thegooddoctor
9/26/2016
This is a FANTASTIC novel - and the sequel is just about as good! Highly recommended!
Although the generation ship only features minimally in the novel and its sequel, it is a key part of the overall story, so it is reasonable to use this as a sub-genre tag. It is tempting to use the sub-genre "monsters", as it seems to apply very well - but I didn't want readers to assume there was any monstrous silliness featured here.
David Pringle was rather acidic in his review of this novel (The Ultimate Guide to Science Fiction) - but even HE isn't right all of the time! (Actually, he was wrong about the Mote in God's Eye as well - referring to the book as "politically unpleasant" simply because there is a monarchy.)
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.