Sea of Tranquility

I picked this up, brand new and in its shining jacket, from a little free library months and months ago. I read Station Eleven and thought it was pretty good (I did not love the TV series). I quite enjoyed this, probably more than I did Station Eleven, even. Despite that, I have few thoughts.

I've seen it described as “quiet” science fiction. Fitting. The story is quiet, not exactly contemplative but patient. That is not to say slow: I found it paced very well. In fact, despite a rotating setting and cast of characters, each character feels separate and well formed. That is impressive. This helps the pacing a lot, I think, because we never get bored of anyone.

I don't think it tries to hide anything or obscure itself. It is very pleasant to read and when the action comes it is not the world ending whatever of other books, it feels more personal. I like that.

“I think, as a species, we have a desire to believe that we're living at the climax of the story. It's a kind of narcissism. We want to believe that we're uniquely important, that we're living at the end of history, that now after all these millennia of false alarms, now is finally the worst that ti's ever been, that finally we have reached the end of the world.”