Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the SPSFC2 finals. We have whittled our entrants down to a mere seven, all clamouring for the title of SPSFC Champion. So without further ado, here is my take on Those Left Behind, by N. C. Scrimgeour.

Way back in the slushpile phase of the original SPSFC (oh, how long ago it seems!), one of the books we sampled was Exodus, by N. C. Scrimgeour. At the 10% mark, I was enthusiastic about continuing. However, this being a democracy, my solitary vote for continuation was countered by two judges for whom the story, for one reason or another, did not work. Fast-forward to the present day, and another incarnation of the SPSFC, and the finalist slate is laid before us. And one of the books sent forth into the finals by other teams in both slushpile and semi-finalist stages is another N. C. Scrimgeour book. So I’d like to take this moment to scream the word ‘vindication’ in a Raymond Holt-esque fashion, and then get on with the review.

VINDICATION!

*ahem*

The science fiction I grew up on was space opera. More specifically, it was Star Wars. Even more specifically, it was Knights of the Old Republic. That game had a massive influence on the way I visualise far flung planets and distant vistas. I could write a full essay on the aesthetics, but it’s more than that. It was also in the crew dynamic. Like a lot of RPGs from Dragon Age to Mass Effect, Knights of the Old Republic solidified that idea of a ship of ragtag individuals floating around the galaxy getting into scrapes, taking the time to sort out small problems on the way to dealing with a much larger threat. Partly, this is good game design, but it’s also a good narrative structure for more linear storytelling. Those Left Behind owes a lot to these traditions, and captures that early-2000s sense of adventure like few others.

Right from the off, this one is a real adrenaline ride. We start with the rather imminent extinction of humanity due to overpopulation. Thankfully, a group of plucky rebels are going to break into outer space and find a new world to live on. What they actually find is a galactic alliance of alien species who don’t really want billions of refugees streaming into their part of space. Not least because there are already plenty of humans out there. At first, I was completely thrown by the two groups of humans, but this is actually explained very early on – and in a satisfying way, no less. Those Left Behind builds a rich world, and then mines it for all its worth. At first glance the species appear quite cookie-cutter in their personalities, but as the layers are peeled away, we start to see that ‘good’ and ‘bad’ are as nebulous in this fictional world as they are in our own. Everyone has an agenda, and Scrimgeour isn’t afraid to get into the dirtier side of politics. I have to give the book bonus points for acknowledging that even the most well-intentioned of rebels is ultimately just a terrorist under a different name.

Of course, this being space opera, we have a lot of characters. And five of them have their own viewpoint chapters. Three humans and two aliens. This gives us a good overall impression of how the galaxy is faring as it slides towards chaos. The humans are all linked by common background and the shared issue of deciding the fate of ‘those left behind’ on the homeworld. Meanwhile, the aliens find themselves on opposing sides of a brewing conflict that could set the galaxy ablaze. My only complaint against the novel is that these two halves of the narrative barely intersect. I can forgive most of this issue as both sides are clearly setting things up for the next book, as a first book in a series should, but a little more connection between humans and aliens would not have gone amiss.

With that minor quibble aside, I can happily and confidently say that Those Left Behind is my favourite book out of either SPSFC to date. I’m glad to see it in the finals, and the other six books have a tough fight on their hands.