F/SF

Needless to say this was a DNF and for good reason. The author sets us up with a story of Belson, an impotent billionaire in the year 2063 who buys a Chinese space craft to hunt for uranium. Months later they land on a distant planet of obsidian he names after himself and are unable to find what they seek. Having researched other planets they go into hyper sleep and land on another and 'strike gold'. Bored with the entire process, Belson has the crew take him back to the first planet saying he plans to live there indefinitely.

From here the plot shifts to constant back story as he reminisces of lost love, yada, yada which kills any momentum if there was any. When a story bogs down like this, I can't justify continuing. Having thoroughly enjoyed [b:The Man Who Fell to Earth|396329|The Man Who Fell to Earth|Walter Tevis|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1320467516l/396329._SY75_.jpg|313881] this was an epic disappointment and would not recommend it to anyone nor is it worthy of being called Science fiction. ( )

I guess I expected more from the author of the brilliant The Queen's Gambit and Mockingbird - both were 5-star reads for me. This one... not so much. Nearly a 2-star read but Tevis is an excellent writer and he almost had me buying into this a few times. But the ridiculous protagonist just destroyed my enjoyment. Still, I guess I have to give him 3 stars for the effort. ( )

A first person account of a fossil fuel robber-baron billionaire male midlife crisis in a future world with global cooling.

Must buy spaceship, check. Must flaunt authority, check. Must smoke cigars, check. Must endure hardships, some self-inflicted, check. Must save planet, check.

It seems that the ghost of Heinlein was driving the plot, but Tevis was doing everything else, here.

This novel and Mockingbird end atop New York skyscrapers. The end gets a bit tedious, but there are a few observations about how people tick here. ( )

Come un po' il timbro di Tevis anche questo romanzo è molto "umanista" incentrato sulle vicende complesse e difficili del protagonista che deve affrontare molti problemi personali. Lo sfondo futurista e (moderatamente sf, direi) serve solo come scenario in cui ambientare la rappresentazione delle molte questioni personali passate e presenti che affliggono il protagonista e che Tevis usa, direi, per la sua solita esamina dell'umanità: stavolta però molto sottotono e poco interessante. ( )