Empyrion

Stephen Lawhead (author)

Lion, UK: 1990; 899pp

ISBN: 0745918727

Genres: adventure, fantasy, science fiction

Issues: cultural differences, war

Orion Treet has been offered an immense fortune to visit and write a report on the new colony of Empyrion, ten light-years from Earth. Given little time to think, although curious as to why the powerful Cynetics Chairman Neviss has gone to such trouble to track him down, Treet becomes space-bound with an odd assortment of companions. On his arrival he finds that the colony appears to be located on a beautiful Terra-type world – but there are certain anomalies relating to its age, level of development and the complicated society that has developed.

As it becomes apparent that the voyage to Empyrion has involved time travel, it also becomes clear that all is not as it should be on Empyrion – there should be life outside the Dome, and too many people are missing.

This is an interesting pair of novels, as Lawhead uses the schism in the colony's culture to explore philosophical issues relating to personal, social, moral and intellectual responsibility. Although some of the characterisations are slightly flawed – a trifle two-dimensional at times – the key figures of Treet and Yarden are sufficiently well-developed to make this a relatively insignificant fault in the writing. Lawhead writes a strong, eventful narrative, binding his philosophical themes closely to the actions of his characters so that reader interest is maintained.

Well worth reading.

This is a single-volume edition of the two-part, futuristic epic including The Search for Fierra and The Siege of Dome.