Eva had always sounded pessimistic, unlike Ana, her sister. Undoubtedly, their grandparents, Gramps and Grams, would play a critical role in their lives. Following Gramps' demise, Grams was never the same; the two had worked together as geneticists and had been referred to as the Dynamic Duo. The death of her husband took a heavy toll on her, and when an opportunity presented itself in a new state-of-the-art ship, the New Eden, her family encouraged her to take it. Later, when Grams informed Eva and her sister Ana about the upcoming summer intensive program for students and invited them to apply, Eva was not as elated as her sister. Both applied and Eva eventually made it to the summer program and was amazed by what she saw. Grams was looking very healthy and younger, and the ship itself was a complete marvel.“No, you’re not on vacation. Our community members—which include our full-time residents, and now our very welcome student guests—are also very different from those typical cruise ship passengers. Those folks are usually trying to escape the real world for a little while. We here on the New Eden are trying to save the world.”
- Captain Nathaniel Edwards
Arc: What Will Save You When Civilization Turns Upside Down? by M. E. Lange is a post-apocalyptic science fiction book. This is a recollection of what happened as humanity underwent a hard reset as narrated by Eva Lynn. One of the questions that continually bombarded my mind was what would actually be the nature of the catastrophe that would spell doom on civilization and the amount of time it would take. When the 'Event' was mentioned, combined with the length of time it took, I was hesitant to believe it at first, as it appeared farfetched, even for a sci-fi book. Within no time, M. E. Lange gave a detailed description, and my doubts were rapidly dissolved as more information about the Event was availed.
The setting of the book is in 2032. There are technological advancements that sound practical and would be solutions to some of the challenges facing the globe. The fact that the author provides references for further perusal is proof that the solutions are realistic. However, it seems one question that remains is the issue of human nature and the fact almost every civilization rises and falls at some point. On human nature, Lange ensures the characters are relatable and focuses on each character; the New Eden itself was a community. One of the first challenges that students in the summer program in the New Eden community had was coming up with new components for the kitty litter. Eva and Elian, her partner, won the challenge. At first, it apparently did not make sense, but the focus on sustainable components of the litter and connecting the group members more made the idea incredible.
I love any literature that is as entertaining as it is thought-provoking. Accordingly, one of the features I liked in the book was the inclusion of questions tailored specifically for book club group discussions. In their own special way, these questions, while meant for discussion groups, also enabled me to contextualize some themes and issues raised in the book. One of the questions that continues to face anyone concerned about artificial intelligence (AI) concerns its potential consequences if left unchecked. As a result, I am happy that through DDAVID (Data-Driven Artificial Variably Intelligent Device), the author shows that AI can be a force for good, helping to avail data and information that can help human beings make informed decisions.
Arc is an apocalyptic story like no other. I immensely enjoyed reading the story, especially Eva’s musings and sentiments surrounding many issues relevant to our world. Equally, the minor errors I encountered did not detract from the overall enjoyment of the story. However, one decisive event towards the end did not sit well with me, especially given that the team had access to lots of information through DDAVID, and there were numerous options that I believe would not have been as catastrophic as the one chosen. Consequently, I rate the book four out of five stars. The book does not deserve a lower rating, as I believe this might be due to personal preferences on conflict resolution; other readers may find the option agreeable. I recommend Arc to all ardent readers of science fiction and anyone interested in seeing how the world can be changed for the better through sustainable and environmentally friendly inventions and innovations.
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Arc
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