The Application of Hope by Kristine Kathryn Rusch science fiction book reviewsThe Application of Hope by Kristine Kathryn Rusch science fiction book reviewsThe Application of Hope by Kristine Kathryn Rusch

The Application of Hope (2014) is another novella set in Kristine Kathryn Rusch’s DIVING UNIVERSE series. You can read it at any point in the series, but it’d be best as a companion to City of Ruins because it takes place at the same time and gives a different perspective on the important and exciting events of that novel.

Here we meet Tory Sabin and Jonathon “Coop” Cooper, who are captains in the Fleet and occasional lovers. When Coop encounters a hostile race of people and activates his anacapa drive, his ship disappears into foldspace. That’s déjà vu for Captain Sabin, whose own father disappeared in the same manner when she was a child.

As Tory hunts for Coop’s lost ship, we learn her story in a series of flashbacks. We learn about her losses, her relationship with her parents, and her life at the Fleet academy. All of these experiences made her the successful captain she turned out to be, but they may not be enough to help her find her lost father or lover.Diving into the Wreck by Kristine Kathryn Rusch

I enjoyed meeting Tory, but I’m not sure if we’ll be seeing her again in future DIVING stories (I’ve read some of them and she’s not there). But most importantly for fans of the series, in The Application of Hope we get some important backstory on the Fleet and on Coop, one of the main protagonists of the rest of the DIVING novels. We learn about the Fleet’s mission and, for the first time, find out that Coop has had some doubts about it all along.

The audiobook, which is 2.3 hours long, is nicely narrated by Flora Plumb.

Published in 2014. Captain Tory Sabin knows all too well the dangers of the anacapa drive, and that sometimes ships enter foldspace never to return. The ships simply disappear, taking their crews with them. Responding to a distress call from Captain Jonathan “Coop” Cooper, Sabin knows she must race against time to find him and his ship. Because although the Ivoire becomes the latest ship to enter foldspace and not return, she refuses to give up hope. She resolves to find the Ivoire. But her search for answers will lead to truths that will change her life forever. Winner of the Asimov’s Readers Choice Award for best novella, The Application of Hope adds a rich layer to the complex story about foldspace and the anacapa technology that drives the Fleet.

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  • Katherine Hooper

    KAT HOOPER, who started this site in June 2007, earned a Ph.D. in neuroscience and psychology at Indiana University (Bloomington) and now teaches and conducts brain research at the University of North Florida. When she reads fiction, she wants to encounter new ideas and lots of imagination. She wants to view the world in a different way. She wants to have her mind blown. She loves beautiful language and has no patience for dull prose, vapid romance, or cheesy dialogue. She prefers complex characterization, intriguing plots, and plenty of action. Favorite authors are Jack Vance, Robin Hobb, Kage Baker, William Gibson, Gene Wolfe, Richard Matheson, and C.S. Lewis.

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