Review of Space Shield
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[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Space Shield" by Jeremy Clift.]
Space Shield: The Wrath of the Sun by Jeremy Clift is a sci-fi fiction book, the third in the Sci-Fi Galaxy series, though it can be read as a standalone.
The story starts in the year 2108, when the world is surviving, heavily dependent on electronics, automated machinery, and artificial intelligence completely integrated seemingly in every part of society, along with space stations and observatories set up in space. Quite a realistic scenario. With these many advanced and electricity-reliant gadgets, the storms happening on the sun become quite prominent as they create electromagnetic disturbances that can interfere and sometimes even shut down satellites and electronics at Earth's surface level. If the approaching storm is at a high-intensity catastrophic level, then it can just not interfere with electronics but also create fires and temperature spikes at surface level. Such storms are cyclic, they have happened in the past and the future ones can be predicted like seasons.
To protect humanity from the wrath of the sun, a company named Consortium, under the leadership of Howie Rich, constructs an electric shield in space that can reflect and divert solar energy in times of crisis. The shield could also direct solar energy to colder parts of the Earth or reduce exposure in deserts. This could potentially give the corporation global dominance and a way to earn, protect, or threaten any part of the world.
Howie Rich comes off as the typical villain CEO ready to dominate the world. Thankfully, the focus of the story was not on him but on his son, Arturo. Howie commissioned Arturo to construct the shield, calling it Kavach. The construction site of Kavach was on the moon. Arturo wanted to prove himself desperately, but he also knew his father well. With his moral compass still intact, it was interesting how he dealt with everything. From the pressure of carrying a large-scale project on the moon with an approaching catastrophe and gut-wrenching decisions in times of high alert to the politics and the aftermath of the disaster.
A lot of many characters were involved in the story, from scientists, engineers, aerospace pilots, activists, and leaders on Earth. In the beginning, the characters and the language might feel overwhelming, but as the story progresses, everything comes together smoothly. Whatever happens on the macro level has consequences on the micro. The narrative moves between different places, and we get a POV of different people, making the story quite interesting and easy to read. There is a lot of action and moments of urgency. The author’s style of writing made me hate some characters and care about some, like Airi, one of the aerospace pilots who cleared debris in space before it became a problem.
I would like to give Space Shield4 out of 5 stars for a gripping story set in space that had a good balance of scientific technical information and interpersonal relationships. Some of the scenes were cliché but still enjoyable.
The technical part felt too heavy in the beginning; the dialogue felt less like human interaction and more like updates from an astronaut about to launch into space. Since the book was long, the errors encountered were rare, but they exceeded the count of ten. One star has been deducted for the errors and the dialogue in the introductory part of the book.
The novel is suitable for readers who like action-packed space fiction with technical details that are imaginative and very real. Someone who has a background in electric, aerospace, or thermal engineering is likely to enjoy the story more, as they would be able to fully grasp and appreciate the technical aspects of the story.
******
Space Shield
View: on Bookshelves
Space Shield: The Wrath of the Sun by Jeremy Clift is a sci-fi fiction book, the third in the Sci-Fi Galaxy series, though it can be read as a standalone.
The story starts in the year 2108, when the world is surviving, heavily dependent on electronics, automated machinery, and artificial intelligence completely integrated seemingly in every part of society, along with space stations and observatories set up in space. Quite a realistic scenario. With these many advanced and electricity-reliant gadgets, the storms happening on the sun become quite prominent as they create electromagnetic disturbances that can interfere and sometimes even shut down satellites and electronics at Earth's surface level. If the approaching storm is at a high-intensity catastrophic level, then it can just not interfere with electronics but also create fires and temperature spikes at surface level. Such storms are cyclic, they have happened in the past and the future ones can be predicted like seasons.
To protect humanity from the wrath of the sun, a company named Consortium, under the leadership of Howie Rich, constructs an electric shield in space that can reflect and divert solar energy in times of crisis. The shield could also direct solar energy to colder parts of the Earth or reduce exposure in deserts. This could potentially give the corporation global dominance and a way to earn, protect, or threaten any part of the world.
Howie Rich comes off as the typical villain CEO ready to dominate the world. Thankfully, the focus of the story was not on him but on his son, Arturo. Howie commissioned Arturo to construct the shield, calling it Kavach. The construction site of Kavach was on the moon. Arturo wanted to prove himself desperately, but he also knew his father well. With his moral compass still intact, it was interesting how he dealt with everything. From the pressure of carrying a large-scale project on the moon with an approaching catastrophe and gut-wrenching decisions in times of high alert to the politics and the aftermath of the disaster.
A lot of many characters were involved in the story, from scientists, engineers, aerospace pilots, activists, and leaders on Earth. In the beginning, the characters and the language might feel overwhelming, but as the story progresses, everything comes together smoothly. Whatever happens on the macro level has consequences on the micro. The narrative moves between different places, and we get a POV of different people, making the story quite interesting and easy to read. There is a lot of action and moments of urgency. The author’s style of writing made me hate some characters and care about some, like Airi, one of the aerospace pilots who cleared debris in space before it became a problem.
I would like to give Space Shield4 out of 5 stars for a gripping story set in space that had a good balance of scientific technical information and interpersonal relationships. Some of the scenes were cliché but still enjoyable.
The technical part felt too heavy in the beginning; the dialogue felt less like human interaction and more like updates from an astronaut about to launch into space. Since the book was long, the errors encountered were rare, but they exceeded the count of ten. One star has been deducted for the errors and the dialogue in the introductory part of the book.
The novel is suitable for readers who like action-packed space fiction with technical details that are imaginative and very real. Someone who has a background in electric, aerospace, or thermal engineering is likely to enjoy the story more, as they would be able to fully grasp and appreciate the technical aspects of the story.
******
Space Shield
View: on Bookshelves
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