Rating: 
Summary: A Somewhat Jumbled Search for the History of the Future
Review: This novel is in every way very good. However, it comes across as not really knowing what it wants to be. There is the action novel part, with God-impersonation, biblical floods, and moon crashes. There is the political commentary, with communist monitors, ill-executed political space missions, and slavery. There is the technical manual, with zero-point lasers, interstellar travel, antimatter, and huge computers. There is the coming-of-age story, with young aliens going through puberty in space, culture fading over generations, and sons following in fathers' footsteps. The composition is just too jumbled, though. In an attempt to be the book about everything, the novel becomes a book without a point, without a climax, unsupported science, and with an unsatisfying ending. Too bad, too, because the beginning is positively riveting. I would recommend it, but don't expect the great American novel; this book was written for a purpose other than being a great book.
Rating: 
Summary: It's Buzz, after all! How can you NOT buy it?
Review: This one will win no great awards. The aliens are anthropomorphized far too much. The technical details, while impressive, are often overbearing. And the narrative is undercut with too much dreamy vision. HOWEVER, the actual story is really really good. And, believe it or not, all of the characters sing with consistency, believability and three-dimensional life. So, if you can tolerate Buzz's incessant self-aggrandizing style, and if you can forgive the overbearing technical precision of much of the science, then this is a highly enjoyable novel.
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