Through a Forest of Stars

The discovery of an Earth-like planet 27 light years away spurs fierce competition in Jeffrey’s dense but exhilarating debut. In 2217, Terra Corp’s exploration ship Argo travels through a wormhole to the Chara system to find the pristine planet Silvanus, which boasts oxygen, water, and plenty of plant life. Silvanus offers hope to humankind, who have outgrown the environmentally degraded Earth, but also ignites conflict. The ruthless Terra Corp chairman wants sole rights to Silvanus so he can strip mine it; the Luna-based Gaians, a group of nature-worshipping scientists, hope to preserve it untouched; and the militaristic Allied Republics of Mars aims to colonize it. Caught in the middle is planetary geologist Aiden Macallan. After crashing on Silvanus, Aiden surveys the planet and discovers a form of intelligent life. Meanwhile, the many factions converge in a flurry of space battles and political machinations with “the future of human civilization” at stake. Jeffrey juggles myriad story lines in his exploration of the sociopolitical ramifications of space colonization and man’s obsession with dominion over nature and each other. The result is a smart, if at times overcomplicated, story that weaves accurate hard science with imaginative space opera. Readers will be glad to immerse themselves in Jeffrey’s immensely detailed world. (Self-published)