SOJALS rating:

Unrated (0/5)

I first read this in January 1998.

In the near future space belongs to the USSR, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. Once the USSR deployed its space-based weapons, even the nuclear powers were at its mercy.

America has become insular, has turned inward obsessed with its collapsing economy.

Only a few small non-communist space industries survive, and the USSR is working to subvert and take over these remaining brave outposts.

Dan Randoph, billionaire and expatriate American, is one of the few still resisting this and dreaming of a future in space for America, indeed for the world.

But as the Russian grip tightens, even his businesses edge toward unprofitability - the USSR controls the lunar mines from where his resources come. His solution is to seize and mine an asteroid. But when the USST react adversely to that, he is driven to piracy and starts seizing the USSR space freighters.

It's awful. There's exciting stuff happening - there's nothing particularly wrong with the plot (except its predictability) but the dismal writing steam-rollers along burying all characterization and subtlety.