THE SHIPS OF EARTH Homecoming, Volume Three

Forty million years after humankind has left Earth, the master computer assigned the task of overseeing the colonies sends a group of "chosen" on a journey back home. Stefan Rudnicki tells the story of this journey with a deep, luxurious voice that lends the story a rich authority. Treachery abounds as this small, vulnerable group tries to adapt to hostile environments and negotiate their social hierarchies. Rudnicki's delivery of the different personalities is judicious. He’s careful not to depict the characters as either good or bad, and this nuance reinforces a central idea in the book: that every member of the group is important for the salvation of the whole. Reconciling differences is imperative not only for their survival, but for the destiny of humankind. L.P. © AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine [Published: APRIL 2009]