Children of Arkadia is an interesting and modern take on the utopia/dystopia dichotomy. Wehm, a Canadian-New Zealand author, is imaginative and the universe she creates is fully fledged and well thought out, but sometimes there is too much going on.
The fast-paced novel starts just before the arrival of humans on Arkadia, manufactured to be a refuge from Earth, which has become a war-torn and doomed planet.
However, humans are not alone on Arkadia.
Artificially intelligent beings have been there for decades, stabilising the environment, sowing seeds for crops, and building basic structures for the first wave of humans.
For a time, all live in relative peace.
But trouble begins when the human inhabitants find out how omnipresent the AI truly are, and they decide to take matters into their own hands.
This struggle between AI and humans is the driving plot of the novel, and it kept me thoroughly interested.
Sometimes the plot felt rushed though, and concepts or characters have their storylines abruptly or conveniently finished.
The novel spans decades and generations, which made the world very real and complex.
Towards the end, the dramatis personae were beginning to feel a bit clunky, though.
Anyone who likes light but solid science fiction will enjoy this.
• Fiona Glasgow is a University of Otago assistant librarian.
