All That Is In The Earth, by Andrew Knighton
The Book
Synopsis:
When Clifford crash lands on the planet of Abaddon, he might as well be dead: a terrible plague and a strict quarantine mean that no one leaves Abaddon alive.
Clifford isn’t the only dead man walking. Corporate mercenaries and desperate survivors are looking for ways to live in a hostile world. Constantly on the run from flesh-hungry monsters, there’s no chance to escape or to build something more.
But when Clifford makes a discovery that could change the meaning of Abaddon, loyalty clashes with survival in a story about how to live with the certainty of death.
My Review
All That Is In the Earth is a sci-fi novella written by Andrew Knighton, published by Luna Press Publishing. A story that uses an extreme situation to examine purpose and motivation as the central themes, delving through its different characters as a way to show the ways people can reach them.
The planet Abbadon has been in quarantine for some time because of the Chalk Rot, a deathly and contagious infection; unfortunately for Clifford, a soil scientist, he's just crashed on its surface, meaning he won't be able to leave the planet alive. But Clifford is not the only human on the planet; corporate mercenaries and survivors are trying to live on the hostile surface. The big question is what can he do to survive?
Clifford's progression through the novella is really interesting: he starts knowing he's a dead man, unable to escape the planet, so what's the purpose of doing anything if he will end in the same way. However, we eventually see how he starts finding a motivation, maybe a cure, and how that acts as the strength that moves him to act.
In contrast, we can see how the group of mercenaries are acting moved by money; but at some point in the novella, you might want to ask yourself if they are just mere pawns in the game of the companies hiring them. And the doctor represents a good example of how a simple item with enough conviction, such as faith, can serve as the purpose and the cause of that purpose.
All That Is In the Earth is a thought-provoking sci-fi novella, an idea well-executed by Andrew Knighton, who manages to imply much meaning in a few pages. A perfect read if you are looking for a bit of a different proposal!
The Author/s
Andrew Knighton
I’m an author and freelance writer, specialising in writing about history and imaginary worlds. I live in Leeds with my partner and a curious cat named Spooky.
Before writing full time, I worked as a teacher, academic, data analyst, project manager and, in my darkest hour, a call centre employee. I’ve studied medieval history, management and social research. You can call it broad experience or a short attention span – either way, variety suits me.
I indulge in all the best hobbies. Comics, wargames, board games, roleplay games (both live action and tabletop), and of course reading genre fiction. I like to think that it fuels my creativity. Really, it’s all just a big distraction, but isn’t that what life’s all about?