In Sea of Tranquility, the author describes the old unsettled America, depicts how the population has expanded in the present and speculates about future living spaces. What will always be the same? What truly changes, and who will survive? Human nature is such that there will always be some who play by the rules and others who rebel. The story starts in 1912 when Edwin, one of many characters, is exiled from England to Canada. His views on British colonization become suspect after he arrives on the east coast of Canada and gradually moves westward, ironically becoming part of colonization efforts. Additionally, he has some unusual experiences that don’t make sense until much later in the novel.
The story skips to 2020, and we meet a different set of characters and a storyline that seems current and believable until the story picks up in 2203. In the future segment, Olive Llewelyn, an author, is conducting a book tour on Earth even though she lives in a moon colony. The world is bracing for a pandemic, and the narrative starts to make sense. Later in the novel, 2401, we learn about the advantages and disadvantages of time travel and realize that moon colonies have lost their glamour. The segments of the book begin to flesh out the plot as we learn more about the results of time travel. It is well written, and through the futuristic components, I pondered questions such as:
What is real?
Is all of life a simulation?
With all of the scientific advancements, why are professional women still viewed differently from men?
Why are there still gross inequities in human populations?
Will bureaucracy always be the evil representation of the self-interest of government programs?
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