In Ascension by Martin MacInnes
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I didn't know what I was headed into when I picked up this highly-acclaimed mainstream book that just so happens to be an SF.

I mean, there's a number of books that were always middle-of-the-road SF stories told in middle-of-the-road SF ways but were always touted as above and beyond mainstream, but rarely do I see one that is Kim Stanley Robinson level Hard SF getting slipped in as regular popular fiction.

And yet, here we go! This goes hard with marine biology -- and interstellar travel. I like these stories a lot. Good, interesting characters, the troubles of long journeys, and we've even got so many of the trappings of Aurora built right in, while MacInnes makes it all his own.

What can I say? I've always enjoyed this sub-category of SF and thought this one was well above average. Give me the hard science, the feeling of wonder, the troubles of survival, and lots of new places. I want to soar -- and this book gives me that. :)

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