The book didn’t really start until about page 120. It was ok but nothing that will stay with me for very long or warrant a re-read. Mostly this is a jumble of flash-backs told by the main character. For this reason it remains hard to feel any tension or believe something important will happen in the now. As that phrase about writing goes: “Don’t tell. Show.” If you can make it through the first hundred pages and a bit there is actually a story that will take place. So far my least favorite of the Hugos I’ve read.

There’s a lot of cool concepts packed tightly. It’s a different experience than the huge 12 book series; the plots and flashbacks are rapid and drive the story quickly. Great classic SF.