About this book
I wrote Diversion because I wanted the MacIver kids’ next adventure to feel larger than the first, but not simply bigger in the usual science-fiction sense. Sending them to Europa, beneath the ice, gave me a way to combine real space science with one of humanity’s oldest myths: Atlantis. The research began with the Galileo mission, Europa’s hidden ocean, and the idea that even a fragment of human exploration could disturb a world we never knew was there.
But the heart of the book is not the technology or the distance from Earth. It is the question of what kind of society we build when we believe some people matter more than others. Atlantis is beautiful, advanced, and full of wonder, but it is also shaped by hierarchy, inheritance, discrimination, and fear. That contrast mattered to me. I wanted readers to see that a society can be brilliant and still be unjust.
The MacIver kids are adopted, blended, imperfect, stubborn, loyal, and stronger together than they are apart. Through them, the book looks at family as something built through love and choice, not bloodline or status. Brad’s connection to Atlantis lets the story challenge the idea that ancestry should decide anyone’s worth, while Allen’s presence keeps the book grounded in ability, courage, and the quiet strength of being seen fully.
I hope young readers come away from Diversion with a sense of wonder, but also with questions. Who gets included? Who gets hidden? Who decides what “perfect” means? The book is written for readers who love adventure, space travel, aliens, and impossible cities, but also for educators, librarians, and families looking for science fiction that opens the door to conversations about belonging, justice, disability, and what it really means to help.
