
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Dr Carrie Davenport has been given the opportunity of a lifetime: to design a system of government for the first colony in Mars. Complications quickly arise - a date with a girl she met at the bar leads to a racially-profiled arrest, the violent encounter goes viral, and team member Adam Kirkpatrick tries to take over her spot.
Set in the near future (about 2035?), Nikki Alexander crafts an alternate future that seems plausible - assuming Trump hadn't won the US elections in 2024. Somewhere in the timeline, America has had its first (half?) Latina president, and things seem to have changed for the better - none of this present lunacy. However, under the surface, things remain the same. Adam Kirkpatrick parrots many talking points against DEI and "woke" (and is a thoroughly dislikeable character). Beauregard Ball and his company that's sponsoring Project Mars appear to be progressive, but the first batch of colonists are 95% white and no one is batting an eye. It's the same old, same old, and Davenport manages to overlook a lot of things because of her position of educated privilege, until the violent arrest and the subsequent backlash takes the spotlight.
Whilst tagged as Science Fiction, Arc of the Universe is focused more on the journey leading to Mars - and the legal side of things, rather than the science getting them there. The latter only appears as milestones - a successful probe launch puts the pressure on Carrie's team to finish drafting their proposal, the ensuing celebration offers her an opportunity to scope out the people involved. Instead, there's a lot of focus on governance, democracy, constitutions and legal speak.
The overarching question that runs through the book is "What are we doing to make the future better?" Carrie has to wrestle with whether what she's doing - lecturing about law and drafting a constitution for Mars - is good enough, or if she has to follow in the footsteps of her activist mother and protest on the streets for change. There's pressure on her to do all the big things, like protest and sue and fall into the whole "activism rabbit hole". But is that the best use of her time and position? Especially when it goes against her nature?
Overall, Arc of the Universe is a thoughtful look at how to address different issues with nuance. It's also a reminder that everyone has a different role to play - and that even if someone is not out on the streets yelling for change, the things they do quietly in the background can have the same - or even greater - impact.
Note: I received a digital review copy of this book from Strawberry Tree Books. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
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