Science Fiction: The Vanished Birds by Simon Jimenez

Another thanks is in order to Goodreads for today's find. At the beginning of every month, I browse the New Releases page on the site to see what the next few weeks will have to offer. This is how I found The Vanished Birds by Simon Jimenez, a science novel set in a time when interstellar travel has become a reality.

The Situation: Captain Nia Imani spends her days on board the shipping vessel she named the Debby, working for the Umbai Company as a trader. With her small crew on her old ship, she travels back and forth between resource planets and the Pelican Station, a station that was designed and created back when Earth was still inhabitable. Now that it is gone, humanity is scattered across various stations and resource planets, with still others opting for a life of travel as they live aboard trading ships, ultimately picking among the places they have seen for their retirement. It is on one of the resource planets where Nia has formed an unlikely connection that something strange happens, so strange that the people do not know what to do. So when the Debby returns, it is decided that Nia should be the one to handle it, changing the direction of her life forever.

The Problem: The presence of the Debby's newest passenger is disruptive for a few reasons. Though he is a small child of only about eight years old, his presence is off-putting. He does not speak; he only moves with small and precise movements; and he insists on playing his flute all of the time, filling the ship with a near-constant sound that is not exactly welcome. Even so, Nia enjoys his company, and becomes extremely protective of him to the point that she becomes concerned with little else when he is taken from her upon arrival at the Pelican Station. It is the promise of being reunited with him that causes her to take her next assignment - a fifteen year job on the fringes of space to allow the boy to grow up. It seems he may have an ability that many would be interested in, and while she may be dubious, Nia accepts the job as it means she will once again be close to him. Unfortunately, she was not given the whole truth as to what it would mean if the boy is as powerful as some believe.

Genre, Themes, History: This is a science fiction novel that is set in a not too distant future when Earth can no longer support life, and settling among the stars is the only option. Before Earth's demise, a genius mathematician and engineer named Fumiko Nakajima designed a series of stations, all named after the beloved birds of Earth that no longer exist. She has spent her life building her empire and legacy, while also regretting some of the decisions that allowed her to get where she is. Her genius has aided the Umbai Company in achieving the reach it has now, a reach that continues to grow as it acquires planets, prospering and growing those that are bought out willingly, while stripping and destroying those that refuse. Even after the earth has gone, it seems humanity has learned little and continues to consume resources at an alarming rate, exploiting many to serve the wealthy few. Greed and power remain a constant, even in a future when light speed travel may be a possibility. 

My Verdict: This book is less than 400 pages, but has enough action and story that could easily go beyond 500. And while a lot happens in a small space, it does not feel as if anything is rushed. In fact, there is a lot of detail, a lot of character development, and the universe these people exist in is fully formed and easy to visualize. This is made even more impressive as the narrative switches between characters and locations at a regular rate, which in many books only makes the story confusing and frustrating, but here, it adds to the overall mystery and intrigue as where the story is headed. The introduction of each new location adds excitement as to what type of world or environment the reader will get to experience next, whether it will lead to danger, or prove to be a new safe ground for the heroes. Lovers of science fiction should appreciate this novel, not only for the story, but also for Jimenez's vision of what a future without Earth could look like. 

Favorite Moment: Honestly, I enjoyed the very beginning of the book when the reader is introduced to Umbai-V and the people who live there, way before the story begins to follow Nia and her strange journey. 

Favorite Character: Sartoris Moth serves as Fumiko's eyes and ears while part of the crew on the Debby, and while he may be a bit uppity and stiff, he is loyal, hard-working, and caring.

Recommended Reading: Terry Pratchett and Stephen Baxter's The Long Earth series also explores travel between worlds and universes as humanity finds itself with a sudden need to look for alternative planets to inhabit.