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Jun 25, 2019susan_findlay rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
As I understand it, one of the unique features of this book was that the vast majority of the science is actually plausible, based on technology that already exists (admittedly in very early phases - hence why the story was set 50 years in the future). In the epilogue, the authors admit the one exception to this rule. Personally, I really appreciated that because, unless the author establishes a world operating under different laws of physics or set so far into the future that everything current is obsolete, regular use of I-made-this-up-even-though-it's-absurd can pull me out of the story. So, yay! for good science. Well done, Ctein. The story itself is also good. Admittedly, the first 50 pages or so are really slow. The authors take the time to establish a relatively large cast of characters who all have different roles to play in the eventual voyage to Saturn. Once that's accomplished, though, and the ship leaves Earth, the pace picks up. The story itself is a good mixture of sci fi, intrigue and politics. The science is required to set the stage, but the politics and international relations are really the main focus.