“Exodus,” by Julie Bertagna

“Exodus,” by Julie Bertagna is an amazing science fiction novel about a future in which global warming has resulted in rising sea levels that have covered most of the world in water.

Wing is an isolated island in the Northern Sea. Each year the seas rise a little farther, forcing the people of Wing to move upland. And each year the winter storms hit Wing even harder. For fifteen-year-old Mara the storms are frightening, and she is convinced that there must be some way to escape the situation.

In her spare time Mara uses the Weave, an ancient virtual reality system, to search for information about what Earth was once like and what happened to the rest of the world. Most modern technology no longer works, but pieces of the Weave still operate, and Mara is able to tap into it. The Weave once bustled with human avatars, but now it is empty, and all that is left are representations of the disturbing wreckage of Earth’s civilization, interrupted at its very peak by world disaster. The Weave is full of frightening calls for help, and last minute news reports about worldwide flooding.

But deep in the Weave Mara finds clues that lead her to believe that just before the world flooded a series of elevated cities were built on huge platforms above the water. These cities were called New World cities, and in pictures they appear beautiful, with intricate platforms and tubes. Mara dreams about finding one of these cities and leading the people of her island to live there.

Finally Mara uncovers clues that reveal the location of a New World city called New Mungo. Excited, she uncovers her ultimate plan to the people of Wing. They should sail South, leaving Wing behind, and become a part of New Mungo.

After some deliberation the people of Wing decide to leave their island. Really they have no choice. The sea is rising so rapidly that they may not be able to survive another winter without being washed out to sea by rising floodwaters.

So the people of Wing set out for the New World city. Upon arriving at New Mungo, though, they find themselves locked out. New Mungo is a giant elevated city and its residents have little concern for any others who may have the misfortune to not have an elevated city of their own. The thousands of refugees that live below New Mungo have nowhere else to go, and now the people of Wing have no choice but to join them. The squalid conditions of the refugee camp cause sickness and anger. Even the danger of Wing would be preferable.

But Mara is still determined to save her people. If she could just find some way past New Mungo’s defenses then perhaps she could find a way to save not only the people of Wing, but the other suffering refugees as well.

“Exodus” is an amazing story in all respects. Author Julie Bertagna has envisioned a stunning world, reminiscent in some ways of “The Other Side of the Island.” In a world engulfed with water there is limited interchange of ideas, and as a result each group of isolated people develops their own dramatically different culture.

This makes for some very interesting characters. All of the main players in “Exodus” are well designed, with their strong and weak points to balance them out. I will be especially interested in seeing how “Exodus” develops as a series. The book ends with plenty of room for further developments, and I’m sure that a sequel will come soon.

I definitely recommend “Exodus” as one of the most interesting utopian/dystopian novels I’ve read.

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“The Sky Inside” by Clare B. Dunkle

“The Sky Inside” by Clare B. Dunkle is a utopian/dystopian novel about a boy who lives in a futuristic society in which people have retreated to domed suburbs.

Martin is a Dish Fourteen, a genetically modified child who lives in the dome suburb called HM1. In Martin’s world children come as product lines. Each year a new, improved model is advertised on television. If a married couple wants one they just fill out the right forms and the “stork packet” comes bearing their new child.

Everything new that comes HM1, from children to consumer goods comes on rail packets. Martin’s father is the packet chief, the man in charge of making sure that packet arrivals and departures go smoothly. All the real work gets done by freight robots, but Martin still likes to accompany his father on his job, because the packet chief’s special job allows him to spend time near the only entrance and exit to the suburb HM1.

Martin doesn’t know for sure what lies outside the dome protecting his suburb. He’s heard stories about endless sand dunes and poison gases in the air. Martin doesn’t spend much time wondering about things outside, though. There are always more important things to worry about, like the daily national vote. Today the president wants everyone to vote on what color his drapes should be. Everyone knows that it is of national importance that they contribute their vote on the issue.

But Martin has other worries as well. As he explores the loading bays where his father works, and carefully observes the people of HM1, he begins to notice disturbing signs of stress and hidden secrets. He watches in horror and disgust as centipede-like government surveillance robots spread electronic spy bugs around the city. Terrified, he hides as a unhappy citizen of HM1 is sedated and removed from the city by a collection robot in a white lab coat. Slowly, Martin begins to loose his trust in the system that has protected him for so long.

At the same time Martin worries about the Wonder Babies. These children came as a special product line a few years ago, but now everyone is concerned about them. Not only are they much too smart: reading books at two, and doing algebra as toddlers, but they also ask dangerous questions about their world. They don’t seem to respect the important order of things. They raise doubts, as questions such as “Why do people vote about the color of the president’s drapes rather than voting about who should be president?” They even speculate that the president may not even pay attention to the voting results! They claim that instead he picks the vote results based on his own personal preferences.

Martin’s younger sister Cassie is a Wonder Baby. Though she sometimes irritates Martin with her constant questions, Martin is very attached to his younger sister. He hates the fact that older children and even some adults tease and resent the Wonder Babies for their genetically increased intelligence. Martin is determined to protect his younger sister, even if it is difficult at times.

But then Martin discovers a plot to get rid of the Wonder Babies. Their strange ideas and views have attracted the attention of the government, and government agents have decided to recall the Wonder Baby product line. The government will do what they do with any other recalled product line: destroy the defective product. All the Wonder Babies are in deep trouble, and the people of HM1 don’t seem to care. Only Martin wants to help them so he sets out to save his sister and the other Wonder Babies. His only tools are his own deep stubbornness, and a modified toy robotic dog.

“The Sky Inside” by Clare B. Dunkle is very well written. The exciting plot is aided and advanced by the amazing descriptions of advanced robot technology. Clare B. Dunkle has filled the story with incredible descriptions of technology that make “The Sky Inside” science-fiction at its best. The characters are also first-rate. From the genetically modified humans, to the advanced robots, each character that plays a role is unique in its personality.

I also liked the utopian/dystopian air of the story. “The Sky Inside” is full of important messages about the future of mankind and the dangers of where technology could ultimately take us.

I would definitely recommend “The Sky Inside,” both for its amazing science fiction world, and for its utopian/dystopian messages.

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“Atherton - The Dark Planet,” by Patrick Carman

“Atherton - The Dark Planet,” by Patrick Carman, is the stunning conclusion to the Atherton series. Its thoroughly satisfying conclusion reveals the final secrets of Atherton and its enigmatic creator.

Atherton is world created by a scientist named Dr. Harding. Dr. Harding grew up on the Dark Planet, a world ruined by pollution and human greed. As he grew up he envisioned a new, clean world that would orbit the Dark Planet. And so Dr. Harding created the world, using advanced science to grow it from a microscopic seed in a test tube, into a great three tiered world with its own creatures and natural cycles. Dr. Harding named his world Atherton, and populated with people who he reconditioned so that they would forget the Dark Planet and think that they had lived on Atherton for all their life.

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Review of "Atherton - The Dark Planet" by Patrick Carman