Orphan Planet by Madeehah Reza
I would like to thank Luna Press Publishing for an advance copy of this novella in exchange for a fair and honest review
Publisher - Luna Press Publishing
Published - 4/2
Price - £8.99 paperback £4.99 ebook
What if you were the only person living on a planet?
Elif is the warden of Maoira-I, a planet of interest for the spacefaring remnants of humanity seeking a new home.
But Elif is a child, and the only human inhabiting this world of violent seasons, with just an AI system for company.
When the Interplanetary Mission abandons their plans of sending Elif a helper, she must learn how to survive the storms and the gnawing reality of loneliness.
Science fiction has a long tradition of problem solving. Put characters in difficult situations and using the tools and skills they must then find a way out. Usually informing us along the way about science and doing its duty from the Golden Age Asimovs to Matt Damon on Mars it’s a rich tradition and now in Madeehah Reza’s impressive science fiction novella Orphan Planet we have a tale of a young girl told she must now watch over an uninhabited dangerous alien world and yet also provided a compelling mystery and something about the power of being alone.
Elif was born on Maoira-1 as part of a desperate mission for the surviving humans of Earth to finally find a world suitable for them to finish their spacefaring ways. Her sole companion and guardian is VASH the ship’s AI who prepares her for the new role. Learning skills from weather reporting, botany and electronics she reports regularly to her superior on progress. But she senses all is not being shared - there are signs someone else has been on this planet and the mission details never seem to change over the years. As Elif grows finally her real reason for being here will emerge.
This is an extremely well told tale. It works as Reza initially makes us bond with Elif. A young girl almost like a guinea pig suddenly told she must become a planet watcher and that is her sole reason for existence. She is a compelling character, very human, has moments of rebellion and fear but also we sense extremely resourceful she soaks up knowledge and is inquisitive. Over the early chapters we see her develop with her sole planetary companion being VASH who comes across as a mix of nanny and office admin. The only other character we see is the enigmatic Commander Aremu who is often disapproving but has moments of humanity. Elif’s world feels unusual but real and then Reza starts to make us question it again.
Strange finds on this deserted desolate world suggest someone has been here before and Elif also finds her mission seems to be changing. For those of us thinking this is a horrible desperate way to treat a child then we are going to find out why. It’s a fascinating set of reveals that opens up the story from beyond one planet and helps us gain an understanding of where humans have got to. It considerably complicates and darkens the plot and took me by surprise. What really works for me is that Reza doesn’t try to just wrap things up too nearly.
The finale of the book is very satisfying but also bittersweet. Elif’s revelations about her life and her entire time living alone shape her choices and we as the reader will likely find those choices hard to accept. But at the end when I close that final page I couldn’t blame her. It’s a very interesting memorable final scene that makes you wonder what you’d do in her place. If the first half of the book is the Af adventure with Elif finding her spirit and drive to not breakdown then this second half is science fiction exploring morality and the psychological impact of the choices we find.
Orphan Planet is science fiction that makes you think. Not just though, about how to take on a planet single handed but also some moral questions about secrets, responsibility and the difficulties of loneliness. An author to watch out for and this novella is highly recommended!
