I really enjoy John Theo's writing. He has a keen eye for detail, even in describing an imaginary place in the future like the submerged survival sphere that has been created as modern Noah's Ark after the surface of the earth has been devastated by wars, ecological disasters and godless nation states. In his latest novel, "Mission Trip," a remnant of Christians have found ways to use advanced technologies to create and to sustain their underwater home, hoping for the day when things return to a state above the water line when it will be safe to return.
Tensions build as some of the group feel that it is time to engage with the barbarian survivors in New America, others feel that it is too dangerous - among them is Senator Landon, who lost his wife the last time they tried to engage with the survivors on the earth's surface. Landon's son, Kyle, a brilliant doctor, is also a man of strong faith who feels that he needs to risk his own safety to go to New America and try to help the people there. He undertakes a dangerous Mission Trip, despite his father's strong objections and fears. There were enough plot twists to keep me engaged and briskly turning the pages.
The author is a conservative Christian who shares the concern of his protagonists that America is a post-Christian nation that is no longer a "City on a Hill." In the hands of a less skillful writer, this story could be pedantic, preachy and ham-fisted. But the author is such a deft artist in painting word pictures that he avoids those pitfalls, and has composed a thoughtful, intriguing and spine-tingling survival and adventure tale with a clear moral compass.
Enjoy!
Al
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