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1.0 out of 5 stars
There are greener pastures, so skip this one, Nov 1 1999
I bought this, partially because some of the reviews I saw compared it to similar books by Charles Sheffield, a master at writing stories coupled with science fact essays. This is a hard act to follow, but Forward has been writing for long enough that I was at least hoping for entertainment.After reading this, I regretfully conclude that this is not a book I would buy, and I wish that I had returned it after reading it. I found every fiction story was contrived, and not intriguing enough to hold my interest. This was regrettable, as Forward clearly sees some quite amazing possibilities in the high power densities antimatter brings, and the impact of easy travel within the solar system. I did not, however, come away from the stories with a sense of wonder, or a sense that I had "seen the future." Even were this entirely a science fact book, I would have misgivings. Forward seems quite intent on pointing out the number of patents he holds. At several occasions, I felt the book was moving from entertainment or education vehicle into self promotion. I am not above that myself, but I find it entertains poorly. Forward clearly understands the material, and explains it well, but the level he chose to pitch it at was not satisfying to me. I felt that he was using a bit too much fancy footwork, and a bit too little solid explanation. See Sheffield's "Dancing with Myself" for a collection of essays with similar focus, but with more meat on the scientific bones. In essense, a well thought out book, but one that does not deliver on the implicit promise of such a powerful and wide reaching set of technologies.
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