In this sense of like previously my world was whatever I was wrapped up in and this other stuff is evidence of a higher power. Like obviously God wanted this to happen because it's going super well. And one of the things that Russell does to maintain that tension is she has one of the crew members who is you don't get to know that well like he's sort of expendable. He dies of unknown causes early on, so even though you know six of the other seven people are going to die the tension and suspense comes from like when and from what.
We're back to sci-fi this week, but we take a break from the politics-heavy universe of Isaac Asimov's Foundation series. Mary Doria Russell's The Sparrow instead uses science fiction to discuss anthropology, colonialism, and theology. There's some genuinely funny and warm stuff in this book, but there's a shadow hanging over the proceedings from the outset: eight people set out to explore the first known alien planet inhabited by sentient life, but only one comes back, and he's much worse for the wear.
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