Providence - BookWyrm.World

Hardcover, 352 pages

English language

Published April 16, 2020 by Hodder & Stoughton.

ISBN:: 978-1-5293-5203-0

Gilly, Talia, Anders, and Jackson are astronauts captaining a new and supposedly indestructible ship in humanity's war against an alien race. Confined to the ship for years, each of them holding their own secrets, they are about to learn there are threats beyond the reach of human ingenuity--and that the true nature of reality might be the universe's greatest mystery. In this near future, our world is at war with another, and humanity is haunted by its one catastrophic loss--a nightmarish engagement that left a handful of survivors drifting home through space, wracked with PTSD. Public support for the war plummeted, and the military-industrial complex set its sights on a new goal: zero-casualty warfare, made possible by gleaming new ships called Providences, powered by AI. But when the latest-launched Providence suffers a surprising attack and contact with home is severed, Gilly, Talia, Anders, and Jackson must confront the truth of …

Gilly, Talia, Anders, and Jackson are astronauts captaining a new and supposedly indestructible ship in humanity's war against an alien race. Confined to the ship for years, each of them holding their own secrets, they are about to learn there are threats beyond the reach of human ingenuity--and that the true nature of reality might be the universe's greatest mystery. In this near future, our world is at war with another, and humanity is haunted by its one catastrophic loss--a nightmarish engagement that left a handful of survivors drifting home through space, wracked with PTSD. Public support for the war plummeted, and the military-industrial complex set its sights on a new goal: zero-casualty warfare, made possible by gleaming new ships called Providences, powered by AI. But when the latest-launched Providence suffers a surprising attack and contact with home is severed, Gilly, Talia, Anders, and Jackson must confront the truth of the war they're fighting, the ship that brought them there, and the cosmos beyond

4 editions

Apollo reviewed Providence by Max Barry

A Timely Novel

4 stars

Max Barry's speculative fiction has often been published just ahead of big cultural moments it is well suited to shed light on. This novel from 2020 focuses on AI and PR in a way that seems perfectly suited for the 2022-2023 surge in AI use. There are thrilling space war trappings, but Barry's wit and those presently pressing concerns make it more than just another sci fi adventure.

David Scrimshaw reviewed Providence by Max Barry

Review of 'Providence' on 'Storygraph'

5 stars

I think it's significant that this is the first book I have finished in a long time.

It's good, serious science fiction. With interesting thinking about where our algorithmically controlled social media future might be heading.

It's space war, but not like any space war story I've ever read. Definitely not "rah, rah, go humans!" stuff.

It's not one I'd recommend for every sci-fi fan. But if you're into Philip K. Dick or Harlan Ellison, this is worth a look.

Subjects

Space ships -- Fiction
Interstellar travel -- Fiction
Artificial intelligence -- Fiction
Astronauts -- Fiction
Human-alien encounters -- Fiction
Imaginary wars and battles -- Fiction