Space Vault
The Seed Eclipse
Space Vault is a philosophical future-set science fiction novel about the nature of identity and the extent to which life should be controlled.
In Jeremy Clift’s heady science fiction novel Space Vault, a mother’s love is pitted against the might of a corporate empire.
During a time of climate collapse, interstellar expansion, and a war in space over a coveted resource, a seed vault holds the key to food supplies, humanity’s genetic blueprint, and future evolution. Meanwhile, Teagan, who was once subjected to genetic experiments in a space lab, hides from vicious corporations among the alien Tritans. She also seeks to protect her daughter, Diana, who might be destined to lead humans in deep space.
In this philosophical story about the nature of identity and the extent to which life should be controlled versus left as “messy, unfiltered and free,” much of the plot is grounded in existing science, with a critical lens applied to contemporary trends. For instance, one character observes that tomatoes were genetically modified not to improve their nutritional value or agricultural productivity but to generate more sales. Observations on ecological destruction, the loss of biodiversity, and other big-picture issues also wend into the book’s tangled tapestry of plotlines. References to Marcel Proust and William S. Burroughs appear too, as do considerations of global food security, DNA editing, the commodification of genetic data, numerology, and humanity’s place in the cosmos.
Evocative language—a whine is compared to the “sound of a dying star,” and there are notes of “rust-colored exoskeletons gleam[ing] under dim console lights”—distinguishes the prose, as do flamboyant conversations with bursts of personality. For instance, one character welcomes a gift of whiskey, proclaiming that it must be “Christmas, Independence Day, and my luckiest day all rolled into one.” Elsewhere, Teagan’s brother Hunter claims to be like a space archaeologist but cooler, and she teases him by calling him a cosmic detective. Instances of profanity further ground people’s exchanges.
In the end, though, the book’s progression is impeded by its various foci, blending topical social issues and political intrigue in a manner that’s not always cohesive. For example, it flits between scenes in West Africa and others on the moon, introducing a bevy of characters in the process, and its cast members are not always developed in full. Further, its deluge of otherworldly names is cumbersome. The worldbuilding is also light in places, as with the backstories of the Tritans, who search for a new home world after a black hole destroyed theirs. Better developed are Howie, a disembodied brain in a jar, and Harlee, a robot who takes a keen scientific interest in Diana.
Epic in scope and prescient in its scientific prognostications, the compelling science fiction novel Space Vault focuses on a pitched struggle for humanity’s future.
Reviewed by
Joseph S. Pete
Disclosure: This article is not an endorsement, but a review. The publisher of this book provided free copies of the book and paid a small fee to have their book reviewed by a professional reviewer. Foreword Reviews and Clarion Reviews make no guarantee that the publisher will receive a positive review. Foreword Magazine, Inc. is disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
