Official Review: Callisto 2.0 by Susan English

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mmm17
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Official Review: Callisto 2.0 by Susan English

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[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Callisto 2.0" by Susan English.]
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4 out of 4 stars
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The protagonist of Callisto 2.0, a sci-fi novel written by Susan English, is Callisto Collins (aka Calli). It is the year 2097, and she is an accomplished thirty-one-year-old physicist specializing in faster-than-light space travel and warp fields. Unfortunately, our dear planet is in bad shape. Some decades before, years of devastating global viral pandemics that began in 2020 with Covid killed more than half of the world’s population. Also, decades of rising global temperatures have brought the human race to the brink of extinction.

Against this backdrop, Calli gets invited by a beautiful woman named Diana to work at an all-female space-based lab that orbits the Moon. There’s a lunar colony called Arcadia, and the lab is called Shambhala. But Shambhala is much more than an orbital lab. Named after a mythical realm without injustice, cruelty, and conflicts, it is a fascinating utopian community where women live in harmony. Even Annie, their artificial intelligence, is female. Calli finds happiness there as she works hard with a colleague named Hadley Hansen on the warp field.

What I liked the most about this novel was its visionary, inclusive, and heartwarming premise. The author presents a character-driven plot nicely developed against powerful LGBT and environmental backdrops, which I thoroughly enjoyed. The characters are well developed and markedly diverse, and there are remarkable women from all over the world. For instance, Berit is Egyptian, and Quinn, a filtration specialist responsible for clean air and water, is from Tanzania. There are biologists too. Zoe, for instance, is in charge of algae farming. In short, it is a female-centric community, a sorority of sorts, and I greatly appreciated how the women get portrayed; they are very savvy and highly educated. Moreover, some of them argued that women work more cooperatively when there aren’t any men around, which I found intriguing.

The sci-fi elements are also well developed. There are holographic wrist computers, holographic projections, and micro-G food and drinks in biotex bags, among other sci-fi features. The author paints a credible picture of the future, with implants that allow the women to communicate seamlessly with Annie, the AI, whose voice they hear when the implant gets pressed. Additionally, the book has numerous allusions to Greek mythology, which I enjoyed. Calli’s parents, for instance, met during a revival of ancient Greek religion in California, and that was why they named her after a Greek goddess.

Lastly, there’s nothing negative worth mentioning in the book, and I rate it 4 out of 4 stars. It seems professionally edited, for I found no errors in it. If you’re looking for an original, female-based sci-fi plot, you should consider reading this amusing novel.

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Callisto 2.0
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Francis Aderogbin
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Post by Francis Aderogbin »

I like that this book promotes female uniqueness. Kudos to the reviewer.
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NetMassimo
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Post by NetMassimo »

This seems an interesting novel that starts from a dark period for humanity to aim for a better future. Thank you for your great review!
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Post by Njatha77 »

Warp speed and FTL, I'm definitely checking this one out. Thank you for your review.
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Post by S P »

I love sci-fi universes, and it sounds like this one was really vividly created by the author. It's good to see an inclusive novel as well. Thanks for the good review!
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Post by Suzer6440 xyz »

I don’t really like sci- fi books . But thanks for a well written and detailed review.
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Post by Ailakhu Yusau Aizhebiomon »

Though I am not a fan of sci-fi books reading this review fascinates and catches my attention as it deals with contemporary issues.
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Kaushiki Parihar
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Post by Kaushiki Parihar »

I enjoy science-fiction and this one has strong female characters on top of its wonderful character development. Thanks for an excellent review.
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Post by Muskan Tyagi 1 »

I am not in Sci-fi novels but this did catch my interest. The review is written with a basic tone but is clear enough to show the all female side of the book.
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Post by Aan Granados »

This is not too far in the future and the futuristic aspects seem already advanced. I like the premise of this book even though I am not a big fan of sci-fi. Thanks for your review.
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Post by Muskan Tyagi 1 »

I have never read sci-fi novels but this truly did intrigue interest in me. The all-female plot is definitely a plus.
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Post by Brenda Creech »

Well, this certainly sounds like a great sci-fi novel. I am not an avid sci-fi fan, but I am getting some better with them, depending on the storyline! This sounds like one I might like. I like the author added the current pandemic effect on the future of the world in 2094. There are parts you mentioned I am not fond of, such as artificial intelligence, but I could probably get past it if the story is interesting enough! Thanks for another excellent review!
B. Creech
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Post by Brandy_Nyongesa »

I have never read a woman based science fiction novel. Light space travel and warp fields are something I would not want to read about. Great review.
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Post by viczboy16 »

Sounds very interesting. I like the part where they talked about how Covid was introduced in 2020 killing most of the world’s population. It makes it more realistic even though it’s just a science fiction.
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Post by Michelle Menezes »

This book has a lot of elements that appeal to me; diversity in terms or race and orientation, the fact that the characters are mainly female, and certain things from the Greek mythology. It looks like an interesting read. Your review is well-written and on point. Well done!
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