Customer Reviews

Titan (French Edition)

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Except from being a textbook which must be an obligatory read for every NASA employee, it offers a very scary and freighting future for mankind. I have to admit that I did like the textbook science parts put I couldn't quite cope with the negative aspects of the whole story. According to Murphy's Law 'If anything goes wrong it will', the book develops a future where the USA withdraws from all international efforts for peace and development. The newly elected president and his cabinet believe that science has reached its limit and that it can't advance mankind anymore. This nutty leadership committee defines a new society strongly based on religious ambitions. The churches welcome this of course and help to turn the nation's mindset into a backward society based on religion (science is prohibited). On top of that, the USA consistently threatens China with biological warfare. Oh yes, I forget the comet which is approaching earth! This doesn't sound like a story about a mission to Titan at all!? Yes agreed, the main plot is about a mission to Titan but Stephen Baxter tries to enhance the boring story (a 7 years flight through the darkness is not quite entertaining) with elements about mankind screwing up big time. The aspect of the USA screwing up is certainly within the realm of reality and I think this is what most people found so disturbing in that story. The entire narrative would be of great epic ambitions, however, the negative touch and style is so very unpleasant that I was really happy when I finished the book. Maybe it was too real in certain aspects...