Synopsis

An expedition to a very strange artifact seen around a distant star.

History

First publication: Ballantine Books paperback October 1970

1970 Nebula winner for best novel.

1971 Hugo winner for best novel.

Review

The question of fate, luck, and practical survival mix interestingly in this scifi tale of an unlikely crew of inter-galactic explorers. Humor is witty, world building is based off accurate science, and the imagry of characters and landscapes are wonderful and extremely memorable and hilarious. Includes many of the same scifi tropes scifi readers love, while giving science lovers accurate and creative interpretations of actual scientific laws and theories.