Elizabeth Bear, in "Dust," has taken the ubiquitous 'Disabled Generation Ship' in an entirely new direction.
The first installment of the Jacob's Ladder sequence reads like a mixture of fantasy, religion, and classical science fiction. The Jacob's Ladder is a disabled generation ship parked in orbit around two unstable stars. However, Jacob's Ladder isn't just a ship, its a laboratory and the whole of the world to the inhabitants. A program was initiated to force evolution of human beings, individuals who then took control of their respective sections of the world-- the bridge and engineering-- and fought.
Main characters Rien and Perceval originally intend to stop a war started by Ariane Conn. However, deeper, more subtle plots come to light when Rien and Perceval realize they are being manipulated. Not only that, the stars are going supernova and in order to save the world, they may have to abandon their original quest.
In this excellent offering, Bear creates angels who lie in wait to devour their brothers, strong women, a bluring between the lines of human and god raising fundamental questions such as what exactly it means to be human. The characters are fully fleshed and relatable, the story and conclusion engrossing and interesting. The writing is occasionally a little muddy, but you are not overloaded by the technicalities of Bear's world, rather, they're introduced slowly.
An excellent and enjoyable read.
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