THE EFFORT

A comet called UD3 threatens to wipe out the human race, and a ragtag team of scientists from all over the world rushes to find a way to knock it off course in Holroyde’s debut.

Dr. Ben Schwartz of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory is woken in the middle of the night by a call from a famous astrophysicist. Ben is told that the U.N. has a car waiting for him outside and that he must fly to French Guiana. He isn’t told why, only that he must pack a bag and leave, now. His girlfriend, Amy, refuses to be left behind, and when the two of them get off the plane, they learn that a “dark comet” has been discovered coming around the sun and is heading straight toward Earth. Ben joins a group of scientists, including China’s brilliant Dr. Zhen Liu, who are working to cobble together something to throw the comet off its course before it can smack into Earth and cause an extinction event. As news of the comet gets out and people panic, society begins to break down, as seen through chapters focusing on a ship sailing through the Arctic Ocean and a woman struggling to survive in a decaying New York City, among others. As time goes on it becomes clear that even if the scientists manage to find a solution, humanity might destroy itself anyway. Fans of similar apocalypse stories will recognize all the beats Holroyde hits here—unlikely romance, friendships forged in trauma, etc.—but what this book lacks in originality it makes up for in proficient execution. The many character relationships would feel more organic with a bit more breathing room, but the prose is measured and clear, and the plot arcs nicely from the scientific issues to more personal stakes.

An adept contribution to the realm of apocalypse fiction.