Published by Boyds Mills Press
As our own planet begins to suffer from environmental changes, many are looking at the future we may soon be living. Andrew Deyoung’s novel, The Exo Project, while depicting a grim future, provides at least some hope. Once the ozone layer has been deteriorated beyond the point of providing any protection from UV rays, a company, OmniCore, creates a program to send “volunteers” to other planets that the Citizens of Earth could live on. Our protagonist, Matthew, is one such volunteer in order to pay for his mother’s cancer treatment. The narrative then shifts to a far-off planet named Gle’ah and the inhabitant of one of the villages on the planet, Kiva. When Matthew reaches Kiva’s planet, their fates become intertwined.
Thematically, this novel hits us at the right time. Mix both environmental turmoils along with Trumpian ideals, and everything feels so familiar or at least plausible. Much is explained about this universe in strong bits that rarely weigh down the story, and many of the thematic ideas are behind the scenes. As Matthew and his crew arrive on Gleh’ah, the villagers’ fear of the unknown is explored as we learn about OmniCore’s intentions back on Earth.
Chapters are rarely longer than four pages, but as the reader gets further in the novel, almost every chapter is from the perspective of a different character. However, this may leave some thinking the novel is bloated, but the unique shifting between characters and their perspectives requires a quick style. Deyoung’s novel is timely and expertly structure, and far from a typical Science Fiction adventure story. —Jakob Westpfal