Arkwright

A book in four parts (and three interludes), the first is pretty much a love letter to the golden age of science fiction. The rest is part hard SF and part space opera, with kudos for strong female characters throughout. The solutions to story hurdles were too easy most of the time, weakening the result.

I went into this novel with no preconceptions, and enjoyed the first few names dropped. After ducking out of the ensuing rain, I found the point - what if the sci fi were a bit closer to real, and the success of that fiction drove a later private effort to save the human race? The resulting book ended up a pleasant surprise.

As mentioned earlier, the solutions were a bit too pat. Some themes ran through the background, including the future results of climate change and private sector solutions that work where government solutions fail. A major theme in all the parts is the obstruction of fundamentalist religion, even among the colonists.

Other reviews cluster around 5 stars and 2 stars. I enjoyed the love letter and many aspects of the story, while glossing over the character weaknesses. 3½ stars