He exists inside an exoskeletal suit and an important aspect of the novel, if not the most important aspect of the novel, is his relationships with a variety of other characters. Bartolomeo was born with malformed limbs in particular severely stunted arms and a club foot. Rigid class structures have evolved and society is divided between the privileged and the downsiders who exist and work in the bowels of the ship.īartolomeo – the central figure – is adviser and childhood friend of the current Captain, Nikos.

The ship has a cathedral, complete with stained glass windows set into the hull, the details of which can only be seen when one goes outside the ship in a suit. The Argonos has been cruising space for untold generations, ostensibly on a mission to reacquaint lost human colonies (and new alien civilisations) with Christianity (forcibly if necessary). This is the novel that the movie ‘Event Horizon’ should have been, set in a surreal dystopian Universe which is huge, hostile and not a little scary. Until they discover a trail deep into the planet’s steamy jungles, and their terrifying fate is revealed to them.īlurb from the 2003 Orbit paperback edition On the surface the crew find evidence of a colony – but no inhabitants. Now, a steady unidentified transmission has lured the ship to a remote planet. ‘For Hundreds of years the Argonos, home to generations of humans, has trawled the galaxy searching for other signs of life. Ship of Fools (vt Unto Leviathan) – Richard Paul Russo (2001)

Ship of Fools by Richard Paul Russo