Review: Stories that will stay with you
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 02 16, 2013
Would you live someone else's dream at the expense your own?  What would it be like to have the promise of immortality handed to you, only to be taken away?  If you were stripped of all your senses, your mind your only company, what would keep you going?  What would it be like to be a consciousness trapped, yet eternal?These are some of the questions The Settlers leaves you to ponder.My favorite stories are the ones that stay with you, the ones that haunt you well after you finish the last page, or watch the last scene.  They aren't unique to a particular medium, but when executed correctly, live beyond the work.  The Settlers achieves this.If you've read the excerpted short stories Onyx and Soma, you're already acquainted with what to expect from The Settlers.  But now, not only do you get to see how Micah and Tasneem fit into the larger narrative, you get to meet a whole new cast of characters.  You'll experirence their pain, their joy, and the sacrifices they have to make for the promise of a better future in space.Structurally, The Settlers is different than most novels.  It is composed of vignettes which at times are interwoven with the larger plot, and at others merely glimpses into the lives of the first people to call space home.  Their situations are relatable which make the storytelling all the more strong.  This is possibly why The Settlers succeeds so well in delivering a memorable and timeless story.We find, that even in the future, many miles away from the only home we have, we remain human.  We suffer from jealousy, hatred, love, pain, regret, and even fail to learn from past mistakes.  No matter how many problems we solve with technology, or destructive ideals we shed, we can't escape ourselves.  We can't escape being human.If you enjoy science fiction that tackles subjects that lie beyond the surface, then The Settlers is for you.  I'm looking forward to the next installment, as I'm sure you will be too.