Perihelion Summer

Hugo-winner Egan (Phoresis) postulates a bleak too-near future in this hard SF apocalyptic tale of abrupt climate change sparked by a binary black hole rapidly approaching Earth. Young Australian scientist Matt Fleming is testing a new kind of aquaculture with the Mandjet, an innovative “floating fish farm” that can withstand sea level changes. As a fearfully hot summer and an equally violent winter cause crop failures and widespread disaster across the planet, Matt struggles to bring his parents and sister to relative safety on Mandjet, battling both the Australian government’s lack of preparation and his relatives’ personal denial of the looming tragedy. Traveling with a ragtag flotilla to Antarctica, Matt and his shipmates develop a grim plan for survival that seems to be humankind’s only hope of enduring Earth’s rapid collapse. Egan’s rapid-fire plot, full of convincing scientific detail, and his sympathetically drawn characters of various races and backgrounds make this a vivid commentary both on societies’ stubborn refusal to face an environmental threat and individuals’ determination to survive it. (Apr.)