Paul Evans
Paul is John’s father, an engineer who inspects geothermal routes, emergency conductors, and old industrial sites on Mars. His technical ability and steadiness under pressure earn respect.
Character and perspective
[edit]Duty shapes his life and his relationship with John Evans. Love and repeated absence sit alongside each other. Paul’s recurring principle, “Keep one hand free,” links practical preparedness with the emotional capacity to respond.
A recurring idea
[edit]Keep one hand free.
Explore further
[edit]In The Divide
[edit]Paul is the central character of The Divide, working as Outside Operations Lead at the Valles geothermal plant. The earlier story brings his work with Anika and Hawksworth into the same frame as his life with Caitlyn Evans, John and Jennifer. The crisis asks what duty means when the people at home need his presence too.
In The Two-Body Problem
[edit]In The Two-Body Problem, the focus shifts to Caitlyn’s work and experience. Paul’s place in the household brings their marriage and the ordinary acts of being present into view. The book approaches family life from a different perspective than The Divide.