Saturn's Children

I really found loved this universe and the main character. Inventing this character to explore a floundering existential crisis was genius. Several bits, like the evolutionary debate and the realities of space travel were very cool insights. But why couldn't the author stick to the character's existential crisis and instead of getting would up in plot within plot? And some of "sex"... Just ugh. Obviously written by a man. And then the rape, which was supposed to be so important in the character's development, it seemed as though he suddenly got chickenshit about describing a rape and decided to gloss over it. Well put it at the beginning then, don't build up to some gloss. And what in end it is suddenly a fairy-tale, the existential take would have been more satisfying. This book fully grabbed my attention, but ultimately disappointed me. I will try this author again, but only if the protagonist is male.