THE SHADOW OF TWO SUNS

In this prospective SF series launch, Earthling prisoners embark on a risky interplanetary voyage to establish a civilization on another world.

It’s the day of Floridian death-row inmate Shelton Keyes’ scheduled execution when he gets a shot at a reprieve: A representative from the International Office of Special Science offers to transfer him to a self-governing “experimental prison.” Shelton and more than 60 fellow convicts are given a mission to locate uncharted, potentially habitable planets. Their endeavor may save humanity, as Earth, decades after its moon went dark, is now periodically hit with “crushing” arctic winters. Each module houses eight inmates in individual tuna-can-shaped cells, and they’re destined to go through a portal that the U.S. Navy and the IOSS have already discovered. Shelton and his seven module companions, however, are unexpectedly separated from the rest, and they barely make it to a celestial body. The seven men accompanying Shelton are a varied lot, including easygoing Sal Combes, book-smart Bel Chichacott, and Degory Rodriguez, a man of few words (for a frightening reason). The inmates try to determine where exactly they ended up, and they want to ensure that their newfound home can sustain human lives. Meanwhile, they wonder if the multicolored planet in the sky is where the other prisoners went. The crewmembers settle in as best as they can, despite a string of unpredictable storms and days and nights that are noticeably longer than Earth’s. Their greatest challenge, though, is a sudden menace from an unlikely source—one they may not be able to overcome.

Heasley presents readers with a story, set in an unspecified future time, that’s ultimately more of a character study than a tale of survival. Shelton and the others occasionally spin off into philosophical musings, which makes sense, as they’re coming to grips with the fact that they now have a second chance at life. They also eagerly brave an unknown locale to help others start anew; “our planet” is how Bel describes it, and they name nearly every landmark they see. However, the environment isn’t as harsh as readers may anticipate; although there are rounds of floods and tsunamis, all that Shelton and the others have to do is take refuge inside their air-conditioned cells. Nevertheless, a sense of conflict between the inmates is skillfully woven into the narrative; the men begin as relative strangers, and just because they must rely on one another doesn’t mean they’re entirely trusting. Shelton, for one, sleeps with a knife under his pillow, taken from his cell’s toolbox. Frequent dialogue begets further revelations, as the men talk about loved ones they’ve lost, or, in Shelton’s case, the crime that put them behind bars. Overall, this book proves to be a surprisingly quick read, considering the narrative’s scope and the setting’s massive size. Its dedicated focus on the eight explorers, some of whom don’t make it to the end, gives it a genuine appeal. Moreover, there are plenty of unexplained details for potential sequels to explore, including the fate of other prisoners.

A sprightly, complicated cast propels this futuristic tale.