Bibliographical information
Title: Space Blackout
Author: Sam Carson
Illustrator: John R. Forte
Release date: March 20, 2021
Language: English
Summary
Space Blackout takes us on a journey around the universe, narrating the story of Jerry Kos, a master navigator, who leads a trip to Spor, a planet of the same albedo as Earth, but in a different galaxy. He travels along with scientist Jim Drake, under the order of Shradak, guardian of the Great Waterway and one of the many Martians that rule the planet.
In this story, Mars is a highly advanced civilization that has built a network of canals and waterways that irrigate the planet and provide a source of life for all living beings, with the help of its advanced technologies that allow them to travel through space and time. Under this context, they have provided cooperation to many civilizations around the universe, such as the Earth, on more than one ocassion. For instance, ages ago when the catastrophe of Atlantis happened, Mars was so moved by the situation that they sent spaceships to save ten thousand Earthmen and sent them to Spor.
Now, in the present timeline, that planet is in danger of being swallowed by a dark nebula called Noir; therefore, Shradak sends Jerry and Jim to once again save these people from disaster, but they will have to do so while also making sure to return back on time before Noir ends its all.
As the story unfolds, the pair learns more about the dynamics of Spor and their people. They discover the complex web of politics and power struggles occurring within the planet’s governors, as well as the legend from Spor’s forefathers anticipating the arrival of the Earthmen.
Despite Jerry and Jim’s efforts to save at least the first thousand people, they encounter a list of challenges set by the cast of characters they are introduced to, such as Tarquin (governors of the city of Osman), and the evil Garok, the planet’s biggest troublemaker.
The main characters try everything that’s on their hands and try to convince the entire population that if they don’t leave as soon as possible, there probably won't be a tomorrow they can wake up to; however, they believe the two men are crazy and the planet goes upside down, with bombs and warfare all around.
Towards the end, Shradack finally orders his navigators to return even if it's only the two of them and congratulates them because of their efforts.
Main characters
Jerry Kos: Brave, determined and optimistic. He’s a key contributor to the crew’s efforts to overcome the obstacles they encounter in their mission due to his quick thinking and problem solving skills.
Jim Drake: Thoughtful chap, quiet but a whip. He’s a skipper of the Pelios, Cosmic Survey ship, who travels along with Jerry Kos.
Shadrak: One of their advisers, guardian of the Great Waterway, and a big shot among the hundred thousand odd Martians who rule their planet by robot control.
Author's purpose
The author’s purpose in writing Space Blackout was to highlight the importance of respect and coexistence in our lives and in the world around us, just like the importance of technological advances, which in the story helped the Martians to improve their way of living and provide assistance to humanity and other civilizations around the universe.
Opinion
Space Blackout is a very good story; dynamic and interesting. It deals with very important topics such as respect for other cultures and traditions, and coexistence, which is very important when relating to other people, in this case extraterrestrials. We recommend this story to those looking for a quick read, and to science fiction lovers.
Theme statement
“The world is a mosaic of cultures, and it is through coexistence that we achieve understanding and growth.” // ‘’Coexistence empowers us to build bridges instead of walls’’.
Isabella Botero Cortés y
Carolina León, Step 11
