Published: Aug. 14, 2009
Words: 148562 (approximate)
Language: English

Description

The four giant satellites in Earth orbit were considered oases for humanity. But when a volcanic eruption threatens to finally ruin Earth's ecosystem, the remaining peoples of Earth demand access to the satellites, and threaten to overwhelm them. And as the satellites are under siege from below, a desperate gamble for the survival of the satellite Verdant is taken...

Tags

space, space colony, global climate change, orbit

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Reviews

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Review by: calebblake on Feb. 29, 2012 :
Cross-posted from Papyrus Independent Author Reviews (http://papyrus.calebblake.net/2012/02/29/verdant-skies-by-steve-lyle-jordan/)

Far in the future, when mankind is struggling to reverse the damage he has done to the planet, the planet itself eventually retaliates in a decisive manner - a cataclysmic eruption of the Yellowstone Caldera which fills the earth's atmosphere with volcanic ash. The focus of earth becomes the 4 habitable satellites orbiting the planet. So begins the drama that is "Verdant Skies".

I can probably sum up this novel thusly: potential script for pilot/two part movie introducing a new sci-fi television series part "Babylon 5" and part "Star Trek". Really. There are a cast of characters all developed in an introductory way as if we're going to be joining them for a whole season and a two part action thriller that serves as a precursor for the actual series which would probably be named "Verdant Pioneers", also the title of the sequel.

All the characters are represented. The fearless leader of the Verdant satellite with a proud career and a sad past, the sassy and perceptive second-in-command, the slightly less impressive chief of operations who has an inferiority complex, the smooth science consultant and the straight-talking head of the science department, the president of the United States and a sultry diplomat who can mine information as well as she can turn heads. Throw in a couple of daughters, wives, a couple of combat pilots and sundries and you have every space opera television series ever made. But that's not to say that all I could murmur was "derivative" as I read. Not at all. To me, this was a refinement in ways on what already works well in this arena and it really was a very enjoyable and exciting read overall.

The science used in this novel is interesting in that the author manages to present it in a pretty plausible way. I won't go into details as it would spoil the plot, but I was impressed at the effort made to show us something that feels believable somehow even though it remains quite fantastic. I felt myself imagining possibilities and this is a very good sign in a science fiction novel.

Meanwhile, the plot is an exciting one with tension built up over two main crises. Once the tension escalated to a certain level I found that pages almost turned by themselves and small chunks of time escaped me completely. I love being lost in a book this way, so I'm pleased to have had this experience with "Verdant Skies". Unfortunately though, I was sometimes taken away from this vivid experience by the aspects of the story that frustrated me - the relationships.

OK - so sexual tension between various characters in a television series is not uncommon, but I found this aspect of the novel a bit off-putting. During the first half of the book, there seemed to be an excessive focus on how people looked. During an unprecedented crisis, as tension is mounting, I felt like I was surrounded by characters that only wanted to have sex, watch derrieres and ogle boobies. Relationship status seemed to be annoyingly present as well. We get to hear about how this one hasn't had much success with women and how the other one doesn't seem to want women because of the tragic loss of his wife. Let's not forget this one who could have been with that one were it not for meeting his wife, and how do you think that will turn out? And although there wasn't a huge amount of sex, the scenes seemed to range from suggestive to bodice-ripping intense to borderline erotica. To me, it was all a bit much and tended to get in the way of a great story.

Otherwise, the writing itself was pretty good and in general, the sentences flowed smoothly. However, there was at least one paragraph highly annoying due to its almost verbatim repetition in several places:

"...he became aware of a high-pitched tone, coming from seemingly everywhere around him...it rose in frequency, until it was beyond his hearing, but not quite beyond his ability sense its presence. And then that sense, too, went away."

A small variation on these words appears no less than 6 times in the narrative. I'm not sure what the reasoning for the repetition was but the only effect it had on me was one of frustration.

To summarise, some aspects of this story did impact my overall enjoyment. However, I can't possibly give "Verdant Skies" less than 3.5 stars for the simple reason that I've already mentally placed the sequel, "Verdant Pioneers", on my "to be read" list. I want to know what our fearless crew is going to encounter in the next episode. So how could I possibly finish by saying that this novel is anything but a success?
(reviewed long after purchase)

Review by: Isaac Johnson on June 01, 2011 :
I really enjoyed this work. A marked improvement over his DOS series. One of the few books that made me stay up late to finish. It's also one I hope has a followup (I'de like to see where the story line could continue). Definitely classically written sci-fi not getting overly deep on the tech, and abstaining from the overt drama of space operas. I didn't see an issue with names as others listed; yes, he occasionally uses first names for some and for others uses both names, but it sounded right in my head when i read it so really not an issue.
(reviewed within a week of purchase)

Review by: Albert Robbins on March 23, 2011 :
I was a little lost by the narration and the way names were used in this novel but all in all it was a great read. I found myself asking a lot of what if questions throughout the entire story. I feel this is a well thought out story with a few minor tweaks to the narration needed. The first or last name decisions should have been clear but it does not detract from the story too much.
(reviewed long after purchase)

Review by: GraceKrispy on Nov. 01, 2010 :
Space-- the final frontier. It's 2229, and humans have recklessly used up many of Earth's precious resources. They have been forced to think of other options to relieve the negative impacts of overcrowding and limited resources. Many people now live aboard four different space satellites. Each satellite has its own leader and population, tourism is alive and well, and life goes on.

The satellite Verdant is a sovereign nation, yet it is dependent on Earth for necessary resources and as an outlet for waste products. It's not Earth, but for most people it's a comfortable life. They have recreated some of the amenities of Earth, and daily life goes along much the same as it always has on Earth, with some minor adjustments. Verdant is a great place to visit, and a comfortable place to live. Until Yellowstone explodes.

Suddenly, the satellites are inundated with immigration requests from Earth. The satellites are already filled to capacity, but the humans on Earth are not willing to accept that fact, and will go to great lengths to get where they think they'll be safe. Suddenly the satellites become the most attractive options, and each has its share of tragedy as they struggle to remain sustainable amidst an attempted influx of people. The citizens of Verdant are unwittingly thrown into turmoil as Verdant becomes a pawn in the plans of several factions, including that of the US President. As the desperation of the residents of Earth grows, people are forced to make some very difficult decisions that test the relationships in their lives, as well as challenge their sense of right and wrong. These decisions may change the way humans think about Earth, space, and what is truly needed to sustain life.

Steven Lyle Jordan has written a page-turning adventure that, unfortunately, doesn't seem out of the realm of possibility. His characters are pretty well-defined, and the science is thought-provoking. (For readers who are interested in the basis of the science included in the book, there is a nice explanation at the end of the book.) It was a difficult book to put down. As I read, I found myself thinking about how easily this truly could be our reality in 2229, or even sooner. I think that connection to what is going on in our world right now is what makes this book so fascinating. It's the kind of science fiction that could truly become our reality down the road. The people are recognizable, even if the situation seems a few years out. Although the storyline seems to lead you to an inevitable ending, you realize that even amongst the despair, hope is born. The story points to the resourcefulness of mankind, and the strength and integrity that is needed for humanity to move forward in difficult times.


Some characters are referred to by their last names in the narration, while most are referred to by their first names. The inconsistency seemed a bit unusual to me, but not a problem. Perhaps it helps denote those characters with which we form stronger attachments in the story; the characters we connect with most are called by first names. At one point, however, during a scene between the President and his girlfriend, she calls him by his first name, as does all the corresponding narration. This is the only place in the book where the narration uses his first name. I had to really think about who was in that scene, as I had long since forgotten his whole name since he was always referred to by his last name. It was a very minor inconsistency that didn't detract from the story, overall, but left me momentarily confused.

This is a great read. The story is captivating, and you find yourself thinking "what if?" What if satellites are the frontier of the future? What if Yellowstone erupts and forces humans to look into other options? What if desperate times result in equally desperate measures? As I turned the last page, I was left to wonder what happens next, for the Earth, and for Verdant. I think the riveting storyline and the fascinating physics push this story into a 5 star read. Strongly recommended.
(reviewed the day of purchase)

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