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Review title: Not what I expected
Product review: After reading numerous blurbs about how Ben Bova's novels were a return to the "hard" science fiction popularized by Heinlein, Asimov and Clarke (my personal favorite), I have to say I was really let down by this book. While the science may be more or less sound, the fiction leaves much to be desired.The main problem is that Mercury is essentially a story about betrayal and vengeance that, almost as an afterthought, happens to take place on or around the planet Mercury. The main revenge plot is spelled out for the reader early on, so there's no real mystery and only a minor bit of suspense to keep the story moving.Other reviewers have stated that the book is not Bova's best, and I might be willing to give him another try. Hard sci-fi has been on life support (or maybe suspended animation?) for years. I'm just grateful that, as of this writing, we still have Arthur C. Clarke alive and still writing.
