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Biased and superficial Science Fiction reviews

           
     
Titan

Copyright 1995 by Stephen Baxter

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SOJALS rating:     
one SOJALS point one SOJALS point no SOJALS point no SOJALS point no SOJALS point    Mediocre (2/5)

I first read this in November 1998.

Paula Benacerraf, Isaac Rosenberg and Bill Angel and many others play their parts in America's last-gasp attempt at space exploration - the trip to Titan. Meanwhile, China is just starting to reach beyond the gravity well.

This is well-written, really rather good but somewhat depressing. It's depressing in a number of ways, one of which is its premise that America has given up on space exploration, and to a large extent, science. Still if you want to understand what space-travel is like today, this is the book to read.

I would write that this is a tragic, yet ultimately hopeful, tale of human determination and endurance, but that is far too corny and would be giving too much away.

What's it got? It's all conventional technology, except for the prevalence of "softscreens" and a throw-away comment about "cruise-viruses" (I can imagine them zooming through the network slipping under the firewalls). Oh, and aliens, sort of.

Loaded on the 16th May 2001.
    
Cover of Titan

Reviews of other works by Arthur C. Clarke and Stephen Baxter:
The Light Of Other Days

Reviews of other works by Stephen Baxter:
Raft
Timelike Infinity
Anti-Ice
Voyage
Vacuum Diagrmas
Moonseed
Time
Space