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Supernova Alpha #1
Aftermath
It’s 2026, and catastrophe has struck from an unexpected source. The Alpha Centauri supernova has risen like a second sun, rushing Earth toward its last summer. Floods, fires, starvation, and disease paralyze the planet. In a blue aurora flash of gamma rays, all microchips worldwide are destroyed, leaving an already devastated Earth without communications, transportation, weaponry, or medicine.
The disaster sets three groups of survivors on separate quests. A militant cult seizes the opportunity to free their leader, known as the Eye of God, from the long-term coma to which a court sentenced her. Three cancer patients also search for a man in judicial sleep: the brilliant scientist—and monstrous criminal—who alone can continue the experimental treatment that keeps them alive. From a far greater distance come the survivors of the first manned Mars expedition, struggling homeward to a world that has changed far beyond their darkest fears. And standing at the crossroads is one man, U.S. President Saul Steinmetz, who faces a crucial decision that will affect the fate of his own people…and the world.
The disaster sets three groups of survivors on separate quests. A militant cult seizes the opportunity to free their leader, known as the Eye of God, from the long-term coma to which a court sentenced her. Three cancer patients also search for a man in judicial sleep: the brilliant scientist—and monstrous criminal—who alone can continue the experimental treatment that keeps them alive. From a far greater distance come the survivors of the first manned Mars expedition, struggling homeward to a world that has changed far beyond their darkest fears. And standing at the crossroads is one man, U.S. President Saul Steinmetz, who faces a crucial decision that will affect the fate of his own people…and the world.
464 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1998
17 people are currently reading
934 people want to read
About the author
Charles Sheffield
216 books171 followersCharles A. Sheffield (June 25, 1935 – November 2, 2002), was an English-born mathematician, physicist and science fiction author. He had been a President of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America and of the American Astronomical Society.
His novel The Web Between the Worlds, featuring the construction of a space elevator, was published almost simultaneously with Arthur C. Clarke's novel about that very same subject, The Fountains of Paradise, a coincidence that amused them both.
For some years he was the chief scientist of Earth Satellite Corporation, a company analysing remote sensing satellite data. This resulted in many technical papers and two popular non-fiction books, Earthwatch and Man on Earth, both collections of false colour and enhanced images of Earth from space.
He won the Nebula and Hugo awards for his novelette "Georgia on My Mind" and the 1992 John W. Campbell Memorial Award for his novel Brother to Dragons.
Sheffield was Toastmaster at BucConeer, the 1998 World Science Fiction Convention in Baltimore.
He had been writing a column for the Baen Books web site; his last column concerned the discovery of the brain tumour that led to his death.
He was married to writer Nancy Kress.
His novel The Web Between the Worlds, featuring the construction of a space elevator, was published almost simultaneously with Arthur C. Clarke's novel about that very same subject, The Fountains of Paradise, a coincidence that amused them both.
For some years he was the chief scientist of Earth Satellite Corporation, a company analysing remote sensing satellite data. This resulted in many technical papers and two popular non-fiction books, Earthwatch and Man on Earth, both collections of false colour and enhanced images of Earth from space.
He won the Nebula and Hugo awards for his novelette "Georgia on My Mind" and the 1992 John W. Campbell Memorial Award for his novel Brother to Dragons.
Sheffield was Toastmaster at BucConeer, the 1998 World Science Fiction Convention in Baltimore.
He had been writing a column for the Baen Books web site; his last column concerned the discovery of the brain tumour that led to his death.
He was married to writer Nancy Kress.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 53 reviews
May 7, 2021
This is a very good post-catastrophe book, in the honored tradition of Lucifer's Hammer or When Worlds Collide or Shiva Descending. You know, a very long vacation kind of story. In this one, Alpha Centauri has gone nova, and we follow a trio of viewpoints through the wrecked relics of civilization. It's set in 2026, and Sheffield's vision of technological advance was overly optimistic but still quite engaging. He brought a more science-based outlook to the disaster genre, and Aftermath is a worthwhile read.
October 19, 2014
My first post-apocalyptic book. I read it when I was 13 so I can't be objective about it, but I remember it 15 years later so, 4 stars!
January 31, 2017
So bad. Stiff prose, idiotic characters, and histrionic soap operatics that detracted from the story lines. If you still plan to read this, avoid the audio book version at all costs. I'm pretty sure a good fraction of my impressions come from that atrocious performance.
Read
July 28, 2016I quit. I just can't take it no more.
August 2, 2021
In 2026, a supernova sends an EMP that wipes out the world's electronic systems.
This is the third time I've read this book and I really enjoy it every time. It's kind of old-fashioned: there are multiple points of view but the main ones are a group of cancer patients who are desperate to continue their technically advanced treatments, a group of astronauts returning from the first Mars mission, and the President of the United States who wants to help everyone and slowly realizes that might mean taking even more power. The fourth POV is Oliver Guest - because why not throw in a serial killer (who just happens to know how to continue the cancer treatments) who was condemned to 600 years of judicial sleep. There's also a plotline with the Eye of God, the leader of a cult of people who want to take over. It sounds like a vat of messiness, but it never fails to hold my interest. I'm going to have to also re-read the sequel.
If you like apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic stories where people are trying to get back on their feet, give this one a try.
This is the third time I've read this book and I really enjoy it every time. It's kind of old-fashioned: there are multiple points of view but the main ones are a group of cancer patients who are desperate to continue their technically advanced treatments, a group of astronauts returning from the first Mars mission, and the President of the United States who wants to help everyone and slowly realizes that might mean taking even more power. The fourth POV is Oliver Guest - because why not throw in a serial killer (who just happens to know how to continue the cancer treatments) who was condemned to 600 years of judicial sleep. There's also a plotline with the Eye of God, the leader of a cult of people who want to take over. It sounds like a vat of messiness, but it never fails to hold my interest. I'm going to have to also re-read the sequel.
If you like apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic stories where people are trying to get back on their feet, give this one a try.
January 28, 2015
I really managed to get into this one. The variety of character was such that I never felt stuck on a single point of view, and the story itself is certainly written well. I’ll be picking up the sequel soon and no mistake.
March 29, 2016
It was just ok. The audiobook version is terrible. The narrator needs to NOT narrate anything ever again. I felt the storyline had a slow start, but I was able to get into it at about the 3/4 mark. Many characters to keep up with, with details about their lives that don't matter or have any relevance to the storyline.
February 5, 2018
The narrator on the audiobook does really terrible women's voices, that always sound vapid or sarcastic, which takes away from the intent of the written character.
I'd say this novel is pretty B-rate. The author didn't really explore the interesting concepts that were laid out throughout the plot.
I'd say this novel is pretty B-rate. The author didn't really explore the interesting concepts that were laid out throughout the plot.
December 8, 2024
Lu en anglais
Mauvaise surprise ! L'étoile Alpha du Centaure, l'étoile la plus proche, a explosé en supernova. C'est un cataclysme pour la terre entière, Premièrement, l'effet est comme celui d'un deuxième soleil avec des effets climatiques plus que catastrophiques : inondations, sécheresse, feux, tempêtes, etc. Ensuite, c'est un effet EMP, des ondes électromagnétiques très fortes, à la grandeur de la planète, qui grillent tous les circuits électroniques et qui rendent inutilisables tous les appareil assez récents, dont les automobiles, avions, ordinateurs, électroménagers, etc.
Le monde doit essayer de survivre et de se reconstruire.
J'ai trouvé le roman très prenant et intéressant. Cela parait qu'il est écrit par un scientifique qui connait la science et qui appuie l'histoire sur des idées scientifiques plausibles. Le roman est écrit en suivant des personnages impliqués, chacun à sa façon. Le président des États-Unis est confronté à un défi sans commune mesure avec ses attentes lors de son élection. Les membres de l'expédition sur mars pensaient que le retour sur terre serait la partie facile, mais.... Des survivants du cancer, sauvés grâce à un traitement expérimental avancé, sont maintenant condamnés à moins de trouver un palliatif à leurs appareils de surveillance qui sont en panne. Et il y a Oliver Guest, un pédophile meurtrier mais aussi un génie dans la recherche génétique sur le clonage et les télomères, des chromosomes, qui possèdent peut-être le secret pour contrer le vieillissement. Sans compter une secte complotiste, raciste et meurtrière qui veut éliminer le gouvernement et contrôler la population.
L'histoire est intéressante et captivante et les idées scientifiques apportent une crédibilité aux faits énoncés.
J'ai beaucoup aimé, Un vrai bon roman de hard science avec de l'astrophysique, de la génétique, etc.
Mauvaise surprise ! L'étoile Alpha du Centaure, l'étoile la plus proche, a explosé en supernova. C'est un cataclysme pour la terre entière, Premièrement, l'effet est comme celui d'un deuxième soleil avec des effets climatiques plus que catastrophiques : inondations, sécheresse, feux, tempêtes, etc. Ensuite, c'est un effet EMP, des ondes électromagnétiques très fortes, à la grandeur de la planète, qui grillent tous les circuits électroniques et qui rendent inutilisables tous les appareil assez récents, dont les automobiles, avions, ordinateurs, électroménagers, etc.
Le monde doit essayer de survivre et de se reconstruire.
J'ai trouvé le roman très prenant et intéressant. Cela parait qu'il est écrit par un scientifique qui connait la science et qui appuie l'histoire sur des idées scientifiques plausibles. Le roman est écrit en suivant des personnages impliqués, chacun à sa façon. Le président des États-Unis est confronté à un défi sans commune mesure avec ses attentes lors de son élection. Les membres de l'expédition sur mars pensaient que le retour sur terre serait la partie facile, mais.... Des survivants du cancer, sauvés grâce à un traitement expérimental avancé, sont maintenant condamnés à moins de trouver un palliatif à leurs appareils de surveillance qui sont en panne. Et il y a Oliver Guest, un pédophile meurtrier mais aussi un génie dans la recherche génétique sur le clonage et les télomères, des chromosomes, qui possèdent peut-être le secret pour contrer le vieillissement. Sans compter une secte complotiste, raciste et meurtrière qui veut éliminer le gouvernement et contrôler la population.
L'histoire est intéressante et captivante et les idées scientifiques apportent une crédibilité aux faits énoncés.
J'ai beaucoup aimé, Un vrai bon roman de hard science avec de l'astrophysique, de la génétique, etc.
June 20, 2023
Good:
I liked the opening chapter of the book (prologue) - from the secret diary of Oliver Guest. The concept of judicial sleep is interesting. So is the idea of abyssal sleep where at the reduced body temperature the prisoner's ageing process will decrease.
Bad:
This sci-fi novel is structured in such a way that neither its central idea nor the main character are clearly defined. If we come to an agreement that the theme of the novel is keeping the country (USA) from falling apart due to the disaster caused by supernova, then what about the two other equally important plotlines: the return of Mars expedition, and the revival of Dr. Oliver Guest by his desperate cancer patients?
Clearly, these two separate plotlines don't fit well with the political premise of the novel such as keeping the country from falling apart.
The first one belongs to the planetary exploration, the second - medicine. Neither is remotely related to the art of politics. In short, they are artificially forced upon us. Without them the novel would be more compact and less messy.
Just as the book's theme isn't easily defined, so neither is its main character. The most obvious choice for the main character is the U.S. President. In the reader's eyes the main character is usually a hero. Is President Steinmetz really a hero? What obstacles must he overcome to justify his heroic status? Must he make any sacrifices?
No, the first Jewish President of the USA is not a hero. He may be the main character of the novel, but not a hero. Despite the chaos around the country, Saul Steinmetz has an easy ride. His life is not threatened at all. He doesn't face any serious opposition, neither from his political adversaries nor foreign powers. The army is loyal to him. Even his strongest political opponents such as Senator Nick Lopez and the House Minority Leader Sarah Mander, have miraculousl fallen under his charismatic spell. Saul is a do-gooder, and Gandhi-like pacifist. He is more a Jewish globalist than American. He quotes more Benjamin Disraeli, prime minister of Great Britain than George Washington.
In fact, he is more
preoccupied with his penis (it couldn't get up, oh boy!) than the catastrophic effects of supernova which left the human civilization seriously crippled. However, we can sigh with relief: everything is fine with President's penis, just a temporary erectile dysfunction, that's all. Of course, his sexy young aid (Yasmin Silvers) or Tricia Goldsmith are always there to prove how effective his penis is. In fact, all the "heroes" are , more or less, shown through the prism of their genetalia. For what purpose, I wonder ?...Some are even homosexuals such as Senator Nick Lopez and his young lover Auden Travis.
The main characters appear to be strong, even vulnerable, but never well-rounded. In addition to President Saul Steinmetz, another important character is Celine Tanaka. Her personality is more revealed through her action than words. After death of Zoe, she is suddenly the commander of the Mars expedition. If anyone deserves to be called a hero, then it's Celline. She is actually a female Rambo. Even though she isn't a soldier, she grabs a weapon (dispite the objections from the army members) and joins the commandoes in hunting a charismatic female leader of the Legion of Argos.
As for the villains, they don't appear particularly deadly nor effective in spreading terror. In fact, they are woefully lame. Even the "evil" doctor (Oliver Guest) ended up being a toothless tiger.
The same goes with Pearl Lazenby, the cult leader of the Legion of Argos. She also ends up being an ineffective cartoon character who let herself be easily captured.
Contrary to Pearl, Oliver Guest is a free man. He found a way to escape from his captors, i.e. his patients suffering from cancer. Also, in a surprising twist in the story, Oliver leaves his captors with some promising experimental drugs which could help them fight cancer. So much for his wickedness !
Next, the book also falters badly under the weight of too many descriptive passages. Page, after page is filled either with descriptive jumble or burdersome soliloquy which is painful to read. Also, the dialogues are often handicapped by the trivial small talk or chitchating which serves no purpose other than taking up space.
This kind of narrative is sometimes turned into bogus philosophical musings, such as the role of government, how to be a wise leader, etc. Also, we are continously bombarded with the dreary technical jargon related to either astro-phisics, gravitational forces or medicine. It looks like the author borrowed a great deal from the scientific textbooks. We could even get a feeling that we are reading a scholarly article from a scientific journal rather than a literary work. In short, perhaps 70 per cent of
the novel is filled with similar anticlimactic filler chapters. In short, the novel
"Aftermath" by Charles Sheffield is a gigantic failure. I would only recommend it to my worst enemy.
I liked the opening chapter of the book (prologue) - from the secret diary of Oliver Guest. The concept of judicial sleep is interesting. So is the idea of abyssal sleep where at the reduced body temperature the prisoner's ageing process will decrease.
Bad:
This sci-fi novel is structured in such a way that neither its central idea nor the main character are clearly defined. If we come to an agreement that the theme of the novel is keeping the country (USA) from falling apart due to the disaster caused by supernova, then what about the two other equally important plotlines: the return of Mars expedition, and the revival of Dr. Oliver Guest by his desperate cancer patients?
Clearly, these two separate plotlines don't fit well with the political premise of the novel such as keeping the country from falling apart.
The first one belongs to the planetary exploration, the second - medicine. Neither is remotely related to the art of politics. In short, they are artificially forced upon us. Without them the novel would be more compact and less messy.
Just as the book's theme isn't easily defined, so neither is its main character. The most obvious choice for the main character is the U.S. President. In the reader's eyes the main character is usually a hero. Is President Steinmetz really a hero? What obstacles must he overcome to justify his heroic status? Must he make any sacrifices?
No, the first Jewish President of the USA is not a hero. He may be the main character of the novel, but not a hero. Despite the chaos around the country, Saul Steinmetz has an easy ride. His life is not threatened at all. He doesn't face any serious opposition, neither from his political adversaries nor foreign powers. The army is loyal to him. Even his strongest political opponents such as Senator Nick Lopez and the House Minority Leader Sarah Mander, have miraculousl fallen under his charismatic spell. Saul is a do-gooder, and Gandhi-like pacifist. He is more a Jewish globalist than American. He quotes more Benjamin Disraeli, prime minister of Great Britain than George Washington.
In fact, he is more
preoccupied with his penis (it couldn't get up, oh boy!) than the catastrophic effects of supernova which left the human civilization seriously crippled. However, we can sigh with relief: everything is fine with President's penis, just a temporary erectile dysfunction, that's all. Of course, his sexy young aid (Yasmin Silvers) or Tricia Goldsmith are always there to prove how effective his penis is. In fact, all the "heroes" are , more or less, shown through the prism of their genetalia. For what purpose, I wonder ?...Some are even homosexuals such as Senator Nick Lopez and his young lover Auden Travis.
The main characters appear to be strong, even vulnerable, but never well-rounded. In addition to President Saul Steinmetz, another important character is Celine Tanaka. Her personality is more revealed through her action than words. After death of Zoe, she is suddenly the commander of the Mars expedition. If anyone deserves to be called a hero, then it's Celline. She is actually a female Rambo. Even though she isn't a soldier, she grabs a weapon (dispite the objections from the army members) and joins the commandoes in hunting a charismatic female leader of the Legion of Argos.
As for the villains, they don't appear particularly deadly nor effective in spreading terror. In fact, they are woefully lame. Even the "evil" doctor (Oliver Guest) ended up being a toothless tiger.
The same goes with Pearl Lazenby, the cult leader of the Legion of Argos. She also ends up being an ineffective cartoon character who let herself be easily captured.
Contrary to Pearl, Oliver Guest is a free man. He found a way to escape from his captors, i.e. his patients suffering from cancer. Also, in a surprising twist in the story, Oliver leaves his captors with some promising experimental drugs which could help them fight cancer. So much for his wickedness !
Next, the book also falters badly under the weight of too many descriptive passages. Page, after page is filled either with descriptive jumble or burdersome soliloquy which is painful to read. Also, the dialogues are often handicapped by the trivial small talk or chitchating which serves no purpose other than taking up space.
This kind of narrative is sometimes turned into bogus philosophical musings, such as the role of government, how to be a wise leader, etc. Also, we are continously bombarded with the dreary technical jargon related to either astro-phisics, gravitational forces or medicine. It looks like the author borrowed a great deal from the scientific textbooks. We could even get a feeling that we are reading a scholarly article from a scientific journal rather than a literary work. In short, perhaps 70 per cent of
the novel is filled with similar anticlimactic filler chapters. In short, the novel
"Aftermath" by Charles Sheffield is a gigantic failure. I would only recommend it to my worst enemy.
July 28, 2020
This was definitely a weird book. The story was quite interesting, and so were some of the characters (though with so many who were supposed to have very different backgrounds it was really evident how Sheffield tends to assign to each person the same kind of analytical approach that is very... mathematician-like). Sadly, it felt like it had a lot of potential that didn't really go anywhere.
The writing was really clunky, with a lot of explanatory sentences that read like explanations written in after receiving feedback without any reformulation.
And having read most of Sheffield's work I did not. Expect. This much SEX. (Also, it never felt natural. It was like he suddenly decided that he needed to add THE SEX to the book and... no, it really is not necessary if you don't like Charles).
The writing was really clunky, with a lot of explanatory sentences that read like explanations written in after receiving feedback without any reformulation.
And having read most of Sheffield's work I did not. Expect. This much SEX. (Also, it never felt natural. It was like he suddenly decided that he needed to add THE SEX to the book and... no, it really is not necessary if you don't like Charles).
July 9, 2018
The story was weak and full of holes. The dialogue was emotionally void. A high school short story could have done better. The best part was that it was a fast vacation read and provide material for our discussion about the books we read during our summer vacation. #1 is the first of a series and my last.
November 16, 2012
I enjoyed this book. A bit of the science seemed a bit far out there but I like the idea of an apocolypse brought on not by war or plague but by gamma rays that destroyed all microchips. I'm going to look for 'Starfire', the sequel to this book.
November 26, 2019
surprisingly good from an author I'd never heard of. I found this by chance on Overdrive but I really enjoyed it and intend to get the sequel. It was a good space/dystopia mix, exactly what I was looking for.
November 12, 2014
DID NOT FINISH
I cannot take another moment of the torture that is this narrator. I will get the text version and continue because I am interested in he story but it is ruined by the reading.
I cannot take another moment of the torture that is this narrator. I will get the text version and continue because I am interested in he story but it is ruined by the reading.
June 8, 2018
I tapped out and had to stop.
March 15, 2025
I read this back in the late 90s/maybe early 200o and recall enjoying it very much. The premise is pretty memorable: Alpha Centauri, the closest solar system to our own, has had one of its stars go supernova. (I don't recall now if it was one, or all of the three stars that went.) The initial shock wave of gamma rays, etc, has hit has Earth in 2026, and the results were devastating for life. Two suns in the sky means that Earth rarely had night time anymore, fires and flooding rage, and disease has gone amok. In addition to the President trying to restore order and reassure the world population, there's one group seeking to free their leader (The Eye of God) and another group of cancer patients are trying to find their doctor. Both of these missing people are lost in the judicial system. And there was a serial killer in there.
I seem to recall there was a cliffhanger ending and think it was this one, leading to the conclusion in the sequel, which was published right before the author passed away.
I was obsessed with this book (and its sequel. I may need to reread it to see if it holds up, which it might not.
I seem to recall there was a cliffhanger ending and think it was this one, leading to the conclusion in the sequel, which was published right before the author passed away.
I was obsessed with this book (and its sequel. I may need to reread it to see if it holds up, which it might not.
April 20, 2018
Slow pace at first, but hang in there. Super Nova Alpha is an atmoshperic threat to the world. Looking at global warming today may bring about questions of other possibilities. A doctor with strange concepts of his own may lead one to question possibilities derived from missing children.
There is even a female Jim Jones. Life is full of surprises. "What are the future test on humans" one should ask.
There is even a female Jim Jones. Life is full of surprises. "What are the future test on humans" one should ask.
May 15, 2019
Normally I have a healthy suspicion in the EMP Post Apocalypse genre as they mostly focus on the event and prepping and then it’s right off to killing invading hoards of those who were not prepared. This book however combined a space opera, and good science fiction and focused heavily on the reconstruction of society after the event. I enjoyed it thoroughly and look forward to reading the next book in the series
February 8, 2023
Alpha Centuari has gone nova. It released an electro magnetic pulse destroying every integrated chip on Earth in the early 21st century. The story focuses on how people deal with the crisis. The people include a Jewish President of the United States, the first Mars expedition, a serial killer, and a cult. Interesting how these storylines tie in. There are some challenging problems to be dealt with in this world. The sequel is a must read.
December 29, 2017
Great vacation book. As usual, Charles presents a good plot line with lots of hard science to back it up. Funny that the "future" in this book is only eight years away now - but interesting in that it correctly predicts how our lives are becoming more and more dependent on electricity and microchips.
July 19, 2024
Alph Centauri goes supernova. This causes disaster. An em pulse destroys the microchips that make the modern world run. There is a fanatical cult, cancer survivors who in desperation free a mad scientist. The President struggles on how to rebuild an face the future.
A pretty well done story. Much is left unanswered for the the next book.
A pretty well done story. Much is left unanswered for the the next book.
August 30, 2025
The story itself was somewhat interesting, but the writing made me cringe and (I listened on audiobook) the narrating was awful. Way to often it sounded like AI. I'm giving it 2 stars purely because maybe, just maybe, it would be better reading it as a book, but the audiobook was terrible. I have enjoyed Sheffield books in the past but I won't be reading any more of this series.
October 17, 2019
Third time through. I remember being enthralled the first couple times and while the story remains good it lacks the punch it did the first time.
NOTE: Much like Ben Bova, Sheffield dates himself with his caricaturization of race.
NOTE: Much like Ben Bova, Sheffield dates himself with his caricaturization of race.
Read
April 13, 2022DNF. I only heard 3% but for an audiobook, the narrator’s voice is the most important element. This narrator was not appropriate for a late 1990’s work, sounding more appropriate to a 1950 golden era with an assumed audience of young teenagers.
December 17, 2025
An author I love, from reading as a teen.
This story really fun cuz happens in the future year 2026.
Sheffield great at world building and plot.
Not too bad with male sci-fi pov.
Enjoyable read until the end- came as a surprise. Clearly there’s a book 2
This story really fun cuz happens in the future year 2026.
Sheffield great at world building and plot.
Not too bad with male sci-fi pov.
Enjoyable read until the end- came as a surprise. Clearly there’s a book 2
December 20, 2018
DNF. Boring. Bad narrator on audiobook version.
May 2, 2019
The build up was almost too much. Checked out book 2 from the library. We shall see if the conclusion will be worth it.
September 9, 2018
First off, there are two books in this series, which I didn't know when I started this one. There are a lot of loose ends left untied, so you'll want to have the second book on standby.
The story is clever. The plot is interesting. The science is good. I was particularly delighted at the diversity in characters (both in race, gender, and sexuality); not something I expected from a 1990s hard science fiction novel!
The writing is, admittedly, not beautiful. I would go so far as to call it clunky in places. But most of the time it didn't distract from the story.
I'm still waiting on the second book to arrive in the mail. Looking forward to the conclusion.
The story is clever. The plot is interesting. The science is good. I was particularly delighted at the diversity in characters (both in race, gender, and sexuality); not something I expected from a 1990s hard science fiction novel!
The writing is, admittedly, not beautiful. I would go so far as to call it clunky in places. But most of the time it didn't distract from the story.
I'm still waiting on the second book to arrive in the mail. Looking forward to the conclusion.
December 18, 2022
Didn't finish
Displaying 1 - 30 of 53 reviews