Worlds by Joe Haldeman

Worlds cover. 

   Worlds posits a near future vision of humanity; in it, humans have harnessed and carved out settlements on several asteroids, known as “Worlds”. It is set in the “late 21st century”. The chief protagonist, Marianne O’Hara, travels from New New York (no, that’s not a typo!) to Earth, and the perceptions are those of an outsider visiting Terra for the first time. Not many sci-fi tales bother to have a female lead character, another fact that sets it apart. This book was written prior to the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War, and like many near future stories, the results show it. Two other books come to mind that now semi-suffer from the same effect; Larry Niven’s “Footfall” and “Millennium” by Ben Bova.
Political intrigue abounds through-out. Though economically dependent, the satellite Worlds seek autonomy with various factions pushing towards the brink of revolution. Tantalizing glimpses of past American history are given, such as the fact that America has suffered a second revolution, Nevada has seceded (why hasn’t this happened already?), and Kentucky is a sort of agrarian commune.
Marianne eventually gets caught along in the intrigue as the revolution turns hot. The concept of a splintered America is an interesting one; the United States is one of the very few unions that survived the 20th century relatively intact. We often take this for granted; but as Worlds shows, time may ultimately prove this to not be the case.
Some of the reviews of this novel I’ve seen around the internet seem down on the singular character percpective; It’s also inferred that the future world concept is not fully fleshed out in the book. I feel this outsiders view gives us a more intimate look at this future society, as the reader is an outsider, like Marianne. Personally, I like some things hidden, thus the reader can decide what might have occurred. So much of media is now spoon fed to us, but Worlds supposes a sophisticated audience.
Originally published in 1981, this book eventually became a trilogy. I’ve never read the sequels, but I suspect that the original is the best. (Anyone notice my bias against prequel/sequels yet?)
In closing, Worlds is a fine novel… hopefully, I’ll be around to read and update this review in the late 21st century!

This finishes up “Astroguyz’s top 12 Sci-Fi” pics… I’ll try to return to the Astronomy thing next blog entry, along with some more current readings!