Noumenon
Noumenon by Marina J. Lostetter, published by HarperCollins on August 1, 2017, is a science fiction narrative that explores humanity’s quest for knowledge beyond Earth. Set in 2088, the story follows astrophysicist Reggie Straifer, who proposes a deep-space mission to investigate an anomalous star that challenges the laws of physics. As the journey unfolds through generational vignettes, readers witness the evolution of a society aboard nine ships, where clones of the original crew navigate the complexities of their mission and their own identities.
This edition presents a mosaic of discovery, focusing on themes of adventure, growth, and the challenges of living in the vastness of space. As the crew adapts to their environment over centuries, they grapple with their unique traits and the implications of their mission. Noumenon delves into the intricacies of human experience and the dynamics of a society formed in isolation, inviting readers to contemplate the limits of knowledge and the essence of humanity in the face of the unknown. With 432 pages, this book offers a rich exploration of space opera and hard science fiction.
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A Publishers Weekly “Best Books of 2017” pick!
A Kirkus Reviews “Best Books of 2017” pick!
A B&N Sci-Fi and Fantasty Blog “Best SFF of 2017” pick!
With nods to Arthur C. Clarke’s Rama series and the real science of Neal Stephenson’s Seveneves, a touch of Hugh Howey’s Wool, and echoes of Octavia Butler’s voice, a powerful tale of space travel, adventure, discovery, and humanity that unfolds through a series of generational vignettes.
In 2088, humankind is at last ready to explore beyond Earth’s solar system. But one uncertainty remains: Where do we go?
Astrophysicist Reggie Straifer has an idea. He’s discovered an anomalous star that appears to defy the laws of physics, and proposes the creation of a deep-space mission to find out whether the star is a weird natural phenomenon, or something manufactured.
The journey will take eons. In order to maintain the genetic talent of the original crew, humankind’s greatest ambition—to explore the furthest reaches of the galaxy— is undertaken by clones. But a clone is not a perfect copy, and each new generation has its own quirks, desires, and neuroses. As the centuries fly by, the society living aboard the nine ships (designated Convoy Seven) changes and evolves, but their mission remains the same: to reach Reggie’s mysterious star and explore its origins—and implications.
A mosaic novel of discovery, Noumenon—in a series of vignettes—examines the dedication, adventure, growth, and fear of having your entire world consist of nine ships in the vacuum of space. The men and women, and even the AI, must learn to work and live together in harmony, as their original DNA is continuously replicated and they are born again and again into a thousand new lives. With the stars their home and the unknown their destination, they are on a voyage of many lifetimes—an odyssey to understand what lies beyond the limits of human knowledge and imagination.
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