Providence is the sixth novel by Australian science fiction author Max Barry.[1] It was published in March 2020 by Putnam.
 First edition | |
| Author | Max Barry |
|---|---|
| Subject | Interstellar War |
| Genre | Science Fiction |
| Set in | Computer controlled starship |
| Publisher | Putnam (US) Hodder & Stoughton (UK) |
Publication date | 31 March 2020 |
| ISBN | 978-0-593-08517-2 |
| Preceded by | Lexicon |
Plot
editHumans have been exploring other star systems for some time, prior to encountering another race of intelligent space travelers.[1] The aliens are hostile, and war broke out seven years prior to the departure of the warship Providence, and its crew of four, composed of Gilly, Talia, Anders, and Jackson. The crew were partially chosen for the attractive image they will project in the social media messages they transmit back to the home front, while a computer actually runs the ship. Two years into the mission, after the ship has already destroyed one alien colony, mental instability begins to affect the crew.
Reception
editWhen it compared Providence with other recently published science fiction novels, the Financial Times wrote "Providence is smart and fun but it's no classic".[2]
A review by The Associated Press compared the novel to Robert Heinlein's Starship Troopers and Mary Doria Russell's The Sparrow - although updated "for the internet age".[3]
The review in Locus compared the novel to Starship Troopers, Barry N. Malzberg's Galaxies, Michael Moorcock's The Black Corridor, the television show Red Dwarf, and Ridley Scott's Alien.[4]
References
edit- ^ a b
Rachel Deahl (15 February 2019). "Book Deals: Week of February 18, 2019". Publishers Weekly. Retrieved 13 April 2020.
Putnam said the title, set in the near future, follows "four astronauts sent to space to confront a planetary threat... only to find their mission undermines everything they knew of reality."
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James Lovegrove (27 March 2020). "Science fiction round-up: Alien's xenomorphs get medieval". Financial Times. Retrieved 13 April 2020.
Max Barry's Providence (Hodder and Stoughton, RRP£16.99) sees the four-strong crew of an AI-controlled spaceship shot into deep space to take part in a war against a reptilian extraterrestrial species nicknamed salamanders.
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Jeff Ayers (31 March 2020). "Review: Paranoia seeps through a starship in 'Providence'". The Associated Press. Retrieved 13 April 2020.
Barry mixes the classic sci-fi novels of Robert Heinlein and Arthur C. Clarke and updates them for the internet age. At times the story is reminiscent of Mary Doria Russell's "The Sparrow" and Heinlein's "Starship Troopers," but Barry makes the story compelling and innovative. In unpredictable ways,
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Paul Di Filippo (12 March 2020). "Paul Di Filippo Reviews Providence by Max Barry". Locus magazine. Retrieved 13 April 2020.
Barry's new novel, Providence, fully inhabits such a category. Distinct from all his previous ones, it's a blend of Starship Troopers, UK cult TV show Red Dwarf and the cinematic Alien franchise, with Barry's own unique slant and voice.
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