Synopses & Reviews
Twenty-five years ago there was a great interplanetary war in the Solar System. It was a suicidal spasm in which terrible weapons were created and used; in which nine billion people were killed. The rivalries that led to the war are not gone. And a few of those deadly weapons remain--some still orbiting the sun in the debris of destroyed ships,s some deliberately placed in storage.
Now Cyrus Mobarak, the man who perfected the fusion engine, is determined to bring human settlement to the protected seas of Europa. Opposing him is Hilda Brandt, Europa's administrator. And caught between them are three remarkable young people: Jon Perry, Camille Hamilton, and Wilsa Sheer.
Review
"Sheffield's uncommon vision and storytelling skill will keep you on the edge of your seat."--David Brin
"Fits comfortably on the shelf with Clarke and Asimov and Heinlein. He writes classic stuff."--Analog
"Written at the level of Arthur C. Clarke at his best--with deft characterization, pellucid handling of scientific questions, good world building and real wit--this is arguable Sheffield's best book yet."--Booklist
Synopsis
This hard science fiction novel opens 25 years after the great war between the Inner Planets (Earth and Mars) and the millions who had colonized the asteroid belt and the moons of Jupiter. Nine billion people were killed by the terrible weapons created and used. The rivalries that lead to the war are not gone--and a few of those deadly weapons remain.
About the Author
Charles Sheffield is a mathematician and theoretical physicist by training. His doctoral work was on Einstein's Special Theory of Relativity. Currently Dr. Sheffield works as chief scientist for the Earth Satellite Corporation, a Washington, D.C.-based firm that specializes in the analysis of data gathered from space.
The author of thirty previous science fiction novels, including Cold as Ice and The Ganymede Club from Tor, Sheffield lives in Silver Spring, Maryland, with his wife, author Nancy Kress.