Proxima

The main plot of Proxima centres around a colonisation attempt on a habitable planet orbiting Proxima Centauri, and mankind's first exploration beyond the solar system. A weakness here is that the actual United Nations plan here doesn't really make a lot of sense, and, while we're presumably supposed to put it down to the geopolitics of the setting, it's never properly explained how anyone could think this was a good plan.

That aside, though, the book has a number of strengths. The depiction of the alien world and its ecology is possibly the strongest, giving a real sense of atmosphere and a believable yet strange biology. The main plot keeps moving, changing in tone as events unfold in sometimes unexpected directions.

A subplot back in our own solar system deals with a scientist who makes an amazing discovery that turns out to have great relevance to what's going on on Proxima. Here we get to see some of the background to what's happening elsewhere, although not everything is coloured in in precise detail. Here, too, there are some sudden changes in tone as the Earth's history develops, and which keep the story moving on to new events.

The story is quite an epic, and unexpectedly ends on a cliffhanger (a sequel has since been released). At times it's rather grim, and it certainly doesn't have a positive view of human nature. There are also a lot of questions left unanswered - presumably intentionally so - which may put some readers off.

But, on the whole, I found it a good read.