Welcome to Gaia! ::

I've been (slowly) working on a sci-fi story about a human colony on a far flung world. My main problem is setting up the 'history' of how Earth to to the point where it was necessary to send out colony ships, how th efunding was done, the selection process, etc. etc. I can think of two ways to do it, and neither really excites me.

1) The first way to do it that I cam eup with was to have the historian of the colony start the story by dictating it into her computer how all that history happened. I like it in that it fits into the story, but I worry that it kind of kills the whole driving force of the tale, which is, will the humans survive on their new home planet?

2) Just do a blatant exposition piece as a preface, giving the history as, well, as a history bok might give it. Straight, to the point, and dry. I guess my reason for not liking it is that it might turn off readers; I've stopped reading many a story because I wasn't 'grabbed' in the first ten pages or so, and I don't think I would read my story if I started it out in such a manner.

So, know of a better way that I'm obviously missing? Have an opinion on my ideas for starting it? Any feedback would be greatly welcome, and I thank you in advance for your time and your advice.

(bangs forehead onto table repeatedly)
Thank you! Ugh, how did I NOT think of that myself? Thanks again, that that's the perfect solution, and I greatly appreciate it.