Saturday, February 22, 2020
The Bishop of Mars
by Steven Charleston
This book is set in the far future--over 2700 years after the Drought? What was the drought? I'm not sure. But one can get clues from references to the Dry Lands in the middle of North America and the Med Marsh between Africa and Europe. Anyway, the powers that be at that time are the Twin Empires: China and Russia. They lead a peaceful coexistence with each other and the African Free States. They are also the joint rulers of Mars, where terraforming has allowed a number of colonies to thrive. The Western hemisphere of Earth—West Hem—is run by a consortium called The Vegas. They provide, er, entertainment to the citizens of the Twin Empires, and they're looking to build their first establishment on Mars. Bishop Anthony, newly appointed bishop to the Martian diocese of the Common Prayer Church, finds himself in their way. The Vegas doesn't like people who get in their way.
I found The Bishop of Mars to be a very enjoyable read. In some ways, it was a dystopian novel, with much of the familiar elements of our world either taken away or twisted. But it was also a dystopia where humanity has adapted and moved on to build a new normal. Secondly, I also found it refreshing that it was a science fiction milieu where religion was part of everyday life rather than a scorned remnant of the past or an evil to be exorcised. It's a book I want to keep on my shelf.
LibraryThing link
This book is set in the far future--over 2700 years after the Drought? What was the drought? I'm not sure. But one can get clues from references to the Dry Lands in the middle of North America and the Med Marsh between Africa and Europe. Anyway, the powers that be at that time are the Twin Empires: China and Russia. They lead a peaceful coexistence with each other and the African Free States. They are also the joint rulers of Mars, where terraforming has allowed a number of colonies to thrive. The Western hemisphere of Earth—West Hem—is run by a consortium called The Vegas. They provide, er, entertainment to the citizens of the Twin Empires, and they're looking to build their first establishment on Mars. Bishop Anthony, newly appointed bishop to the Martian diocese of the Common Prayer Church, finds himself in their way. The Vegas doesn't like people who get in their way.
I found The Bishop of Mars to be a very enjoyable read. In some ways, it was a dystopian novel, with much of the familiar elements of our world either taken away or twisted. But it was also a dystopia where humanity has adapted and moved on to build a new normal. Secondly, I also found it refreshing that it was a science fiction milieu where religion was part of everyday life rather than a scorned remnant of the past or an evil to be exorcised. It's a book I want to keep on my shelf.
LibraryThing link
Labels: OnMyShelf
// posted by John @ 2:38 PM 
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