The Lifeboat — Keith Fenwick

The Lifeboat is the third novel in the Skidian Chronicles series. In The Lifeboat an asteroid is on a collision course with earth. It soon transpires the asteroid has been sent on its way by the Skidian first people who have uploaded themselves to a celestial version of the cloud and now define themselves as Transcendents. The Transcendents have a plan for humanity which doesn't include an asteroid strike killing us all off. The plot is rich and interesting with plenty of parallels with current world politics.The Lifeboat goes further to explaining our world history and continues the theme of the risk to humanity if we continue to ignore the dangerous degradation of our environment.