In Ascension

Scottish writer MacInnes (Infinite Ground) spins a thought-provoking story of underwater and outer space exploration. At the outset, Dutch microbiologist Leigh joins a mission to explore a deep vent in the Atlantic Ocean believed to host ancient organisms. A series of dramatic episodes ensues as she encounters inexplicable phenomena and falls victim to a mysterious illness. Undaunted, Leigh then accepts a job with a space agency in California. What looks like an opportunity to further her investigations into algae turns out to be the start of a remarkable trek into the cosmos. Much of the novel’s tension arises from whether Leigh will survive the journey and whether she’ll encounter alien life, but MacInnes gracefully contrasts well-paced moments of peril with his protagonist’s meditations on her relationships with her abusive father and detached mother, whose struggle with dementia complicates Leigh’s decision to join the space mission. The familial dysfunction mirrors one of the book’s major concerns: that the relationship between people and the natural environment has been damaged almost beyond repair. Despite the lingering sense of doom, MacInnes ensures readers never lose sight of what Leigh calls “the generosity of porous life.” This brims with humanity. Agent: David Forrer, InkWell Management. (Feb.)