by David Brin
First published 1991
A brilliant young scientist discovers that his research may have doomed the world. A microscopic black hole has penetrated Earth's core, giving humanity just two years before total destruction. While scientific teams race to find solutions from underground labs in New Zealand to orbiting space stations, a darker debate emerges. Some argue that saving the planet requires human extinction, allowing evolution to restart its million-year cycle. The scientist grapples with the possibility that his life's work triggered this catastrophe. Around him, others fight their own battles: a shuttle pilot seeks the truth behind her husband's death, a Nobel laureate maintains an almost mystical connection to the dying planet, and a Maori billionaire learns that wealth cannot control destiny. From conservation arks in Africa to neighborhoods in New Orleans, the crisis spans the globe. As time runs short, these characters must confront not just the technical challenge of stopping the black hole, but the moral question of whether humanity deserves to survive. Their struggle becomes a test of human responsibility toward the planet that gave them life.
Genres: science-fiction, contemporary, thriller, apocalyptic
Vibes: dark, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: moral-dilemma, race-against-time
Setting: New Zealand, Africa, New Orleans
Period: 21st-century
624 pages · Paperback · Futura / Orbit
Content warnings: death, violence