FG Review: Offworld

The problem of Christian fiction — whether a book, a film, or even a game — is a difficult conundrum.  How does one go about telling a compelling, well-crafted story that points people toward God (and not just some vague idea of God, but the true Creator and His Son) without it becoming a work of transparent intent — a biggie-sized gospel tract?

Artists and authors have struggled with this for years.  Some, like Frank Peretti, have found ways of being both excellent in their storytelling and overt in their message.  Others have spun fantastic, imaginative yarns that offer incredible experience but lack genuine depth or import.  Too many have sacrificed quality of story or execution for the sake of a blatant message.

Into which category does Offworld, the new thriller from Robin Parrish, fall?

It is 2033.  The first manned mission to Mars is on its way back to Earth when they lose all communication contact.  Upon returning to their home planet, the four-person team discovers that it is entirely abandoned.  Their only course of action clear, they set out to unravel the mystery of what happened only to discover a secret that is far more bizarre than any of them could have imagined.  Along the way, they encounter ever-increasing danger and are forced to work together despite revelations of dark secrets that they’ve hidden from each other for months.

After reading Offworld, one thing is clear to me: Robin Parrish knows how to tell a good story.  It’s evident that his inspiration for this book included everything from the works of Michael Crichton to television’s LOST.  Parrish manages to juggle in-depth character development, unrelenting thrills, and strange goings-on with equal finesse.  Even though Offworld’s action sequences were what kept me turning page after page, by the end of the novel I felt like I truly knew and understood each of the main characters.

Overall, I genuinely enjoyed Offworld and devoured it within a span of a couple of days at most.  However, I ultimately felt a little unsatisfied by both the main takeaway theme of the book and its finale.  Without spoiling anything, all I’ll say is that the explanation for the disappearance of all the people on earth was a little too outlandish to swallow for even a sci-fi junkie like me, although it is incredibly innovative and unique.  Conversely, the overall theme was more basic than I had been expecting, carrying me down a well-trodden path, but one that is nonetheless important and relevant.

That said, I’ll still recommend this book to almost anyone as a great step forward in the field of Christian science fiction, and even simply as an exciting ride.  I’m looking forward to seeing what comes next from Robin Parrish!

A few more notes that may be of interest: There is a tie-in site for Offworld that plays heavily into the novel’s unfolding plot; you may want to check it out as you read the book!  Also, for you social media geeks, Mr. Parrish is on Twitter.  Finally, you can find out more about Offworld – including some chapter excerpts, an interview, and another review — at the terrific blog The Christian Manifesto.

If you’d like to win a copy of Offworld, simply leave a comment on this post.  For more details (and for an additional way to enter), check out our contest page!

Full disclosure: Thanks to Bethany House Publishers for kindly donating copies of Offworld for review and giveaway.  These donations in no way influenced the content of this review.  Thanks also to RobinParrish.com for the use of the image of the book.