The Quiet War

Starred review from July 20, 2009
Shortlisted for this year's Arthur C. Clarke Award, this sweeping interplanetary adventure is also a thoughtful examination of human nature. The few people remaining on feudal 23rd-century Earth are obsessed with repairing the damaged ecosystem, while the near-anarchic Outers, who fled to the solar system's outer worlds, would rather probe the atmosphere of Saturn and grow gardens in vacuum. Earth tries to rein in the Outers with a campaign of intrigue, assassination and sabotage that culminates in bloody carnage. McAuley (Cowboy Angels
) moves deftly among five well-drawn characters in the thick of the action: a cloned spy, a hotshot pilot, a ruthless scientist, a bluntly independent biological engineer and an unscrupulous diplomat. They all, in different ways, must choose between the familiar and the new, struggling to reconcile conflicting desires. This compelling tale opens vast panoramas while confronting believable people with significant choices.

August 15, 2009
Climate change has ravaged 23rd-century Earth, now ruled by a few powerful "green" political families trying to restore their vision of a preindustrial, ecologically sound planet. Descendants of dissidents who fled Earth now occupy the moons of Saturn and Jupiter, calling themselves the Outers. Some plan to colonize outer space, while, on Earth, certain factions urge a preemptive strike to destroy the Outers before they can contaminate the universe. VERDICT The award-winning author of "The Confluence" series (e.g., "Child of the River") has written a timely novel that combines hard sf with ecofiction and space opera. McAuley's skillful storytelling and knack for creating instantly sympathetic characters stand him in good stead in this galaxy-spanning sf adventure.

Copyright 2009 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

August 1, 2009
In the twenty-third century, earth has been ravaged by cataclysmic climate change, and power is held by a few powerful families. The rest of the solar system is populated by refugees from the problems on earth. The major conflict is between the families in power on earth, with their projects to reengineer collapsed ecosystems, and the younger generation of Outers, who want to seed humanity in as many new evolutionary directions as they can think of. There are attempts at reconciliation from both sides, as well as betrayals, complex political setups, and military experiments. McAuley has created a fascinating space opera in a totally realized setting. From Professor Doctor Sri Hong-Owens desperate obsession with the gene wizard Avernus, to Macy Minnots refusal to be a mere pawn in the political games of either side, he populates his future world with a rich and varied cast of interesting people. If the central action seems to have a long buildup, the payoff is well worth waiting for.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2009, American Library Association.)