Story: 5 / 10
Characters: 7
Setting: 7
Prose: 5

An interesting concept: The first intergalactic space voyage destined to the most Earth-like planet identified. However, it is a hard science fiction novel. As such, the book is really about the science and simply does not focus on the story enough. P.Anderson does justice to the character emotions, but it isn't enough.
Interesting note: This is the extra-terrestrial version of Wells' The Time Machine. ( )

Hard SF problem story with problems that just keep coming.

Much like "The Admirable Crichton" this story follows an everyman- the "constable" assigned to an interstellar flight who effectively becomes the king, the leader as problems mount. Hard science - no FTL - and lots of detail which may bog down some. But Anderson does well to keep the action (and problems) coming. ( )

La época es el siglo XXI. Los personajes son cincuenta especialistas, hombres y mujeres elegidos tras un largo y cuidadoso proceso de selección destinado a incorporar sólo personal particularmente entrenado en el viaje espacial y excepcionalmente apto para desarrollar con éxito una nueva colonia. La nave es la Leonora Christine, la más reciente de su clase. Y todos los esfuerzos están puestos al servicio de una única misión, viajar a través del espacio interestelar hasta un lejano planeta donde debe establecerse una colonia terrestre. Sin embargo dos años después de su partida, la Leonora Christine colisiona con una nube de desechos del espacio, se avería y la ruta se altera. Todos se ven irremediablemente sin fin hacia lo desconocido.

Very very annoying. The women are written as essentially useless and existing for baby making (despite being experts in scientific fields). The rough domineering constable gets his way and is ever so heroic. And he gets to coerce people into behaving how he wants.
Frankly it is annoying crap.
I had heard good things about this but it was an utter waste. I was paging through quickly after the first half. ( )

Really good sci-fi novel about time warps, etc. ( )