The Doors of Eden, by Adrian TchaikovskyRead about another entry on the list.
Science fiction is full of multiverses. Many stories follow along the branching paths of the Many Worlds theory, in which a butterfly flapping its wings causes an electro-quake in Orion’s Belt or the death of a god on Proxima Centauri. (Great idea actually, noted down!) The Doors of Eden is a different take on the conceit. Rather than positing the various forked futures ahead, Tchaikovsky peers into the deep past, examining all the potential routes of planetary evolution, had conditions differed just slightly. These musings are presented as interstitial chapters in between the central thrust of the plot, which concerns strange creatures on the English moors and a shadowy governmental conspiracy. It’s all great rollocking stuff, but those evolutionary thought experiments are where the author’s imagination really takes flight. Most fans would recommend Tchaikovsky’s lauded “Children of Time” trilogy, but The Doors of Eden shares more of the niche scientific enthusiasm of The Three-Body Problem.
--Marshal Zeringue
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