Here and Beyond - Hal LaCroix

''A brilliant, character-driven debut novel . . . An imaginative journey that''s absorbing, thoughtful and deeply humane'' GUARDIAN

''LaCroix shows us the difficulties that mount for those on board from disease to rebellions to some travellers who come to doubt that they are even on a ship at all . . . Don''t just take my word for its brilliance'' NEWSCIENTIST

‘A rousing achievement ... What makes Here and Beyond stand out is its dedication to character, richness of emotion, and a tender eye for the humanity of all’ COURTTIA NEWLAND

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Earthworld is a thing of the past. Welcome to the future.

After the collapse of life on Earth as it once was known, 600 people are selected for passage on Shipworld, a spacecraft charting a 360-year voyage to a new planet. Their mission will see generation after generation born, living and dying on board – until one day their descendants finally step foot on the ‘Super Earth’ that might offer the last chance for humankind’s survival.

But life aboard Shipworld is far from a waiting game. The spacecraft promises a world of its own, a harmonious system free of class distinctions and wealth accumulation. Yet with each new generation comes daunting challenges to the future of their civilisation – from creeping doubts about the nature of reality to an outbreak of disease that could eradicate their population, from rebels who threaten the unity of the mission to a traumatic encounter with a mysterious space phenomenon.

An intergenerational epic populated by pioneers and chroniclers, enemies and friends, leaders and legends, Here and Beyond is an intricate and imaginative exploration of the arc of human endeavour.

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What readers are saying:

‘A fascinating reflection on what it means to be human’
‘A space opera of considerable breadth and depth’
‘An imaginative and thought-provoking exploration of humanity’s future’