I received a free copy of The Last Day of Captain Lincoln from the author in exchange for an honest review. This did not change my opinion of the book.
It's Captain Lincoln's 80th birthday. It is also the final day of the former captain of the interstellar spaceship USNAS Hope Eternal. This short but emotional tale follows Captain Lincoln as he navigates his last day before death. It will be the hardest day of his life.
This is a book about a man determined to face his death with dignity, but struggling with the inevitable. Captain Lincoln knows when he wakes up that this is the day he faces death. I feel like ultimately he does so with remarkable dignity, while still possessing the humanity to fear the unknown. He does not want to die, which is a totally normal reaction, but he is determined to do so with his head held high.
The most poignant part of the whole story, for me, was his partner, Helen. While Captain Lincoln faces his death with great dignity, I feel like she really showed the most strength. Obviously, it took a great deal to face one's own death with the fortitude that Captain Lincoln showed, but Helen has to carry on after the man she loves has is gone. She isn't even able to spend those final moments with him. There were tears, but in the end, I think that her strength helped him.
There are also illustrations in this book. To be totally honest, they didn't really add anything to the story, for me. I wasn't really a fan of it. They aren't bad, just not particularly to my taste.
For me, choosing a sci-fi title is a step out of my comfort zone. But, since this book explores themes that interest me (death acceptance, subject for another day), I decided it would be worth my while to take that step and give it a chance. While I was still a little iffy on the sci-fi thing, overall, I did enjoy the book.
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