Awakening by Kenneth Harrell is a captivating science fiction novel that explores a future where humanity has long since vanished, leaving intelligent machines to dominate Earth. Thousands of years after the fall of civilization, Lucas wakes up in a transformed world, his memories fragmented and haunted by dreams of a mysterious woman. As he embarks on a journey to uncover the truth of his revival and humanity’s extinction, the novel weaves a tale of exploration, mystery, and the quest for human connection.
The world-building in Awakening is both detailed and immersive. Earth, once a bustling hub of human activity, is now a deserted planet where nature has reclaimed cities and strange, evolved creatures roam. Harrell’s futuristic setting is enriched by the presence of Constructs, sentient machines who help Lucas navigate the remnants of humanity’s technology, such as programmable matter and fold travel. These sci-fi elements are skillfully integrated into the story, providing a solid foundation for Lucas’s journey while also leaving room for the human emotions that drive the plot.
Lucas’s search for answers about his past, coupled with his desire for human contact, brings warmth to the story amid its more technical aspects. His exploration of ancient ruins across Earth, encountering both advanced technology and wildlife that has evolved in unexpected ways, emphasizes the passage of time and the deep distance between his original life and the one he now inhabits. His feelings of being a “wandering ghost” in a world that no longer makes sense resonate throughout the novel.
In tone and structure, Awakening echoes the haunting exploration of identity found in films like AI and Oblivion, blending the desolate beauty of a forgotten Earth with the deep mysteries of space. The novel’s second half, where Lucas ventures into space in search of other survivors, takes on the expansive, political intrigue of The Expanse series, while the intelligent machines that revive Lucas evoke the existential questions raised in We Are Legion (We Are Bob).
This novel is perfect for readers who enjoy immersive science fiction worlds, rich technical detail, and a compelling search for meaning and human connection in the face of a fallen civilization. Awakening is both an odyssey of discovery and a meditation on what it means to be human in a world where humanity is no more.
