Putting the Science in the Fiction

There are a large number of science fiction authors who write entertaining fiction. There are a small handful of science fiction authors who write believable science. A depressingly small cross-section of authors can do Both at the sametime.

It is a rare treat to come across a "hard SF" novel as well-researched and entertaining as "Higher Education". There are no great technological leaps of faith here; Everything is CLEARLY Explained and plausible. In many "hard SF" novels The tech is so obtrusive it ought to be a character in its own right. "Higher Education" leaves the science comfortably in the background while never losing sight of its importance to the story. Things are Explained as needed, accepted as background WHEN NOT.

Yet the most well-researched and plausible SF novel would read like a college textbook without people to identify with, characters who live in this world and show it to you through Their Eyes. Sheffield and Pournelle do a terrific job here and make this a great afternoon read