thegooddoctor
9/26/2016
There are 2 very strong images that stay with me two decades after I read this book. One is the amazing description of the wall of ice from the glacier that is advancing southward near the border of the southern 48 states. A second is that of the revolutionaries hanging from the arch in St. Louis.
In reading the novel synopsis on the WWW website, I see it features a vile attack on greens ("the lunatic fringe of the environmental movement controls the U.S. government"). I do not question that LN and JP would fully support such a destructive statement - but in 2021 one would hope we could be set aside "lunatic fringe" conspiracy theories about the environmental movement. And the urgent reality of climate change.
I gather that there are in-jokes about many SF personalities liberally sprinkled throughout the text (although I doubt that Niven or Pournelle would agree to the use of the "L" word).
My rating system: I begin with one star being equivalent to a rating of "C -". Progressing upwards, I add ½ star for each step, up to the maximum 5 stars, which is equivalent to a rating of "A"+. I reserve ½ star for BOMBS, there being no option of zero or negative stars.