The Terraformers

“The Terraformers” is the latest novel by Annalee Newitz, and might be their most ambitious work to date. It’s set in the far future, the year 59,006 to be exact, and occurs on the planet Sask-E. This planet is owned by a corporation that is terraforming it to be analogous to the earth during the Pleistocene Epoch. The scope of this book is also long term, covering generations of far future beings that last for many centuries (or sometimes much longer in the case of bots). Our introduction to the planet is via an Environmental Rescue Team (ERT) Ranger named Destry and the moose Whistle. They are the main characters for the first portion of the book which takes us up to the period where off-world investors begin the serious settlement of the planet. Then we have a forward time jump and our lead character becomes Sulfur, an engineered hominid based more on Neanderthal DNA. Sulfur eventually surrenders the stage to Scrubjay, who is a sentient non-human construct. This story structure allows the reader to follow events on Sask-E as the terraforming and settlement progress over long periods of time. It’s an amazing story involving many types of human and nonhuman intelligences that are all part of the “Great Bargain.” This ancient compact which began on legendary Earth involves the uplift of animals to intelligence, as well as non-human intelligences such as bots and other sentient machines. This setting allows a serious exploration of what constitutes personhood, as well as the age-old story of colonialism, and racism/speciesism. The corporations and some individuals involved behave in ways we expect. Others seek to help their fellow beings and establish common good. The outcome of these actions will determine the future of this new world. I think Annalee has written another deeply thoughtful and interesting story. It’s alternately depressing and hopeful, but ends in a better place than it begins. I think it’s a very different novel, and one that is a great exploration of the far future.