A sequel to Discovery, the second in a series by William Hayashi. In Discovery the world discovers black people on the moon. Conception reveals how black people got there and why. First of all, the black lunar inhabitants are African American. Second, they are all experts in various STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) fields. Their knowledge makes them vastly qualified to meet the challenges of building and sustaining a habitat in an extraterrestrial environment. Their heritage provides the grievances fueling their drive to leave Earth, specifically the United States. The story centers around Benjamin Christopher Wright, a brilliant graduate student in physics who discovers a revolutionary new technology.
Realizing the world shaking implications of his discovery and fearing for his safety Christopher opts to keep this technology a secret. Christopher's bitterness over his father's death alienates him from American society. So much so that he embarks on an ambitious plan to use his discovery to relocate to the moon. He enlists the aid of childhood friends in his project. Soon, he and his team recruit hundreds of similarly alienated African Americans to populate his lunar utopia.
The research the author poured into this work shows in the authenticity of the science and technology depicted in the story. Real world tech is seamlessly woven into the fantastical tech underlying the characters' ability to travel back and forth between the moon and Earth. Other advances made by the moon colonists, from an interactive AI to anti-aging is equally plausible.
The characters are well defined and powerfully motivated. Christopher is a force of nature throughout the book. His determination to build a new civilization away from what he sees as the ills of American society is wrapped in a seething rage that pulsates from each page. Conception is a story about process. It's a step by step journey to the moon, detailing successes, setbacks, and subterfuge. It is also a story about a collision course. Because now the secret is out and a few thousand colonists who have thrived on the moon for decades will face a world determined to obtain their technology one way or another. How this confrontation unfolds will be revealed in book 3. Stay tuned!
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