Good fiction is mostly about relationships among the characters portrayed in the book. There is an underlying attitude held by some readers that science fiction is all about rockets, space wars, and/or alien beings. It’s a shame such false bias exists, since much science fiction is actually about relationships amongst people. A Suggestion in Space is one such book.

Set in a relatively near future, partly on a spectacularly engineered spaceship as well as on a distant planet as yet undiscovered, it nevertheless deals with the emotional, physical, and spiritual interactions of the very real characters populating its pages. There are no little green men, no laser wars, and only enough information about the various craft used for transport to set the scene realistically.

The book looks at this voyage into the unknown from two perspectives; that of the small number of journalists and publicists on Earth charged with promoting and describing the events, dealing with the unexpected whilst trying to lead their less than normal lives. And that of the small group of men and women chosen to take part in what is in effect a daring, dangerous, and almost entirely speculative mission designed to take over 30 years to conclude.

We get to know both sets of characters intimately. We learn of their ambitions, hopes, dreams, expectations, prejudices, ignorance, perseverance, foibles, courage, love, and desires. We also discover their delusions, superstitions, jealousies, and stubbornness.

Led by a flawed but gifted man, aided by women of high intelligence and natural curiosity, the small crew embarks on a voyage into the future, knowing there is a strong possibility they may never be able to return to Earth.

Their journey through space is full of the banter, discussion, suspicion, trust, and growing mutual affection only close confinement for a lengthy period can bring to a group of people from differing backgrounds and cultures brought together through a well-designed selection process can achieve.

What can happen when a detailed, comprehensive plan veers from its intended end is played out in a way both plausible and fascinating. Great imagination, combined with a sound knowledge of enough physics and a good grounding in understanding people have combined to produce a story full of surprises and events that keep the reader turning the pages to the very end of this extraordinary tale.    

[Any review is a personal opinion. No reviewer can represent the view of anyone else. The best we can manage is an honest reaction to any given book.]