Red Thunder by John Varley

The Washington Post said it well - "A realistic and funny novel."

John Varley reminds me a bit of Robert Heinlein, and I found out later was influenced somewhat by him in his career.

This book has unforgettable characters, believable plot lines, and a thrilling conclusion.

The best of science fiction, in my opinion, takes the world as we know it, and makes one changed assumption, and then proceeds logically from there. As you can figure out for yourself, how well any given book "proceeds logically" from there is dependent on the author's ability to explain the steps of his reasoning. It also depends on whether he can tell a story without the explanation getting in the way.

Without giving the story away (since it says so on the cover) this is a "trip to Mars" story. The characters in the story do a believable job of making that happen, and give an interesting perspective on the role of technology in space travel while they do it.

The one changed assumption has to do with energy. It takes a while for the author to get there, but the trip includes some very memorable characters, so I didn't mind the wait.

I would say this is a good book for young adults to read. It isn't too cerebral, and there is fun along the way to keep you engaged in the story.

It is a Penguin book, and 411 pages long. I recommend it for your kids, or for a plane flight.

On the book cover the blurb compares it to a "comic caper of Carl Hiaasen", quoted from Science Fiction Weekly. I've recently had the chance to read a Hiaasen book, and would agree.