STAR SETTLERS: THE BILLIONAIRES, GENIUSES, AND CRAZED VISIONARIES OUT TO CONQUER THE UNIVERSE

摘要

I was prepared to write a rather scathing review of Star Settlers when I noticed my name inside the book. This doesn't happen often, so I was taken aback until I recalled that Nadis had conducted an email interview with me some years back. Unlike some cases in which the writer selectively picks out fragments to make a speaker look foolish, he quoted me at length, and used that as a foundation to further some points he was making. This left me with a terrible dilemma: can I review the book objectively? More challenging is that Nadis is an excellent writer and the prose flows easily off the page. Adding to my challenges was the fact that he is a science fiction fan, and does a good job of putting space settlement in a larger background of fiction, both historical and recent. Although a long time fan of the genre myself, I picked up a good number of interesting science fiction tidbits as I read Star Settlers. Finally, Nadis has done extensive personal research to support the book, including journeys to interesting places and interviews with less known space settlement advocates like Peter Kokh, editor of the Moon Miner's Manifesto and distinguished NSS Leader.