- Title:
- Chrysopteron
- By:
- Michael K. Rose
- Pages:
- 314
- Rating:
- 3
Captain John Hayden, haunted by memories of war and still grieving the death of his wife, is about to embark on the most important mission of his career: to discover the fate of the Chrysopteron, one of five generation ships which left the Earth centuries earlier. The descendants of the Chrysopteron’s original crew had successfully colonized their planet, but less than a hundred years later, all contact was lost. Hayden knows that a mysterious new religion which was formed aboard the ship may have played a role in determining the fate of the colonists, but there is no way to know what he and his crew will find when they finally arrive.
In a story that touches on issues of faith and self-determination, Chrysopteron explores the fundamental elements that define our species. Even though we may leave the Earth, we cannot leave behind that which makes us human.
Though not entirely gripping, this was enjoyable enough. The writing reminded me of Earthsearch for some reason: nothing I can quantify, no phraseology or words I can pin down to say why, but for a reason I can’t articulate that’s what I came away with. It was an interesting story, and for a trekkie, seeing a team go to a new planet guns firing was weird, but it all made sense in the story arc and I will at least be checking out a sample of some of his other work.