THE author, Brian D. McLaren, is a speaker, activist, theologian, academic, and teacher: all expressions of his belief in “a new kind of Christianity” which works with people of all faiths and is, he says, just and generous. The Last Voyage is the first book in a science-fiction trilogy set in and after the 2050s.

Earth is ruled by global oligarchs who have bought off every government. The planet is reaching the point of no return because of the destruction inflicted by big business. A small group of scientists, musicians, and writers make a secret final voyage to Mars on a craft they call the Ark, determined to restore the earth’s abundance on that sterile planet and to build a just and peaceful society.

At the heart of the novel is Dr Colfax Innis. Ornithologist, ecologist, and opinion-former, he is one of the most irritating characters I have ever met in a book. His character is wholly presented through his use of long words to prove that he is smarter than the person he is talking to. The book gets better once other characters arrive, and when his daughter Eve (a moral theologian who clearly presents McLaren’s view of the world) challenges his arrogant complacency.

At times, the weight of ideas and argument make the characters mere mouthpieces. At times, the fact that the rocket is entirely crewed by people with expensive educations undercuts McLaren’s dream of a world in which everyone has value. Equally, there are moments of real beauty in the book, especially as the crew leave their home planet. McLaren raises deep questions about our care of creation and how easily we allow the powerful to lull us into conformity. He offers an engaging and challenging view of a future that looks alarmingly imaginable, and a story that is both hopeful and deeply terrifying.

The Revd Richard Lamey is Director of Mission and Ministry in the diocese of Norwich.

The Last Voyage
Brian D. McLaren
Hodder & Stoughton £16.99
(978-1-3998-1414-0)
Church Times Bookshop £15.29