Theme of love
Hold Back the Stars is a science fiction novel about romance in space. Carys and Max meet in their twenties and fall in love. Even after realizing that their space equipment has only 90 minutes of oxygen left, the love bonds them, and they take that opportunity to reflect on their past. The couple's rule is the most challenging thing in Utopia that threatens the love between Carys and Max. According to the rule, people can only get married when they reach thirty-five. Therefore, there is a conflict between Carys and the law because it threatens his love for Max. Carys is still determining whether he can keep Max until thirty-five because they are now in their early twenties.
The effects of war
The nuclear war destroyed the USA and the Middle East, forcing people to live in space. Consequently, the theme of the effects of war is prevalent in the entire novel. War destroys property and kills people, thus causing massive losses and displacing millions of citizens. In the novel Hold Back the Stars, the negative effects of war are plainly explained. For instance, most people are left homeless and forced to seek new residences in space. Carys and Max are among the people living in space. However, life in space is challenging because there are myriad challenges.
The theme of governance
The theme of governance is dominant throughout the novel because the people living in Utopia must strictly follow several rules established by the Grand Central Hall (GCH), a governing body that regulates the operations of Utopia. One of the rules requires people living on Utopia to rotate from one country to the other after every three years. The other rule requires couples to start a serious relationship at the age of thirty-five, which is vital in controlling population growth. Therefore, governance is a central theme because people must abide by the established rules.
