Things the grandchildren should know

Week 50: Dark Eden – Chris Beckett
Recommended by: Sam Johnson

"I know not with what weapons World War III will be fought, but World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones." Thus spoke Einstein (probably) in the nuclear age. There may or may not have been further world wars in the interim, but 163 years after their ancestors were marooned on Eden, its people are certainly primitive, shorn of the technological advancements that allowed them to have got here from Earth in the first place. Six generations later, there are definitely things their grandchildren should know. Such as: inbreeding is a terrible idea and causes deformity and weakness, regurgitated rituals are probably not the answer, and that just maybe the truth is out there.

Most of the people don't know that though. Barely half a thousand people make up the Family, all descended from a very small gene pool. The planet is dark, with heat and light provided only by the forest's trees. And nobody has ever ventured very far from where the crash first happened in case when the people from Earth come to save them (and they fervently believe that one day they will) they can't find them. Needless to say, something is about to change.

That something, or rather someone, is John. Barely fifteen but possessed of a greater awareness of the situation and tired of slavishly following redundant practices, he wants to move forward rather than simply eking out an existence and waiting. His words and his actions upset the current dynamic of life, and along with Tina – his friend, lover and confidante – they cause a shift in power and an irrevocable change for the Family.

The story is told from both John and Tina's perspectives and it is their relationship that is at the heart of the book. Both of them are wiser and broader of vision than the majority of their clan, but each is still only young and can be overcome by the naivity and pettiness that is to be expected of the young. Their relationship shifts and changes, never completely settling into any one thing as they pursue separate ends and powers of their own.

The shift in power also says something about gender relationships, though I'm not exactly sure what. The Family is dominated and run by women and for all its faults, is a peaceable society. As the novel progresses, this changes and the men begin to assert dominance. This feels a little simplistic to me but depth is added as we discover the truth of more of the creation and foundation stories that have been handed down.

It's a good read and like all good sci fi has something to say about how we live now. It holds up a mirror and we can see reflected in that follies of religion and rituals, conservatism versus progress and that the road to hell may very well be paved with good intentions. Beckett was an unknown name to me but I will certainly aim to check out more of his work as his fledgling career takes off.