Kim Miller
Short story collection that flows almost as a novel. Scientists uncover the body of a Neanderthal girl frozen in the ice for millennia. Then people start getting sick. A deadly disease sweeps across the globe as a pathogen they have unearthed brings an untreatable plague.
The first story is that of finding the girl. Following stories are from either people involved in the original archeology or a family member. Names appear that are unknown but the link is then established and we realise that the disease has taken billions of lives and is still virulent after several generations.
As the book flows towards the half way point the stories get very dark as we hear of dead and dying children. At this point the narrative is deep and warm but the stories are harrowing to read. And then it suddenly changes. We are well into the future and somebody has discovered 25% light speed space engines and developed cryo-sleep. A generation ship is sent to Tau Ceti to find a new home as Earth has become so dangerous.
The ship examines several planets until a suitable one is found for a colony, by which time they have been gone thousands of years in Earth time. Messages from Earth stopped a thousand years ago. The final stories become dreamlike and meditative as we get a glimpse of life, and death, on Earth way beyond the first story's time. As the book closes we are given a strange tale that takes us from the beginning to the end in a satisfying denouement.
Short story collection that flows almost as a novel. Scientists uncover the body of a Neanderthal girl frozen in the ice for millennia. Then people start getting sick. A deadly disease sweeps across the globe as a pathogen they have unearthed brings an untreatable plague.
The first story is that of finding the girl. Following stories are from either people involved in the original archeology or a family member. Names appear that are unknown but the link is then established and we realise that the disease has taken billions of lives and is still virulent after several generations.
As the book flows towards the half way point the stories get very dark as we hear of dead and dying children. At this point the narrative is deep and warm but the stories are harrowing to read. And then it suddenly changes. We are well into the future and somebody has discovered 25% light speed space engines and developed cryo-sleep. A generation ship is sent to Tau Ceti to find a new home as Earth has become so dangerous.
The ship examines several planets until a suitable one is found for a colony, by which time they have been gone thousands of years in Earth time. Messages from Earth stopped a thousand years ago. The final stories become dreamlike and meditative as we get a glimpse of life, and death, on Earth way beyond the first story's time. As the book closes we are given a strange tale that takes us from the beginning to the end in a satisfying denouement.