Exodus

Julie Bertagna

It appears that I am following a biblical theme as of late (The Parable of the Sower). In Exodus, we are set in the year 2100 and the earth has survived the post-climate change 100 years of storms. Most land is covered in water. This fact alone is key for the premise of the book, but unfortunately not even remotely realistic. Worst case sea level rises are less than 10 meters and this story suggests 100 meter or more. But this story requires most land to have disappeared for two reasons: 1) our protagonist Mara must have a reason to abandon her North Atlantic island home and 2) civilization must have a reason for abandoning land by building giant isolated cities anchored to the sea floor and soaring above into the atmosphere. These two conditions place Mara in a position to be a refugee at one such city, find a disturbing classless society in the trash-heap of that city, expose the dirty secret of slavery imposed by the city rulers and initiate a mass escape (hence Exodus). The story is engaging and the read is easy. If one does not only read for entertainment but use the ideas presented by Bertagna as a reason to think, we are led to question our own role in global climate change as well as our proclivity in the West to think that even if it is a worst case scenario, we will survive. Bertagna pushes us to consider the blinders that we wear as individuals and as a culture to the often nameless/invisible impoverished underclass that exists. And I find it amazing that while the year 2100 is a long way away, people born now will be the Caledon, Tain and Lily of the story. In this case, Bertagna intentionally places the story within a current lifetime, but it is strange to think that to be truly futuristic science fiction, authors are going to have to start to setting their timeframe beyond 2100.

As a first book, this is engaging. Will let you know if the series holds up.
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