The System Has Been Compromised

LIGHTLESS by C.A. Higgins is described as the "deeply moving human drama of Gravity meets the nail-biting suspense of Alien," and the marketing for this story couldn't be more wrong. This is a story about a woman trying to defend the spaceship she has worked on for years. Althea considers the Ananke her child, so, when terrorists force their way on the ship, Althea has to become a different person to defend her life's work.

I'm a fan of the Alien movies and I have watched Gravity in the past, and I wouldn't compare either one of those movies to this novel. The human drama is basically the same issue that has always plagued mankind: people trying to control other people. The only suspense is how long it takes to drag the story out of Ivan (one of the terrorists) through his interrogation at the hands of Ida Stays. Ida is probably the most developed character, and she is just the stereotypical government official gone mad with power. I think this story could have been so much better with a lot more action, as well as more personality from the characters.

However, I desperately needed to know what, exactly, Mattie (Ivan's partner) did to Althea's beloved ship...specifically the computer of the Ananke, and that hook held me captive throughout the story. I also love the setting of the System: colonies on the planets and moons of our solar system, controlled by a government centralized on Earth, with everyone being monitored everywhere by cameras...all the time. Dare to rebel against the government officials? Kiss your atmosphere good-bye. Too bad the story was limited to the one ship. Hopefully, we will see more of the System in the sequel.

As always,
AstraDaemon