The good captain by Sean Rabin

Mama and her crew sail the sadly depleted oceans of the near future witnessing the effects of climate change everywhere they go and they are committed to raising awareness of the damage mankind has done to our planet. Like Greenpeace before them they believe in actions rather than peaceful protest. But in their world where the damage is extreme, extreme measures are called for. They successfully carry out a raid in Tasmania to kidnap the ex-Prime Minister of Australia but in doing so one of their crew is killed. The ship escapes but the loss preys on the minds of the crew who each have their own reasons to be there. Sailing towards an undisclosed rendezvous they torpedo any fishing trawlers they find plundering the last resources of the damaged ocean. As they voyage they experience first-hand the consequences of warming ocean currents, rising sea levels, rafts of floating rubbish and weather pattern changes. The ship, which is part organic, copes with the extremes, guided by her captain Rena, herself shaped by the ocean. The various crew members bring eccentric skills to their mission, all in some way refugees from mainstream life.

This strange story details the many ways we have damaged our planet and particularly the ocean, always driven by self-interest. The hybrid ship with its gills and organic workings had potential until it got bogged down in meaningless words and the captain’s back story is interesting, but there is no hope for a future where we consider our friend’s life so precious while thoughtlessly killing others involved in actions we dislike. Whether for revenge or conservation, this is way beyond civil disobedience. The book is worth reading for the detailed climate change material and for generating discussion on climate change and the fundamental issue of killing for a cause.

Themes: Climate change, Ocean pollution, Activism.

Sue Speck