Generation Ship is a ferocious story of human desperation, boiling with tension and betrayal.” — Sunyi Dean, author of The Book Eaters
"Mammay writes compellingly and convincingly about the complex, imperfect, and rocky nature of political and personal change set against the backdrop of a generation ship counting down to its hoped-for destination and what that will mean for everyone aboard." — Kate Elliott, author of Unconquerable Sun
"Impressively well-balanced page-turner... propulsive and satisfying." — New York Times Book Review
Best SF/Fantasy of 2023 — "Taut, highly political SF thriller...Highly recommended." — Library Journal (starred review)
“The idea of generation ships is not a new one in SF, but Mammay's approach and style are unique. Fans of James S. A. Corey's Expanse series (2011) will enjoy this one.” — Booklist (starred review)
“Political sci-fi done right! Generation Ship offers a captivating look at an authentic spaceborne civilization aboard a nascent powder keg. Cleverly written, topical, and compelling with a relatable cast of diverse characters, deeply personal stakes, and twisty plot elements that will keep you on your toes.” — J.S. Dewes, author of the Divide Series
"Michael Mammay's Generation Ship is a masterclass in political science fiction. A political chess match filled with absolute page-turning tension that culminates in an ending which manages to be both bittersweet and hopeful. This was a book that will be stuck in my head for a while." — K.B. Wagers, author of the NeoG series
"Mammay masterfully balances multiple points of view against one another to chart a sociopolitical puzzle of growing complexity with no easy answers. Succinct prose, deeply human conflicts, and a planet you’ll be flipping pages to race toward alongside the Voyager." — — Essa Hansen, author of The Graven trilogy
"Kim Stanley Robinson meets C J Cherryh in this cutting examination of the fallibilities and frailties of the human spirit." — Richard Swan, Sunday Times Bestselling Author of The Empire of the Wolf Trilogy
"An entertaining read." — Kirkus Reviews
“Impressive hard SF epic… Equally entertaining and intelligent, this nuanced tale is sure to please sci-fi fans.” — Publishers Weekly
“Generation Ship isn’t just a novel concerned with the current hegemonic empire spanning our globe, it’s a story concerned with our survival as a species, and this is where Mammay really delivers. This book, and I cannot stress the point enough, is a snapshot of our planet...” — Lightspeed Magazine
“Generation Ship has the brilliant political complexity of The Expanse and the American government, while keeping the fun and excitement of Dark Matter. Thoughtful, well-written, deep, and engaging. Familiar to fans of sci fi and of Mike Mammay's voice while watching him take us in a new direction with his craft and storytelling.” — R.R. Virdi, author of The First Binding
"A riveting political drama that had me on the edge of my seat wondering if humanity would survive itself. Tense, twisty, and deeply human—my favorite Mammy novel so far!" — Bethany Jacobs, author of These Burning Stars
"An excellent novel about a society living inside one ship and the factions that rise out of it, and about the handful of people struggling to keep it all together long enough to reach the planet they've spent their whole lives flying to, before the ship and everyone in it burns down." — Clay Harmon, author of Flames of Mira
"A complete knockout that will have you wanting to devote every minute of your free time to discovering what lies at the end of its enthralling journey.” — Out Of This World SFF
“One of those reads that is punchy, it pulls you forward… one of my favorite reads in recent memory.” — Jon Ficke
“[A]n absolute page-turner of a thriller… [C]ompelling, cleverly written, with a well-characterized cast—this is the kind of book to both keep you on the edge of your seat and keep you guessing.” — Analog Science Fiction & Fact
“It’s an ambitious book that is perfect for fans of series like Battlestar Galactica or The Expanse.” — Fansided, Winter is Coming
2023-08-12
The spaceship Voyager (no, not that one) faces threats from within and without as it finally nears its destination.
After 253 years, the titular ship is approaching the planet Promissa, but most of the probes seeking information about this potential home go offline before they can report back. Is something—or someone—interfering with the ship’s research? And the news that their goal is imminent catalyzes a growing unrest in the ship’s population, who chafe at the rigid strictures of the ship’s charter, which effectively locks an individual into the same work division until they submit to mandatory recycling at age 75. The autocratic governor; an overzealous cop; a farmer turned unwillingly into opposition leader; a scientist excited and worried by the limited data they’re receiving from Promissa; and a young hacker with an uncanny ability to infiltrate the ship’s systems all play roles in determining the future of Voyager’s inhabitants even as politics and competing ambitions threaten to bungle the colonization process. SF has produced many stories suggesting that the centuries-long mission of a ship traveling from Earth to a new home is unlikely to meet with success. Mammay primarily addresses the conflicts among the ship's inhabitants; while emphasizing that human frailty may overcome good intentions and careful research, this choice also means that some of the intriguing aspects of landing on the new planet don’t get all the attention they deserve. As a result, the pacing feels a bit distorted: a slow burn and then a rush to climax. That focus also highlights the implausibility of the societal organization on the ship. Determining a person’s job at an early age and not allowing them to switch, with all major decisions made primarily by the governor and the captain and then by division directors, is not a viable structure for a journey that takes generations. The absence of representative democracy means that corruption and stagnancy are bound to occur; it’s shocking that this kind of upheaval didn’t happen considerably earlier in the voyage. It might be interesting to contrast this work with Kim Stanley Robinson’s Aurora (2015), a more accomplished generation-ship novel in which the ship lacked a clear leader and ran into its own problems.
An entertaining read that doesn’t add anything fresh to the slow-ships-to-the-stars-are-doomed canon.
