LIFT

A sci-fi novel about a solution to humanity’s self-destruction.

In the distant future, the Earth’s population is in trouble. Humans, thanks to their own violence and greed, face imminent extinction. Hope comes from some possibly unexpected places: math, music, and communication. Work is being done to construct an optimal universal language that will far exceed Esperanto. By 2489, math has already helped to cure countless diseases, so why not use it to develop a universal means of communication? And if math and communication are helping humans address age-old challenges, then perhaps music will, too. If all goes well, peace will prevail, and humanity will be saved. The capable leader of the effort, chair of the World Council of Mathematicians Juanita Popov, has an ace up her sleeve. Her team can resurrect great minds from the past (or “lift” them) to lend a hand—but only nine people can be lifted. If they want to lift someone new, they must return one of those who’s already been lifted. Yet even if the project is successful, what if there isn’t enough time left to save everyone? A starship could be sent to a habitable planet, but who will be allowed to board? Though Anderson’s narrative allows for some expected aspects of the genre (such as people enjoying 3D chess), the book takes a refreshing angle on human advancement. Math and communication are the unanticipated heroes, and the novel does well at making them attractive, even incorporating real concepts like Benford’s law. The story sometimes struggles to incorporate all of the concepts and characters, from a bewildered Immanuel Kant to a teenage math prodigy who’s keen to point out, “We are running out of time.” Nevertheless, the work takes a nuanced angle on an optimal solution for an ideal future.

An informative, highly creative take on problem-solving.