Book Review
Alpha Redemption, by P.A. Baines
Randy Streu

One of the coolest

things about editing a small magazine like DDM is the chance to hear from small presses and to discover new and exciting talent.  Such is the case with P.A. Baines and his debut novel, “Alpha Redemption” (Splashdown Books). 

Told as a series of flashbacks, in reverse order, “Redemption” tells the life story of Brett Denton, an out-of-work widower and ex-pilot with a chance to rekindle his dream of spaceflight.  Drifting along after the tragic deaths of his wife and sons, Brett has given up on God, on life, and on himself.  On a whim, he responds to an ad for a test subject aboard an experimental starship – the first of its kind – to both explore farther than any mission before and to test the capacity of a human to withstand travel at light speed.

Denton is chosen, and as the story begins, Brett is already several months into his two-year mission.  He is learning the layout of the ship and the quirks of his only companion: the ship’s learning-capable AI.  He also, quickly, discovers a mystery: he is getting younger.  And as he passes those earlier stages of life, we learn more about Brett’s story: how he came to the ship, his family tragedy, his marriage, and more.  We learn why he left God, and how he was introduced to him.  Both complicating and mitigating the issue, Jay, the artificial intelligence in control of the ship, begins to develop very (and often disturbingly) human qualities, and soon begins to malfunction. 

As Brett, continues through the mission, aging spiritually, even as he grows younger physically, he learns the things he’s forgotten (or perhaps never knew) about friendship, love, and grace. 

Exploring spiritual themes in hard SF is nothing new, of course – nor, technically, are exploring the possibilities of traveling at light speed or the questions of Artificial Humanity posed by this manuscript.  What does make it different is Baines’ approach.  We see the growing humanity in Jay through the unbelieving – and often irritated – eyes of Brett, as he himself comes to terms with his own demons.  The issues aboard the ship become metaphors for those in our hero’s soul.  And soon Jay – who is trying to learn what it means to be human from the broken and embittered Brett – becomes a wise teacher in his own right. 

Baines’ speculations on space travel and spirituality both are unique and complimentary in this piece.  The language of the story seems a little simplistic at times, and, particularly at the beginning, before the reader is prepared for what the author is doing, the pacing can plod along at times.  However, these are small issues, and ultimately the story is both engaging and family-friendly. 

Fans of a more technical hard SF will no doubt be annoyed by Baines’ failure to deliver technical minutiae of the ship and AI, as well as a detailed account of the mechanics of light-speed travel.  On the other hand, if what you’re after is simply a good science fiction story, this is certainly worth a look.

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