Hive

Having just turned the final page of Hive by DL Orton, I’m still reeling from its blend of heart-pounding sci-fi and soul-stirring emotion. This series-starter plunges you into a dystopian future where humanity’s survival hangs by a thread, weaving a narrative that’s as intellectually stimulating as it is emotionally devastating. As a sci-fi reader, I found Hive to be a masterful fusion of temporal mechanics, nanotech nightmares, and human resilience, delivering a story that made me chuckle, choke up, and ponder the ethics of rewriting time.

The story kicks off in the Eden-17 Biodome, a fortified sanctuary in a ravaged world where microdrone swarms—autonomous nanobots born of human hubris—relentlessly assail the walls. The opening is gut-wrenching: Diego, a weathered survivor, shovels wet earth to dig a grave for his wife, Isabel, who watches from a control room, her body ravaged by cancer. The “sucking sound” of the soil and the “staccato pecking” of drones create a visceral sense of a world unraveling. Orton’s prose paints a claustrophobic yet poignant picture, with the biodome’s failing systems mirroring the fragility of Diego and Isabel’s hope. This isn’t just a setting; it’s a testament to mankind’s overreach, a theme that resonates throughout.

The novel’s strength lies in its ability to balance smart-alecky banter with profound themes. Madders’ quips and Dave’s biting one-liners inject levity, reminiscent of the sharp dialogue in Firefly. Yet beneath this wit lies a sharp intellect, probing the ethics of temporal manipulation and the fallout of unchecked nanotechnology. The microdrone swarm, a chilling byproduct of greed, feels like a warning ripped from today’s headlines about AI and automation. Orton asks: Can we undo our mistakes without unraveling reality? What does it mean to love when the world is ending? These questions linger, making Hive as thought-provoking as it is immersive.

The novel’s pop-culture nods—echoes of Back to the Future in its time-travel hijinks or Terminator in its tech-gone-wrong vibe—add a playful layer, while the Denver setting grounds the fantastical in a tangible locale. For fans of cerebral sci-fi like Annihilation or character-driven dramas like The Leftovers, Hive strikes a perfect chord. It’s a story that laughs with you, breaks your heart, and challenges you to think about humanity’s place in a universe we’re all too eager to reshape.