Outbound: Islands in the Void, written by Richard Anderson with illustrations by Tim Kummerow, is an ambitious science fiction novel of space colonization set in the year 2248. The book weaves multiple narratives, from the creation of a space “island” that provides a livable ecosystem for a relatively large population, to accounts of life on earth in the aftermath of climate disaster and resulting political upheavals.
The core of the book revolves around the daily life of Dr. Virgil Greenly, the scientist responsible for creating a sustainable, earth-like living environment for inhabitants who want (or pay) to escape from earth and live in orbit. In this, Virgil has the non-stop assistance from Ofelia, an AI bot embedded in his brain that speaks to him and anticipates his thoughts.
Meanwhile, on earth, political plots abound as the wealthy scramble to seek luxury refuge in the poles—the rest of the planet having become effectively uninhabitable. The narrative follows the harrowing escape of a politically prominent family that has been marked for death by warring, corrupt power players. They head for Virgil’s space island, putting into motion a plot to wrest governing control of the space islands from the existing power structure.
Outbound blends a number of thought-provoking themes that, like all good science fiction, are as much about the present as they are about the future. Climate change is one, as is the inevitable impact of money and power in times of crisis. Anderson’s view is that the rich will take care of their own as everyone else dies from the heat and floods. He’s probably not too far from the truth, what with today’s billionaires building doomsday bunkers and funding all sorts of space endeavors. They seem to be preparing to escape the planet right now, so it’s quite plausible that they’ll be in full gear by 2248.
This is also the rare sci-fi title that offers actual science as part of the story. Anderson has a master’s degree in microbiology, which has enabled him to describe the complex challenges involved in setting up an ecosystem in space that will support human life and enable agriculture. The extrapolation of AI is a bit fanciful, but it’s probably on the right track. We’ll wait until 2248 to update this review.
He also posits, accurately, I think, about the challenges of moving extremely large cargoes from asteroids to earth orbit, as well as the difficulties in generating solar power in the asteroid belt, which is too far away for traditional solar panels, and so forth.
Anderson also gives the reader a clear-eyed view of the power politics of space colonization. Science fiction typically gets this wrong, in my view, with visions of endless money supporting unified systems of governance in space, complete with loyal cadres of officers who are duty-bound to follow orders from planet earth. This is likely not to be the case. As Anderson describes, the more accurate take on future space living involves arguments over money and control, with earthly priorities stripping funding away from space projects that are left hanging, literally, without the resources to complete their work.
My only criticism of the book is that it requires the reader to track of a lot of future technologies, locations, and acronyms that I had trouble keeping straight. This may be a deficiency on my part, as I am not a huge sci-fi reader, so perhaps this is the norm. Otherwise, I would say that Outbound is a worthwhile read for anyone who wants to enjoy a good story while getting a better understanding of what space colonization will really require.