Providence, Max Barry's follow-up to the immensely entertaining Lexicon, is yet another example of his ability to deliver big ideas in the form of breathlessly efficient sci-fi thrillers. The title comes from the name of the enormous spaceship, Providence Five, that carries the novel's four protagonists into a far-off war against aliens, colloquially called "salamanders." The spaceship largely runs itself, thanks to an advanced artificial intelligence, leaving the crew members to stew in routine and boredom. At first, the story belongs to a long tradition of books and films about isolated spacefarers slowly going insane, but Providence adds a number of twists and turns.
The artificial intelligence pilots Providence Five deep into enemy territory, and its powerful weapons kill hundreds of thousands of salamanders before they can put up a fight. Barry's futuristic warfare is conducted at a dispassionate remove that echoes the modern use of drones and missile strikes. Meanwhile, the crew engages in a propaganda offensive: posting messages on social media to maintain public support for a hugely expensive war with uncertain goals.
Readers will not have trouble picking apart the political commentary baked into the plot, but Providence pushes past easy contemporary parallels to concern itself with existential questions of free will and purpose. For all the novel's heady ideas, though, Barry maintains a nonstop pace and an economical, riveting prose style. The subject matter can be heavy, but Providence is ultimately a lot of fun, easily read in a sitting or two. As always, Barry excels at hitting the sweet spot between brainy and entertaining. --Hank Stephenson, manuscript reader, the Sun magazine