Rainbow Awards Honorable Mention: The Stark Divide by J. Scott Coatsworth

[reviews_and_ramblings]

The Stark Divide (Liminal Sky)

"This book is three stories about mostly the same people divided by time, but the settings in each were so starkly different that, by the end, the settings were characters themselves. Each was a complete and unique world with intimate details drawing the reader in. The fantastical notions that populated them made them places I wanted to explore. I hope the author will continue to evolve this world much as Anne McCaffery did with Pern. My only critique of to this book is that when someone was going to do something bad, they were written as a bad person without sympathy, and good people were just good. A little predictable, though very nicely fleshed out otherwise. I like a little more nuance and complexity. However, it’s an excellent read."

"A highly recommended SF read, it was a totally gripping read. The world building and descriptions of technology were very  interesting and well done to avoid bogging down the story. The characters were fascinating."

Liminal Sky: Book One

Some stories are epic.

The Earth is in a state of collapse, with wars breaking out over resources and an environment pushed to the edge by human greed.

Three living generation ships have been built with a combination of genetic mastery, artificial intelligence, technology, and raw materials harvested from the asteroid belt. This is the story of one of them--43 Ariadne, or Forever, as her inhabitants call her--a living world that carries the remaining hopes of humanity, and the three generations of scientists, engineers, and explorers working to colonize her.

From her humble beginnings as a seedling saved from disaster to the start of her journey across the void of space toward a new home for the human race, The Stark Divide tells the tales of the world, the people who made her, and the few who will become something altogether beyond human.

Humankind has just taken its first step toward the stars.