With wit, charm and a wicked intelligence, John C. Wright's ninth novel kicks off a series set in both the near and far future of Earth. Polymath Menelaus Montrose rises beyond his poor religious upbringing by becoming an astronaut, winging his way along with thousands of others to a far flung asteroid on a dual mission to gather a highly sought after energy source there and to study its mysterious Monolith. Menelaus injects intelligence-enhancing smart drugs as soon as the mining and science ship leaves orbit, giving him a terrifying intellect but also causing a nearly incurable madness. The other mission staffers lock him away in suspended animation, allowing the novel to take a great leap into its second act, set hundreds of years later, after the landing party from the mission has returned to Earth, becoming masters of all they see, providing free energy to a hungry and grateful humanity. Menelaus rebels, of course, and begins a physical, mental and perhaps spiritual journey to use his intelligence to better humankind.
This is a novel of huge ideas, super-intelligent beings, transcendent mathematics and a Texan who becomes a stubborn champion of humanity. Wright rides a fine line between the well-trod SF trope of outsider individualist (think classic Robert A. Heinlein) and brilliant speculations on the nature of humanity, artificial intelligence and the potential for contact with extra-terrestrial intelligence. The pace is quick, the science and math are impressive and the big ideas are suitably mind-bending. This is science fiction at its best, and fans of the genre would do well to pay heed to this new master of the craft. --Rob LeFebvre, freelance writer and editor