usually only read books with some type of romantic component. The romance doesn't have to be the center of the story but there must be a romance. Well, back in November 2017 J. Scott Coatsworth asked me if I'd review The Stark Divide for Xtreme Delusions. At the time I was just too busy to accept but he asked if I could do it in January and I said yes.
I was really nervous to start reading the book because it's just not my usual kind of story. I'm a huge Star Trek fan, beginning with The Original Series which came out when I was around 12, but I've never read science fiction books and never really cared to. It's hard to say why I even said "yes" to Scott when asked to read The Stark Divide. I guess part of the reason is that I was a bit flattered that he wanted me to read it and was willing to wait until I had time in my schedule.
I am SO glad that I said yes and convinced myself to start reading this book. I didn't have to read very far into the story to get hooked. The Stark Divide is broken into three parts with ten years between part one and two, and then 20 years between part two and three.
Because I've never read this type of book before I'm not really sure how to review it. I'm one of those readers who has a hard time describing exactly what it is about a book that catches, and keeps, my attention. The Stark Divide was fascinating to me. Parts of it definitely remind me of Star Trek episodes, and the idea of creating a new world out of an existing "dead" planet is similar to one of the movies, but the complexity of the writing and the "world" that Scott has created are truly something.
The Stark Divide contains a rich cast of diverse characters, both queer and straight, with creative names for the flora and fauna contained on the new world. Scott has thoughtfully provided a glossary of terms and names of people in the story but I actually had very little trouble keeping track of things and didn't refer to it much.
I'm going to conclude by saying that the blurb describes the story accurately and much better than I ever could. I was kept on the figurative edge of my seat much of the time while reading this and had to force myself to put it down at 5 a.m. at one point so that I could be at least partially functional when meeting with friends later that day. At 87, 239 words it's longer than the books I normally read. It also took me a bit longer than normal to read it but I don't mean that in a bad way at all. I had to take more care when reading because I don't usually read science fiction, but, believe me, it was time well spent.
The Stark Divide doesn't have a cliffhanger but the scene is set for more to come and I'm looking forward to reading the next book in this series.
An advanced copy of this book was provided to me but my review was voluntary and not influenced by the author.
***Reviewed for Xtreme-Delusions dot com***
October 16, 2017
When I read a book by J. Scott Coatsworth I know I’m going to be treated to a story with fabulous world building, and interesting characters. The Stark Divide has all of that and more. One thing I really loved about this story is that although there are romances, they don’t drive it. Also it is populated by diverse characters with differing sexualities IE gay, straight, bi, and trans, which is accepted by this society in the future. The issues here aren’t that, but how mankind has ruined the Earth, both ecologically and because of war. The author has done a great job in taking current concerns and extrapolating where they might lead the future human race if we continue on our current course. The tent city for refugees in one part of the story echoed current news stories scarily well.
I loved the nods to other SF authors, such as Asimov and McCaffrey. Some were direct mentions, others more subtle.
The world building is interesting, and different to anything I’ve read before. Although the ship-mind has echoes of Anne McCaffrey’s ship series, Coatsworth uses it as a springboard, and flies. The ship-mind, world-mind, and station-mind are interesting, developed characters, as are the humans who take centre stage in this story. The idea of growing a planet using biological technology is brilliant, and it was obvious the more I read that it is very well thought out. I also liked how the author split the book into three different time periods, each one jumping forward from the previous. It gives the story an epic feel, which is perfect for what it is—the rebirth of the human race on another world told through the perspective of not only those who are key players in that journey but of the world itself, and the generation ship it becomes. The linking of time periods through both older versions of already familiar characters, and the introduction of the next generation was nicely done, as was the expansion of the planet-mind.
I liked too, that the characters are very human, and take the time to cry, whether in relief or grief. I felt as though I was reading about real people. Not all of them have the greatest of intentions, they make mistakes, and are often driven by emotions that are a mix of good and not so good.
The descriptive of space is wonderfully emotive—“the stars poking brilliant holes in the firmament above.” The descriptions of Forever—the name given to the world by the colonists—are not overdone as to bog down the story, yet make the setting very easy to visualise. I spent several evenings getting lost in the story and staying up far too late in order to read just one more chapter.
I’d recommend The Stark Divide to readers who enjoy science fiction with detailed world building, interesting characters, and an epic story. Highly recommended.
I loved the nods to other SF authors, such as Asimov and McCaffrey. Some were direct mentions, others more subtle.
The world building is interesting, and different to anything I’ve read before. Although the ship-mind has echoes of Anne McCaffrey’s ship series, Coatsworth uses it as a springboard, and flies. The ship-mind, world-mind, and station-mind are interesting, developed characters, as are the humans who take centre stage in this story. The idea of growing a planet using biological technology is brilliant, and it was obvious the more I read that it is very well thought out. I also liked how the author split the book into three different time periods, each one jumping forward from the previous. It gives the story an epic feel, which is perfect for what it is—the rebirth of the human race on another world told through the perspective of not only those who are key players in that journey but of the world itself, and the generation ship it becomes. The linking of time periods through both older versions of already familiar characters, and the introduction of the next generation was nicely done, as was the expansion of the planet-mind.
I liked too, that the characters are very human, and take the time to cry, whether in relief or grief. I felt as though I was reading about real people. Not all of them have the greatest of intentions, they make mistakes, and are often driven by emotions that are a mix of good and not so good.
The descriptive of space is wonderfully emotive—“the stars poking brilliant holes in the firmament above.” The descriptions of Forever—the name given to the world by the colonists—are not overdone as to bog down the story, yet make the setting very easy to visualise. I spent several evenings getting lost in the story and staying up far too late in order to read just one more chapter.
I’d recommend The Stark Divide to readers who enjoy science fiction with detailed world building, interesting characters, and an epic story. Highly recommended.
December 31, 2017
What a treat to end the year with such a phenomenal book.
Some stories are epic indeed. And some stories just keep on getting better and more intriguing with each subsequent chapter and the introduction of every new character. The Stark Divide is such a book.
I’m not entirely sure how useful my review is going to be for dedicated readers of science fiction. I don’t read enough of it to be able to compare and am too flimsy on everything science to give a trustworthy opinion about that aspect for the story. But I can confidently say that as far as the fiction is concerned, this book is phenomenal (or, as the blurb states: epic).
What I loved most about The Stark Divide is that from the start right until the very end the story and the characters in it kept surprising me. Nothing is exactly how it seems and every time I thought I had things figured out a new development or character would throw me for a loop and force me to rethink the assumptions I had made.
The story is told in three parts, showing us how Forever, the new ‘worldlet’ came to be, through its early development to a very unexpected and possibly fatal danger. I found it impossible not to fall and care deeply for the various characters in this story, both human and other. The ungoing growth and development of Forever was fascinating, just as the way in which our Earth was rushing towards its own demise was horrifying — not in the least because that part of the story sounded all too plausible.
This is the sort of tale that will stay with me for days, if not weeks or months, after I’ve finished it because despite it being fiction, it touches on so many issues and potential disasters our world faces at the moment that it is impossible not to draw parallels. While we may not yet have reached the stage where we can create new worlds out of basically ‘nothing’, there is very little else in this book that felt impossible or farfetched to me. In fact, even the sentient new world (boy did I love Lex) made perfect sense to me, despite the fact that the science of it went way over my head.
As for recommending the book. I’ve got a feeling fans of Science fiction will love The Stark Divide; a theory which I’m determined to test on my husband in the not too distant future. But, if like me, you only dip your toe into this genre very occasionally, I have to say that this is a fabulous, fascinating and addictive story, even for those who are, like me, scientifically challenged. While the book doesn’t end on a cliffhanger, exactly, I have to say that I’m already eagerly anticipating the sequel. I’ve got a feeling that Forever’s story, like its world, is only going to grow bigger and more fascinating.
Some stories are epic indeed. And some stories just keep on getting better and more intriguing with each subsequent chapter and the introduction of every new character. The Stark Divide is such a book.
I’m not entirely sure how useful my review is going to be for dedicated readers of science fiction. I don’t read enough of it to be able to compare and am too flimsy on everything science to give a trustworthy opinion about that aspect for the story. But I can confidently say that as far as the fiction is concerned, this book is phenomenal (or, as the blurb states: epic).
What I loved most about The Stark Divide is that from the start right until the very end the story and the characters in it kept surprising me. Nothing is exactly how it seems and every time I thought I had things figured out a new development or character would throw me for a loop and force me to rethink the assumptions I had made.
The story is told in three parts, showing us how Forever, the new ‘worldlet’ came to be, through its early development to a very unexpected and possibly fatal danger. I found it impossible not to fall and care deeply for the various characters in this story, both human and other. The ungoing growth and development of Forever was fascinating, just as the way in which our Earth was rushing towards its own demise was horrifying — not in the least because that part of the story sounded all too plausible.
This is the sort of tale that will stay with me for days, if not weeks or months, after I’ve finished it because despite it being fiction, it touches on so many issues and potential disasters our world faces at the moment that it is impossible not to draw parallels. While we may not yet have reached the stage where we can create new worlds out of basically ‘nothing’, there is very little else in this book that felt impossible or farfetched to me. In fact, even the sentient new world (boy did I love Lex) made perfect sense to me, despite the fact that the science of it went way over my head.
As for recommending the book. I’ve got a feeling fans of Science fiction will love The Stark Divide; a theory which I’m determined to test on my husband in the not too distant future. But, if like me, you only dip your toe into this genre very occasionally, I have to say that this is a fabulous, fascinating and addictive story, even for those who are, like me, scientifically challenged. While the book doesn’t end on a cliffhanger, exactly, I have to say that I’m already eagerly anticipating the sequel. I’ve got a feeling that Forever’s story, like its world, is only going to grow bigger and more fascinating.
January 13, 2018
(Originally reviewed for Love Bytes Reviews. Rated 4.5 out of 5.0 stars.)
Have you ever finished reading a book, gone on to do a bunch of projects during the day, and wanted to go back then to find out what happened next in that great story you read…only to remember you finished it already? Well, that’s what happened to me today. I just now was thinking that since I finished my ‘to do’ list, I had time to jump back into the story. But I can’t. It isn’t out yet!
As you’ve probably guessed by those rambling statements, I pretty much loved everything about this one. I liked the characters, I liked the locale, I liked the world building (well except for my part of Florida being 40 feet under water!) Mr. Coatsworth has created a very believable world, along with some believable tech, and then crafted a fast moving and interesting story tying it all together.
As a personal aside, you know how you, as the reader, develop a picture in your mind of what the characters in a story look like? Well…I’ve got to admit that when the captain of the living ship in this story was described, I instantly thought of Ben Browder on Farscape and then for a good section of the book, I was picturing this captain looking like Browder in his tight leather pants and no shirt. If you don’t get the Farscape reference, sorry, Google him. 😉
But I digress. Let’s get back to Mr. Coatsworth’s story. It is set in the not that distant future, and Earth is a mess. There are constant threats of war. There is an event that occurred not that far in the past that involved massive heat that killed off a huge portion of the world’s population. The remaining inhabitants of the Earth are facing escalating aggression from their fellow inhabitants, and the entire planet is faced with dwindling resources. These issues, and others, have led scientists to develop a class of living ships, each containing an artificial intelligence. The scientists are now working on massive living generation ships that will carry humans into the universe. But will they get away in time? And what will happen when the AIs on the ships turn out to be far more intelligent that previously thought?
I’ll admit that there was one spot in the story, fairly early on, that I got sooooo mad at Mr. Coatsworth, but he fixed it later, so I got over it. I’ll leave it up to you to figure out which section I was talking about, but it just might involve one of the original crew of three…
Enough. No more spoilers. I really enjoyed the story, and can’t wait for the next installment. I hope it is soon! If you’re a Sci-Fi fan, I think the book will be for you. I highly recommend you give it a shot.
Have you ever finished reading a book, gone on to do a bunch of projects during the day, and wanted to go back then to find out what happened next in that great story you read…only to remember you finished it already? Well, that’s what happened to me today. I just now was thinking that since I finished my ‘to do’ list, I had time to jump back into the story. But I can’t. It isn’t out yet!
As you’ve probably guessed by those rambling statements, I pretty much loved everything about this one. I liked the characters, I liked the locale, I liked the world building (well except for my part of Florida being 40 feet under water!) Mr. Coatsworth has created a very believable world, along with some believable tech, and then crafted a fast moving and interesting story tying it all together.
As a personal aside, you know how you, as the reader, develop a picture in your mind of what the characters in a story look like? Well…I’ve got to admit that when the captain of the living ship in this story was described, I instantly thought of Ben Browder on Farscape and then for a good section of the book, I was picturing this captain looking like Browder in his tight leather pants and no shirt. If you don’t get the Farscape reference, sorry, Google him. 😉
But I digress. Let’s get back to Mr. Coatsworth’s story. It is set in the not that distant future, and Earth is a mess. There are constant threats of war. There is an event that occurred not that far in the past that involved massive heat that killed off a huge portion of the world’s population. The remaining inhabitants of the Earth are facing escalating aggression from their fellow inhabitants, and the entire planet is faced with dwindling resources. These issues, and others, have led scientists to develop a class of living ships, each containing an artificial intelligence. The scientists are now working on massive living generation ships that will carry humans into the universe. But will they get away in time? And what will happen when the AIs on the ships turn out to be far more intelligent that previously thought?
I’ll admit that there was one spot in the story, fairly early on, that I got sooooo mad at Mr. Coatsworth, but he fixed it later, so I got over it. I’ll leave it up to you to figure out which section I was talking about, but it just might involve one of the original crew of three…
Enough. No more spoilers. I really enjoyed the story, and can’t wait for the next installment. I hope it is soon! If you’re a Sci-Fi fan, I think the book will be for you. I highly recommend you give it a shot.
September 30, 2017
Title: The Stark Divide
Author: J. Scott Coatsworth
Publisher: DSP Publications
ISBN: 978-1-63533-833-1
Buy Link: https://www.dsppublications.com/books...
Reviewer: Teresa Fallen Angel
Blurb:
Liminal Sky 1
Some stories are epic.
The Earth is in a state of collapse, with wars breaking out over resources and an environment pushed to the edge by human greed.
Three living generation ships have been built with a combination of genetic mastery, artificial intelligence, technology, and raw materials harvested from the asteroid belt. This is the story of one of them—43 Ariadne, or Forever, as her inhabitants call her—a living world that carries the remaining hopes of humanity, and the three generations of scientists, engineers, and explorers working to colonize her.
From her humble beginnings as a seedling saved from disaster to the start of her journey across the void of space toward a new home for the human race, The Stark Divide tells the tales of the world, the people who made her, and the few who will become something altogether beyond human.
Humankind has just taken its first step toward the stars.
Total Score: 5/5
Summary:
Received for n honest review.
This book may be the first in the series, but the stage was set with amazing characters in an off the charts plot that took the reader on man's journey into space. From the initial push to find a safe haven as the strife on Earth looked to be leading to the destruction of their very home. The idea of creating an AI that would build a biological and technical world ship that could take some of the human race on a journey to find a new home was intriguing. That in itself was incredible, but as the plot continued to unfold the story kept advancing allowing the reader to experience how humanity advanced along with the world-ship and the AI that worked alongside them. It was fascinating how new characters were added while continuing the lives of the earlier people in the story.
The descriptions of life in space with all the advances and struggles brought them to life for the reader. I can't wait to see what in next in store fir the inhabitants of the world-ship Forever.
Author: J. Scott Coatsworth
Publisher: DSP Publications
ISBN: 978-1-63533-833-1
Buy Link: https://www.dsppublications.com/books...
Reviewer: Teresa Fallen Angel
Blurb:
Liminal Sky 1
Some stories are epic.
The Earth is in a state of collapse, with wars breaking out over resources and an environment pushed to the edge by human greed.
Three living generation ships have been built with a combination of genetic mastery, artificial intelligence, technology, and raw materials harvested from the asteroid belt. This is the story of one of them—43 Ariadne, or Forever, as her inhabitants call her—a living world that carries the remaining hopes of humanity, and the three generations of scientists, engineers, and explorers working to colonize her.
From her humble beginnings as a seedling saved from disaster to the start of her journey across the void of space toward a new home for the human race, The Stark Divide tells the tales of the world, the people who made her, and the few who will become something altogether beyond human.
Humankind has just taken its first step toward the stars.
Total Score: 5/5
Summary:
Received for n honest review.
This book may be the first in the series, but the stage was set with amazing characters in an off the charts plot that took the reader on man's journey into space. From the initial push to find a safe haven as the strife on Earth looked to be leading to the destruction of their very home. The idea of creating an AI that would build a biological and technical world ship that could take some of the human race on a journey to find a new home was intriguing. That in itself was incredible, but as the plot continued to unfold the story kept advancing allowing the reader to experience how humanity advanced along with the world-ship and the AI that worked alongside them. It was fascinating how new characters were added while continuing the lives of the earlier people in the story.
The descriptions of life in space with all the advances and struggles brought them to life for the reader. I can't wait to see what in next in store fir the inhabitants of the world-ship Forever.
August 23, 2020
This book is in three parts, each a novella on its own, connected together by the characters involved. The first one is a pretty standard spaceship-oriented Hard- Sci-Fi action story. It is structured for the first few chapters with perhaps a bit too many flashbacks: a legitimate was to get backstory in, but it can easily be overdone. These are spaced out between the action scenes, but after a while, we want to see less of them and more action, sooner.
But once the action starts picking up, it’s straight suspense all the way to the end. Technical details are well thought out and succinctly described. The ending is satisfying and appropriate.
The second part again starts slowly, filling us in on ten years of important events, global and personal. This story has a “space station” setting and less hard science. There are many characters, and the constant switching of point of view makes the story hard to follow at times. There is no through-line of conflict or objective, so for several chapters, we must be satisfied with the magnificent setting description. Then, rather suddenly, the conflict begins, a standard humans-against-the-environment plotline that is the bread and butter of all disaster books.
But we never really get an overarching theme or struggle. The most important conflict is to save a person’s life, which is good enough but doesn’t engage us fully. The thematic material is a fait accompli, so doesn’t arouse much tension. As expected, it comes to a happily-ever-after, love-at-first-sight conclusion for everyone.
The third part shifts to the deteriorating earth, where two refugees are trying desperately to get into space, and to the final moments of the space station as the earth below crumbles into anarchy. This story is a tighter, more unified tale, and moves along briskly. Modern topical conflicts such as the problem of handling large numbers of refugees lend a realistic tone.
If it matters to anyone, this gay-friendly story handles that subject in a casual and non-intrusive manner that I hope reflects how such matters will be dealt with in the future of all cultures.
A literary sandwich in which the bread slices are the tastiest parts.
But once the action starts picking up, it’s straight suspense all the way to the end. Technical details are well thought out and succinctly described. The ending is satisfying and appropriate.
The second part again starts slowly, filling us in on ten years of important events, global and personal. This story has a “space station” setting and less hard science. There are many characters, and the constant switching of point of view makes the story hard to follow at times. There is no through-line of conflict or objective, so for several chapters, we must be satisfied with the magnificent setting description. Then, rather suddenly, the conflict begins, a standard humans-against-the-environment plotline that is the bread and butter of all disaster books.
But we never really get an overarching theme or struggle. The most important conflict is to save a person’s life, which is good enough but doesn’t engage us fully. The thematic material is a fait accompli, so doesn’t arouse much tension. As expected, it comes to a happily-ever-after, love-at-first-sight conclusion for everyone.
The third part shifts to the deteriorating earth, where two refugees are trying desperately to get into space, and to the final moments of the space station as the earth below crumbles into anarchy. This story is a tighter, more unified tale, and moves along briskly. Modern topical conflicts such as the problem of handling large numbers of refugees lend a realistic tone.
If it matters to anyone, this gay-friendly story handles that subject in a casual and non-intrusive manner that I hope reflects how such matters will be dealt with in the future of all cultures.
A literary sandwich in which the bread slices are the tastiest parts.
February 19, 2019
This sci-fi tightrope walks between dystopia and solarpunk as humans look to the stars to colonize as climate change and global wars over diminishing resources have all but ruined earth. It's also a generational tale told in three parts.
It opens with Colin, the captain of a ship that's half alive, half machine, his a little too Catholic to be comfortable with this sort of ship with its living brain, engineer Jackson Hammond and Ana, the doctor whose father invented the ship-minds and the ships. They have a "seed" which will transform a lifeless asteroid into a growing planetoid for humans to colonize once its terraformed (there are a couple of seed ships as well but they aren't part of this story). Something goes horribly wrong and will they live to plant the seed.
Part two picks up ten years down the road with Colin and Ana on Forever, the new planetoid (and it's hive mind, Lex, and begins with the arrival of Aaron, Jackson's son. This all deals with what went so wrong ten years ago and let's us get to know Forever intimately.
Part three is another twenty years down the road. Earth is absolutely dying and coyotes are dropping humans off on Forever in numbers that aren't sustainable easily. Colin, Aaron and Aaron's family play the starring role, sharing it with two men, former lovers (and if Eddy had his way would be lovers again) Eddy and Davian who are trying to put together a barely space worthy craft to escape Earth before it pulls itself apart. Only Davian has some dark secrets.
The last part does leave threads for book two (especially Eddy and Davian's subplot). All the characters, including Forever herself, are well drawn and it's very interesting. I loved Aaron and Colin especially.
I will add, for those that this matters to, it is an own voices book. That said, if you only pick up gay literature for the romance, that is not this book. Yes we have gay characters but this is straight up sci-fi, not romance. I'm looking forward to book two.
It opens with Colin, the captain of a ship that's half alive, half machine, his a little too Catholic to be comfortable with this sort of ship with its living brain, engineer Jackson Hammond and Ana, the doctor whose father invented the ship-minds and the ships. They have a "seed" which will transform a lifeless asteroid into a growing planetoid for humans to colonize once its terraformed (there are a couple of seed ships as well but they aren't part of this story). Something goes horribly wrong and will they live to plant the seed.
Part two picks up ten years down the road with Colin and Ana on Forever, the new planetoid (and it's hive mind, Lex, and begins with the arrival of Aaron, Jackson's son. This all deals with what went so wrong ten years ago and let's us get to know Forever intimately.
Part three is another twenty years down the road. Earth is absolutely dying and coyotes are dropping humans off on Forever in numbers that aren't sustainable easily. Colin, Aaron and Aaron's family play the starring role, sharing it with two men, former lovers (and if Eddy had his way would be lovers again) Eddy and Davian who are trying to put together a barely space worthy craft to escape Earth before it pulls itself apart. Only Davian has some dark secrets.
The last part does leave threads for book two (especially Eddy and Davian's subplot). All the characters, including Forever herself, are well drawn and it's very interesting. I loved Aaron and Colin especially.
I will add, for those that this matters to, it is an own voices book. That said, if you only pick up gay literature for the romance, that is not this book. Yes we have gay characters but this is straight up sci-fi, not romance. I'm looking forward to book two.
Read
April 25, 2022NOTE: This review is for the complete Ariadne Cycle Trilogy.
I love the idea of generation ships and living ships, though I so don't have the patience to calculate everything that's involved in keeping a generation ship going, so I enjoy soaking up other authors' takes on them.
Scott's take on it is interesting and refreshing. No doubt I'd have been as discombobulated as any character when faced with entering Forever for the first time. Even thinking about its cylindrical form made me remember my recent bout with positional vertigo (so not as fun as it sounds, really). But the idea that Forever can expand itself by absorbing asteroids, and has the capability of reabsorbing used materials to provide whatever (to its abilities) its human inhabitants need really drew me into this world.
The AIs (the gods) that keep this world, Forever, running were even more interesting, as they were as fickle and flawed as the human inhabitants, and not always up to the tasks they were given.
This brings me to the human characters. I loved how the story went from one generation to the next... and the next, while never losing sight of the original characters who started it all. And even though there were quite a number of characters who passed by, Scott never failed in making me like each and every one... er... well, maybe not all of them. (by design, I'm sure). Aside from being connected to previous POV characters, they all had their own life story, their own woes and wishes, and their own happy endings :)
Sure, there were moments where I wanted to scream at some of the characters to get their head out of their arses, including the AIs (but excluding the ones I just want to shoot and be done with). And considering how rich our human history is (and more is discovered every day), there is one plotline that I have a hard time believing.
But, overall, I very much enjoyed reading this tale of generations of humans trying to survive in a strange world on their way to a freedom that was generations away.
I love the idea of generation ships and living ships, though I so don't have the patience to calculate everything that's involved in keeping a generation ship going, so I enjoy soaking up other authors' takes on them.
Scott's take on it is interesting and refreshing. No doubt I'd have been as discombobulated as any character when faced with entering Forever for the first time. Even thinking about its cylindrical form made me remember my recent bout with positional vertigo (so not as fun as it sounds, really). But the idea that Forever can expand itself by absorbing asteroids, and has the capability of reabsorbing used materials to provide whatever (to its abilities) its human inhabitants need really drew me into this world.
The AIs (the gods) that keep this world, Forever, running were even more interesting, as they were as fickle and flawed as the human inhabitants, and not always up to the tasks they were given.
This brings me to the human characters. I loved how the story went from one generation to the next... and the next, while never losing sight of the original characters who started it all. And even though there were quite a number of characters who passed by, Scott never failed in making me like each and every one... er... well, maybe not all of them. (by design, I'm sure). Aside from being connected to previous POV characters, they all had their own life story, their own woes and wishes, and their own happy endings :)
Sure, there were moments where I wanted to scream at some of the characters to get their head out of their arses, including the AIs (but excluding the ones I just want to shoot and be done with). And considering how rich our human history is (and more is discovered every day), there is one plotline that I have a hard time believing.
But, overall, I very much enjoyed reading this tale of generations of humans trying to survive in a strange world on their way to a freedom that was generations away.
August 4, 2020
The Review
A truly engaging, emotional, and heartfelt sci-fi epic that does a phenomenal job of setting up the saga the author has laid out before readers. The way the author is able to take a universally used concept of Earth on the verge of destruction and humanity’s last hope and blend this theme into wholly original mythology and sci-fi goodness was a real work of art.
The defining drive behind this novel was the amazing character development. These characters quickly became the heart of the story, showcasing the diversity and natural way the characters interacted with one another in this sci-fi epic story. The author’s use of LGBTQ+ characters felt natural and part of the fabric of this universe the author has created more than something forced, making these characters and their stories shine brighter than ever before.
The Verdict
A truly one of a kind read filled with action, emotionally charged stories spanning multiple generations, and a wonderful cast of characters, this is a great sci-fi story that is not to be missed. The Stark Divide is a magnificent story filled with unique mythology surrounding the survival of the human race, and the eloquent mixture of epic sci-fi with personal character growth and interactions make this a truly memorable read. Be sure to grab your copy today!
A truly engaging, emotional, and heartfelt sci-fi epic that does a phenomenal job of setting up the saga the author has laid out before readers. The way the author is able to take a universally used concept of Earth on the verge of destruction and humanity’s last hope and blend this theme into wholly original mythology and sci-fi goodness was a real work of art.
The defining drive behind this novel was the amazing character development. These characters quickly became the heart of the story, showcasing the diversity and natural way the characters interacted with one another in this sci-fi epic story. The author’s use of LGBTQ+ characters felt natural and part of the fabric of this universe the author has created more than something forced, making these characters and their stories shine brighter than ever before.
The Verdict
A truly one of a kind read filled with action, emotionally charged stories spanning multiple generations, and a wonderful cast of characters, this is a great sci-fi story that is not to be missed. The Stark Divide is a magnificent story filled with unique mythology surrounding the survival of the human race, and the eloquent mixture of epic sci-fi with personal character growth and interactions make this a truly memorable read. Be sure to grab your copy today!
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