Worth reading: Yes. What the world could become.

Summary: It is around the year 25,000 AD. Man has thrown off the shackles of conquering aliens species, the Qax and the Silver Ghosts, and has chased the Xeelee to the centre of galaxy. Hustled around Chandra, the large black hole in the centre of the Milky Way, for 3,000 years the Xeelee have thwarted mans attempts of removing them completely.

Child soldiers have become mankinds weapon. Billions of them. Because of them we now hold an unsteady rule over our galaxy. Cannon fodder and taught to expect a short life and glorious death fighting the Xeelee, it is very rare for them to reach their 20th birthday. Taught not to show initiative but to follow the Doctrines, a short life burns brightly, until now.

A young ensign, in a desperate attempt to save his Greenship crew show’s initiative. In so doing he has condemned himself to hard labour. It is now up to his younger self, two years in the past, to show that mankind cannot stagnate, but must take the fight to the Xeelee and Chandra their home.

Excellent read and says a lot about today’s bureaucracies.

Tags: books, stephen baxter