After Earth's collapse, 600 people embark on a 360-year voyage aboard a generation ship, forging an egalitarian society as they and their descendants confront philosophical, social, and existential challenges en route to a distant exoplanet. Spanning multiple generations and perspectives, the narrative explores the tension between collective good and individual desires, the preservation (and erasure) of culture, and the enduring question of whether humanity can truly escape its own flaws.

Reader Review Summary

Set in a future where Earth has collapsed due to climate change and societal breakdown, the novel follows 600 selected individuals on Shipworld, a generation ship undertaking a 360-year journey to a distant exoplanet, HD-40307g. The story is structured in eight parts, each focusing on a different critical period in the ship’s voyage, with time jumps spanning decades and new narrators for each section. The society aboard Shipworld is intentionally egalitarian, designed by its billionaire founder to avoid the pitfalls of Earth’s failed systems, with strict controls on culture, reproduction, and individualism. The narrative explores the evolution of this closed society, chronicling philosophical crises, disease outbreaks, political upheavals, and the challenges of maintaining unity and purpose across generations, while also touching on the erasure and selective preservation of Earth’s cultural heritage.

Readers appreciated the book’s detailed world-building, particularly the intricate depiction of Shipworld’s society, technology, and daily life, such as hydroponic gardens, mechanical birds, and the absence of screens and phones. The intergenerational structure and the use of multiple narrators allowed for exploration of how society and individuals adapt over centuries, with some readers highlighting the philosophical and political debates, the handling of collective versus individual needs, and the recurring motif of a Dürer painting as a cultural artifact. The writing style was praised by some for its clarity and immersive quality, and the book’s focus on community, resilience, and the arc of human endeavor was noted as thought-provoking. Several readers found the story absorbing and compared its tone to the works of Becky Chambers, while others enjoyed the character-driven approach and the depiction of gradual societal change.

Criticisms centered on the book’s pacing, with several readers finding it slow, meandering, or lacking in dramatic tension, as crises were often resolved quickly and the narrative sometimes relied heavily on telling rather than showing. The frequent changes in narrators and time jumps made it difficult for some to connect with characters, who were often described as indistinct or lacking emotional depth. Some readers were dissatisfied with the ending, describing it as abrupt or underwhelming, and noted unresolved questions. Issues with the scientific plausibility of the ship’s mechanics, particularly regarding artificial gravity, were raised, as well as a perceived lack of engagement with the real-world implications of climate change and cultural loss. The writing style was described by some as uneven, with shifts between colloquial language and technical exposition, and the journal entry chapters were seen as tedious by a number of reviewers.

The book is Hal Lacroix’s debut novel, published by Bloomsbury in July 2025, and has received a moderate average rating of 3.56 from 36 readers, with 19 full reviews. It was distributed as advance copies to book clubs and reviewers, including through NetGalley and Coundon Library Book Club. The narrative’s structure, which spans multiple generations and eschews a single protagonist, was noted as both a distinguishing feature and a challenge for reader engagement. The story’s approach to cultural preservation, with Shipworld carrying only a handful of artifacts and discouraging record-keeping, was frequently mentioned, as was the book’s focus on the journey rather than the destination. Some readers speculated about the potential for sequels, given the open-ended conclusion, and a few suggested the story could be adapted for film or television.