Second Chance

Second Chance by David D Levine is an atypical science fiction story about humans slipping the surly bonds of earth to touch the cold reaches of a distant galaxy and conduct extensive scientific research. However Levine has done what countless science fiction writers have done in the past, take a current emotional and political theme and distance it from the present in order for the reader to objectively analysis the consequences of the lead character's actions and feelings.
The protagonist Charles “Chaz” Eades is a highly renowned scientist that has been chosen, along with a select few to be part of the crew aboard the Cassiopia. Chaz is also a prejudiced, homophobic Christian on a vessel with two homosexual men and a transsexual woman.
But there is a twist in the fact that its clones of each person that have been sent eighty years into space with the promise that several years of brain scans would be transmitted. However Chaz wakes up with only the memory of the first scan. What happened to the rest of his scans, why wasn't anyone waiting for him when he was revived and how will he come to terms with his faith out in the cold reaches of space?
David D Levine has created a wonderful analysis of the homophobic and transgender fearing mind in a genre that has traditionally allowed the audience to traverse “touchy” and emotive subject matter, and he has done so in a short story format that leaves you wanting more, not wishing him to just finish it. 4 out of 5 stars.