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Ship of Fools, a space opera teeming with theological themes, is the apostolic account of Bartolomeo Aguilera, an adviser aboard a generation ship called the Argonos. The Argonos has been floating through space for what seems like, and what may actually be, an eternity. Its mission is unknown; its purpose is a complete mystery. Its crew and inhabitants are born, live, and die on the ship, and have done so for many untold generations. At the heart of the ship is a massive cathedral, a worship place for a futuristic sect of Christianity. The ship seems to have been built around this massive structure. The ship’s bishop believes that the ship had no beginning — it always was, and always will be. For all we know, the ship represents all that is left of the human race.

The narrative takes place over the course of a year, detailing the discovery of a once-inhabited planet and a strange alien spacecraft somehow linked to it: a first-contact scenario. It deals with the theological ramifications of the discoveries, and touches upon the problem of evil in light of a benevolent God. The theological discussion presented in the book is neither groundbreaking nor particularly deep; it basically only scratches the surface of this age old quandary. But it is perfectly woven into the narrative, and thus it feels natural and genuine, adding a welcome layer of humanity and philosophy.

The book benefits from Russo’s ability to develop empathy with its interesting characters in the midst of a series of suspenseful situations. Bartolomeo, the narrator, is a memorable character and I greatly enjoyed my time with him. He is a broken man, both physically and spiritually. He was born hideously disfigured and lives his life cocooned within a synthetic exoskeleton complete with robotic arms replacing his natural flipper-hands. Without the aide of this contraption he would be physically immobile. His deformity has turned him into an introspective man who has problems with trust and feels cut off from the rest of humanity.

Bartolomeo is the head adviser to the ship’s captain, Nikos Costa. Costa is an alcoholic, a man who feels as though his responsibility is a burden. Bartolomeo also becomes romantically interested in one of the church leaders, Father Veronica, a woman with great spiritual strength and a passionate love for humanity. Par, a dwarf who lives in the lower decks of the ship, is Bartolomeo’s gateway into the ongoing class struggle on board the Argonos; and Bishop Soldano, the church’s figurehead, represents the moral and ethical bankruptcy of religion without spirituality and compassion.

Each of these characters, and the complex relationships betwixt them, are interesting and compelling. Whether they are exploring the atrocities of a mass grave where hundreds of skeletal bodies, including infants, are found impaled on hooks, or discussing God, religion, and the problem of evil, their arcs are engaging and memorable. There is nary a moment wasted throughout the narrative, and each scene of dialog, action, discovery, horror, and suspense impacts the characters in a meaningful way; their actions and reactions are wonderfully illustrated and always feel genuine.

Russo initially impressed me with Destroying Angel (the first part of the Carlucci trilogy) and he has since impressed me more with Ship of Fools. I simply couldn’t get enough of this book, and I devoured it in only a few sittings. His prose is simple and easy to read without being fluffy and vapid, and he knows how to weave an entertaining adventure. Ship of Fools is wonderfully told, with a gripping narrative full of mystery and suspense, and populated by interesting characters. But my favorite thing about it is its ability to remain interesting and engaging while still being ambiguous about its themes and conclusions. It is devoid of infodump, and hardly anything is neatly tied up or over explained. Like a real life theological mystery, there are no easy answers for the characters in Ship of Fools, there are only trials and tribulations from which they must learn and grow while discovering their own paths.