A Planet Called Happiness

In The Seeds of Aril, Robinson’s first novel for Firefall’s “Science Fiction by Scientists” line, Earth’s Galactic Explorers’ Union sent out magnetically “frozen” people to colonize the stars over thousands of years. This follow-up finds explorer Benjamin Mizello’s onetime lover Bria and their son, Benn, going to the stars looking for Benjamin, while others discover that the “theme park” planet of Happiness—specifically colonized to make art the primary goal of life—may harbor the first known sentient alien life. Both the explorers and the inhabitants of Happiness will face dangers from pirates who previously tried invading Aril. The large cast and broad canvas of Seeds are nowhere in evidence; instead, Robinson examines a few new discoveries in thorough scientific detail, never forgetting the humanity of the explorers’ stories. Readers interested in the minutia of worldbuilding will most appreciate this outing. (June)