Do You Dream of Terra-Two?

This is another science fiction novel that I grabbed impulsively in the library. I was surprised by the similarities with [b:The Poppy War|35068705|The Poppy War (The Poppy War, #1)|R.F. Kuang|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1515691735l/35068705._SY75_.jpg|56364137], the last book I read and ostensibly a very different one. Although they are in different genres (sci-fi and fantasy), the settings and characters are oddly similar. Both follow young people in a hyper-competitive educational establishment (military school/astronaut academy), all determined to be selected for a few precious jobs in their very dangerous field. The successful group must then put aside their school rivalries and show more competitiveness to survive in a much worse situation than they expected (genocidal war/interstellar space mission). This parallel probably would not have been as obvious had I not read the two books in succession, as such setups are hardly unusual. Nonetheless, I couldn't help comparing the two. I enjoyed 'Do You Dream of Terra-Two' a bit more, for a few reasons. Firstly, it spread narrative duties amongst multiple characters rather than designating a single protagonist. Secondly, although some awful things happen, there is less torture and genocide than I found in [b:The Poppy War|35068705|The Poppy War (The Poppy War, #1)|R.F. Kuang|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1515691735l/35068705._SY75_.jpg|56364137]. Finally, it interrogates and critiques the gruelling process that the young main characters went through to be chosen for their roles. It's obvious in both books that relentless overwork, pressure, and competition at such a young age has damaged and traumatised the main characters. Splitting the point of view between several of them shows this well.

Comparisons aside, 'Do You Dream of Terra-Two' is an interesting sci-fi novel in its own right. It is set in an alternate universe where space travel began much earlier. In 2012, the UK launches its first interstellar mission to a potentially habitable planet, Terra-Two. The voyage will last more than twenty years. Although the crew includes a couple of seasoned astronauts, the other six are hothoused teenagers. The launch is disrupted by last-minute tragedy, then the crew spends a few months dealing with interpersonal issues, before being faced with disaster. Rather like [b:The Martian|18007564|The Martian|Andy Weir|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1413706054l/18007564._SY75_.jpg|21825181], this novel manages to convey just how vulnerable humans are to any tiny technical malfunction in the deadly vacuum of space. The crew's dysfunctional dynamics also reminded me somewhat of the film Sunshine, which I'm very fond of. I certainly found the plot compelling and the perilous events suitably tense. This was especially so for the final hundred pages, as each chapter reports the falling temperature and oxygen level. I read the whole book in two sittings. Although I experienced it primarily as a thriller, the theme of reconciling science and spirituality adds some depth. I think this could have been developed further, so hesitated between three and four stars. In the end I settled on four, because the pacing is excellent and there are some neat world-building details on the Damocles. show less

For the majority of the book, I thought I was going to end up giving it two stars or lower. I read a lot of science fiction, so I would compare it to other stories of near future space agencies (e.g. The Martian) or colonisation of other planets (e.g. Red Mars) and just think: what the fuck? This is so poorly planned and irresponsible. There should be much more support and involvement from the team back on Earth. None of these kids are even close to mature or psychologically stable enough for a mission like this. The crew is barely functioning. How can I possibly be expected to believe that with all the resources they had to pour into this, the British government and all their scientists somehow failed to realise this mission was going show more to be a fucking disaster? It was redeemed somewhat when it was revealed towards the end that all of these troubling aspects were intentional plot points, hence the 3 stars.

Would I recommend it to others ... maybe? With the clarification that this isn't science fiction that just happens to have teenage protagonists, it's young adult fiction that happens to involve a space voyage. Which isn't intended as a dismissal of YA - I like YA, and I probably would have liked this book better if I'd approached it as YA. The point of the story is the self-discovery and interpersonal stuff, and the science and big picture stuff mostly exist to set that up. I think my main problem was that I was expecting the opposite set of narrative priorities, as seen in the books I was comparing it unfavourably to. It'll probably also be more enjoyable than it was for me if you go in trusting that yeah, the author does in fact know what she's doing even when the characters are being dysfunctional disasters. show less

A handful of 19-20yo trainees, along with a seasoned 'adult' crew, set out on an 20+ year-long journey to Terra-Two, an inhabitable planet waiting to be colonized. The book is sci-fi in the sense that it's about space travel, but it's set in 2012 and the space bit serves more as a foundation for the actual plot of the book, which deals with how each of the characters negotiate the harsh realities of space, being forever away from home, and the mental stress of the long journey.

I enjoyed this one a good deal. It's the perfect kind of sci-fi for me: easy on the actual sci and more about the human condition in relation to the sci. It's nicely paced and the characters are impressively complex.

There was a lot I didn't like about this book and yet I couldn't put it down. I liked the ending, but I didn't like the teen characters, had a difficult time telling them apart. Mixed feelings. Don't expect a book about space travel going into this.

I liked this a lot.
Oh imagines that Britain has somehow (!) got a viable space programme, and before the London Olympics in 2012 is able to send a manned crew to colonise a new planet, Terra Two. Key to the plan, which involves a journey of over twenty years, is a teenage crew who will still be young enough to be leaders when they arrive. The book combines Harry Potter-esque boarding school rivalries with sci-fi tropes around the possibilties of Utopian society, as well as moments that appear to be veering into Alien territory. Sometimes I got lost amongst the teenage characters (the proof copy didn't help this on my kindle) and I wasn't sure at points if this was supposed to be YA. It's been compared to The Long Way to a Small, Angry show more Planet, but I'm not sure (for me) if this has the same emotional resonance as that series. As the blurber has written 'something always goes wrong': part of the tension here is trying to work out just what.
Fancy promo video here: https://youtu.be/Xuu7IfVwzHw show less

I enjoyed this a lot - I think I'd previously read a review which may have helped with expectations but also it felt clear early on to me that it was YA and the characters were going to behave as such. Given that, and the large cast, I thought the characters and their situation were explored with a good amount of nuance. The only one who felt a bit of a cliche was Harry, and maybe that's just because I liked him the least: his halfway redemption didn't feel particularly motivated. I was disappointed too that the character who had read to me as asexual near the start of the book seemed to turn out to Just Need The Right Guy (or if this wasn't the intent and she was meant to be demi or something then it really wasn't clear; but given that show more I think everyone else was straight it didn't feel like the nuance extended into the arena of sexuality). Anyway, plotwise, what I like is that... well, generation ship stories pretty much always focus on the part where disaster strikes and civilisation takes a hit, and so does this -- but it does so in a way that remains hopeful and very affirming that civilisation can also recover from its stumbles if we recognise that we're all in this together. show less

A very introspective and slow-burning story about possibility, hope, the pain of loss, and thinking towards the future. This isn't a flashy, alien-filled, space battle scifi book, it's much more grounded in reality and focuses on the feelings and thoughts of each of the 6 main characters. Although I was expecting something different, I ended thoroughly enjoying the character-driven narrative and Oh's wonderful writing style.