I've read a few Bob Shaw books and like them well enough. This book though, feels as if he spent all his effort constructing his elaborate sc-fi plot and then never got to telling the story around it. Even for an older sci-fi book, this book is almost completely exposition. The main character is just rushed through events and explanations, one after the other. Even with the interesting ideas and some well constructed plot twists, this book came off as dry, mechanical and just not very fun. ( )

A novel exploring spontaneous human combustion from a rational viewpoint. Fellow sf author John Sladek has a walk-on part. ( )

People are bursting into flame! A skeptical science reporter assigned--to his chagrin-- to investigate. Contrary to expectation, the occurences are genuine and not the invention of the tabloids or the delusional. His discovery of the cause turns the novel in a massively different direction. Snappy prose, and a plot that keeps you eager. It's totally cool! ( )