Providence, by Max Barry

Max Barry ventures into outer space for his latest commentary on human interaction with technology and where the line is drawn, or not, between corporate interest and public good. Providence is a class of interstellar warship built and operated by AI. It has a crew of four: Captain, Weapons, Intel and Life, ostensibly to oversee battle against an invasive alien hive species of deadly salamanders. Jackson, Anders, Gilly and Talia form the crew of the latest Providence to launch its four-year interstellar mission. But are they really there for PR purposes, as the publicly acceptable face of an outrageously expensive exercise that can easily run without them? This mission will expose their flaws, test their characters and cause each to question their purpose. The crew tells the story, mostly from the points of view of Gilly and Talia with occasional insights from the others. It is bookended by an unidentified onlooker, who gives an everyman view of the origin of the story and its outcome. Barry’s characters are always interesting and this time he places them in a thrilling space yarn, with some seriously thought-provoking moral and ethical dilemmas.