Review of The Planet by Robby Charters

Like Larry Niven’s Lucifer’s Hammer, an inbound comet makes for a tense backdrop to the story. 

 I have not often seen the angle this book takes though. Said planet-killer is on course to end the idyllic lives of those who are planetbound. Luckily, humans already inhabit space ships. Unluckily for most, you have to be super rich to own one.
The scenes are told mainly through pointed dialogue, and the realistic characters are from all walks of life. We get a wide range of people, mainly from the economically strained classes, who maneuver their way into space.
The spaceship scenes have the tint of golden-age pulp sci-fi classic series reminiscent of Star Trek in some respects. We get slices of the passengers’ lives. As in any multicultural environment, conflicts arise.
This is a prequel, but can stand alone. If you want more of this involved and complex story, the author has produced a variety of books.
This volume switches perspective frequently, introducing a large number of characters right away, and gives an indirect survey of responses to the celestial threat.
It touches, as promised, on economic disparities and social ills, and is profoundly human in its depiction of the full spectrum of humanity’s flaws. No matter how advanced our technology is, we carry our burdens, history and natures into space, into any arena we enter. We’ve always been our own worst enemies.
It reminds me of the film Don’t Look Up, with its discussion of human beings’ inability to solve problems of class, resources, inbred hate, ideology, etc.
Race is one of the big questions it tackles. While its conclusions may not resolve our widespread issues, it gives air to the topic.
One wonders if they had the technology to exceed light speed using hyperspace, why couldn’t they deflect comets or disintegrate them? It is clear not everyone has access to life-saving technology.
Dealing with people confined to a ship, from so many differing backgrounds leads to a bubbling up of tensions on multiple levels.
Characters interact as a form of survival, choosing sides, organizing factions. The persistence of hatred as a defining characteristic of our species is a sobering reality.
Amid all the depressing subtext, the author still manages to inject levity into some scenes, to show us sides of human grace and generosity.
A well-rounded book by a talented author.