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The Fifth World

by Jacob Foxx (Goodreads Author)

4.57 of 5 stars 4.57 · rating details · 7 ratings · 4 reviews

In the early twenty-second century, the earth is dying, reeling from the effects of a brutal nuclear war. To save humanity, an international alliance called the Consortium seeks to build a new homeland on a distant planet called Gaia. To send the first wave of settlers, the Consortium constructs an enormous starship called the Ark, which will allow them to reach Gaia and b...more

Paperback, 428 pages

Published May 26th 2012 by Electronic Sound and Print, Inc.

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Jan 17, 2013 Mallory Anne-Marie Forbes rated it 5 of 5 stars

Recommended to Mallory Anne-Marie by: NetGalley

Shelves: 2013-authors-new-to-me-challenge, 2013-dustbuster-challenge, 2013_reads, 2013-eclectic-reader-challenge, january_2013_reads, jan-yc-blue

The Fifth World
Jacob Foxx
5 stars

A well-thought-out and well-articulated combination of futuristic speculative and science fiction, “The Fifth World” begins with the Hopi explanation of the five worlds in which humans have lived since creation by the spirits, and then leaps immediately into the chaotic and uproarious 22rd century, an era of space travel and potential off-planet colonization. But this novel goes much deeper than simply explaining faster-than-light travel. It is philosophical, met...more

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Dec 17, 2012 Faye (The Social Potato) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: science-fiction, 2012, thriller, stand-alone, politics, space, mystery, net-galley

Can be seen on The Social Potato.

Thank you NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for a review!

Before we move on to the main content of this post, let me just say this. I love reading three things the most, and they are 1.) zombies; 2.) dystopian settings; and 3.) space drama (or anything that involves intergalactic travel, really). Give me a book that involves any of those, and you will have a friend for life (me, of course!). Give me a book that has all three, and you'll have a worshipp...more Can be seen on The Social Potato.

Thank you NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for a review!

Before we move on to the main content of this post, let me just say this. I love reading three things the most, and they are 1.) zombies; 2.) dystopian settings; and 3.) space drama (or anything that involves intergalactic travel, really). Give me a book that involves any of those, and you will have a friend for life (me, of course!). Give me a book that has all three, and you'll have a worshipper (ok, I kid, but props to you if you do find something that has all three elements).

After reading too much zombie and young adult novels (a fair number of them dystopian), The Fifth World by Jacob Foxx was a breathe of fresh air. I haven't read any hardcore science fiction lately so when I started this book, I was expecting a lot. Were those expectations reached? Why, yes, very much so!

You see, in this book, the Earth is dying and 3/4 of the population have been wiped out due to wars and calamities. The rest who survived are desperate for a new place to live, and thus, sent a large ship to a habitable planet 60 light years away, in hopes they could colonize it for resources. Apparently, in this particular premise, a world that has supposedly taken place a century from now, scientists have been able to discover matter that could warp both space and time, making travel faster than the speed of light possible. When our main protagonist, Becca, travels to the same far-away planet 14 years after the first expedition, she was going to get the shock of her life, which could be the end of her, or the start of a new life and beginning.

In all honesty, I like the book, even with its pages upon pages of information overload. Fortunately, while I thought it was too detailed, they were information that were necessary to the story. Sure, they didn't really move the story per se, but it did leave a solid background and foundation of the novel's setting - the history, how it came to be, how travel faster than the speed of light worked, among many others (and hey, I probably learned a new word or two! That counts!). The author has created a disturbing image of the future Earth (radiation, wars, poverty, dictatorship, etc.), but he simultaneously created a vibrant one at the same time in the form of Gaia, the fifth world. I could just picture the latter in all of its lush greenery glory, blue skies and equally blue waters. After living in pollution-riddled Manila for almost four years, you kinda start yearning for oxygen and fresh air... even if it's just in your imagination. *cough* Anyway, while the flow and structure was slow in the first half, it really picked up the pace in the second... perhaps a little bit too fast, but it was an enjoyable ride to see how the events unfolded in the end.

I didn't like the characters that much, though. Becca was a scientist who specialized in Terraforming (a sci-fi term, methinks), but during the peak of this book she got really annoying, whiny, and sometimes narrow-minded. I'm sure it was part of the story, but I just can't stand characters who blindly follow an obviously authoritarian government (or anything bad) for the wrong reasons even when the truth was laid out in front of them. Part of the story, I know, but it's just kinda frustrating to read, especially with all the political drama going on behind the scenes (which was well-written by the way, but highly predictable...)

Overall, I enjoyed this read. If my schedule wasn't so busy with midterm exams and projects, I would have finished this earlier, since it's the kind of novel that I would have devoured in less than 24 hours. I only gave this a 4 out of 5 because even though it was a pleasure,it could have worked out better with less details and more action, and maybe more character growth? Nevertheless, it was good and I recommend it to sci-fi lovers and also to readers who do not read hardcore sci-fi but plan to start. This book would (hopefully) make them fans of this genre.(less)

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Jan 01, 2013 Maja Majdak rated it 5 of 5 stars

I really didn't expect this book to be as good as it was.
You can read my review here
http://book2review.tumblr.com/post/37...

It honestly is one of the best SciFi books I have read in a long, long time!

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Feb 25, 2013 Laura rated it 3 of 5 stars

As a molecular biologist, I found the protagonist a bit flighty, naive, and lacking a certain... intellectual gravitas... from time to time. But the premise was interesting and the writing solid.

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May 06, 2013 Jim marked it as to-read

May 02, 2013 Estrella rated it 5 of 5 stars

Apr 28, 2013 Simon West-bulford marked it as to-read

Jan 21, 2013 Regina rated it 4 of 5 stars

Dec 10, 2012 Bill Mackela is currently reading it

Dec 07, 2012 Andy rated it 5 of 5 stars

Dec 01, 2012 Dalidja marked it as to-read

Shelves: netgalley-kindle-ebooks

Oct 26, 2012 Jen Brinkmeyer marked it as to-read

Sep 05, 2012 Foggygirl marked it as to-read

Sep 03, 2012 R Mark Boettcher marked it as to-read

Aug 24, 2012 Mo marked it as fiction-read

Aug 29, 2012 J Wesley rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: science-fiction, new-releases, favorites

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About Jacob Foxx

The Fifth World is the debut novel of Jacob Foxx. It is the first in a series that will explore a vision of the future as a reflection of humanity today. The story explores the opportunistic rise of totalitarianism, the ruthless survival instinct of humanity, and the impact of religious fanaticism in a post-apocalyptic setting. The novel also focuses on the future of humanity rather than theorizin...more

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