Supernova Era

July 8, 2019
Liu, author of the intellectually challenging Three-Body Problem trilogy, provides a more accessible look at humanity’s future in this political thriller founded on a thought experiment reminiscent of classic SF. A supernova near Earth bathes the planet in radiation that has minimal effect on people 13 or younger, but will kill anyone older within a year. That provides time for the governments of the world to prepare the oldest children to assume the leadership of their respective countries. Liu focuses on a group of students in China who are assigned some territory to govern; they must plan to have adequate resources while dealing with their neighbors’ territorial ambitions. The complicated role-playing game is used to identify potential leaders. After the inevitable deaths of all the adults, which is chillingly described, the adolescent leaders are left to grapple with an overwhelming set of responsibilities—and a population of even younger children who have their own ideas of how a post-adult world should look. There’s more talk than action, and the global scale of the disaster leaves little room for individual character development. Plausible but surprising twists make this a memorable what-if tale.

Feodor Chin is the perfect narrator to deliver this story. On a futuristic Earth, where the aftereffects of a dying star blast our planet with deadly radiation, only children 13 years and under will survive--and so the preparation begins. Astronomy enthusiasts will delight in the infusion of factual historical events (with a twist) as they hear a fascinating story of human adaptation and survival. Chin's friendly performance is filled with tones of awe and wonder. His narration is similar to the documentary-style delivery heard at planetarium exhibits. His voice is clear and precise, even when providing stellar accented inflections for the Chinese dialogue. Overall, a perfect balance of appropriately didactic storytelling and an engaging narration is geared to fascinate listeners. N.H. � AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine