Unto Leviathan by Richard Paul Russo
01/12/2003 . Source: Katie McGivern 
pub: Orbit/Times Warner. 442 page enlarged paperback. Price: £ 6.99 (UK). ISBN: 0-84149-270-1. Buy from Amazon US - Buy from Amazon UK
nb: US titles may only be available from Amazon US, and UK titles from Amazon UK. check
out website: www.OrbitBooks.co.uk
and www.TimesWarnerBooks.co.uk
The Argonos is a spaceship that for
generations has been on a mission to find human life. The reasons
and the original planet that the mission came from have been lost
down the passages of time.
The tensions between the various factions
in the ship (crew, bishop and workers) are almost at breaking point when they
pick up a radio transmission from another planet.
 Bartolome
Aguilera is our narrator and despite being the captain's unofficial
lieutenant is an outsider on the spaceship.
This allows him to travel through the various levels of the ship
presenting an almost birds-eye view of events. He is a very interesting
character, particularly the subtle romance between him and Father
Veronica, a priest, who is unusual on the ship because of her belief
in God.
However, Russo overplays the idea of the disabled man being bitter
and twisted on the inside and this aspect of Aguilera does grate
after a while, detracting from an otherwise believable and likeable
character.
This is an important consideration
because this is a book where story is essential. Therefore, the storyteller has
to appeal to you and in the main he does. The themes and questions raised seem
to rise out of the plot like steam coming out of a kettle, necessary but not central
to making a cup of tea. Luckily the story is strong enough to take on this
central role, pulsating with life and with more twists and turns that a car salesman
caught doing a dodgy deal. Russo is an expert at creating tension and there are
some genuinely scary moments. He is also a very visual writer and therefore this
book reminded me of the Science Fiction film 'Alien' - with its dark brooding
setting and the gradual build up to the climatic ending.
This novel
weaves together powerful characters, interesting themes and a strong plot to produce
finely crafted and executed novel. If you like your heroes on the edge and be
perched on the edge of your seat with tension when reading then I would recommend
this book to you.
Katie McGivern 
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