The Greatest Force in the Universe, reviewed by Gary Clough

I wish I had Bill Sutcliffe’s intelligence and abilities, but I wouldn’t want his job with it. Humanity is killing all complex life on Earth (this is actually true: we’re officially in the 6th great extinction event of our planet), and aliens have come to help us. They’ve been genetically modifying people to ease us onto a better path, but note an active force opposing them. Unlike with millions of other species they’ve helped, humans are racing toward extinction anyway. So, as an emergency measure, they choose the most gifted of their “children” to be the Doom Healer. That’s Bill, aged only 14 at the start of the story.

I’m used to Bob Rich’s humour from his other writings, and I wasn’t disappointed. In the middle of a discussion of really serious topics like the nature of reality, or action like setting drug-addict rapist kids on the right path, there is the unexpected twist, or a choice or words, that makes me laugh.

As I’m writing this review, I’m halfway through the second volume, You Can’t Escape Destiny, and let me tell you, you’ve got to read on. I find this series as gripping as any science fiction I’ve ever read, and at the same time it makes me think about the most serious issues.