John Barnes (1) (1957–)

The adjective "Heinleinesque" is terribly overused. But in this case, it is quite apt. The echoes of Heinlein's "juveniles" (a term I dislike because it makes them sound less good than they are) are to be found throughout this whole book: the folksy vernacular, the emphasis on a teen-age character being thrust into situations that would challenge adults, etc. What I most appreciated about this book, though, was the science. Barnes really did his homework here; the science behind the story is good and solid. Unlike far too many authors I have read, he does not forget (ever) that his characters are moving in a lower gravity field. Little things like that mean a lot to me.

The only reason I'm not giving this a 5-star rating is because I'm not sure I'll come back and re-read it at some later date. (Only re-readables get the highest rating from me.) But if I do wind up re-reading it (and there's a better than average chance of this), then I'll raise my rating.… (més)