The Tomorrow Code

Brian Falkner (author)

Walker Books, Australia: 2008; 430pp

ISBN: 9781921150340

Genres: adventure, science fiction, horror

Issues: culture, environment

Finalist for the New Zealand Pace Book Awards.

A thriller with an environmental theme, this pacey narrative questions the role of humanity in the ecosystem.

Rebecca Richards, the daughter of two scientists, is passionate about many things - saving the whales, animal welfare, climate change... and mathematics. Tane Williams, son of a famous artist, has known her since the day they were both born and they do most things together. So when Tane-the-right-brained comes up with an idea about how to communicate through time and space, it is Rebecca-the-left-brained who makes it work.

Both are astonished when something that was really an intellectual exercise suddenly becomes much more. Someone from the future is sending them messages; messages about an environmental disaster that they must somehow prevent. Their challenge is to decipher the messages in time to save themselves - and the rest of humanity.

Although there are a few leaps in logic and plot that will irritate more attentive readers, Falkner has created an exciting adventure with a strong environmental subtext. Is it really time for the human race to be wiped out in order to allow the earth and her less destructive inhabitants to recover from the damage we've done? Or is this a wake-up call, a time for humans to reassess their actions and learn to work in harmony with their world?

Falkner's teenage characters are interesting and believable. While working out how to save the world they still have time for the normal adolescent problems - jealousy, insecurity, grief, anger, sibling rivalry, school and exams. It is a nice change to see young people being portrayed as intelligent and engaged with their world. The adult characters are more two-dimensional, diminishing the strength of the story, although in general Falkner avoids the ‘them and us, teens versus adults' stereotype.

Highly visual writing, using some interesting ideas, this is a very entertaining novel for those who enjoy the Matthew Riley style of action adventure.