From Publishers Weekly
Pohl's ( Gateway ) newest interstellar adventure inverts many of SF's hoariest old chestnuts, polishing them until they shine like the stars to which his ships fly. Barry di Hoa, an antimatter engineer who works on the moon, is almost the archetypal "scientist/hero" except for the flaw of a strange chemical imbalance, which causes him to become a manic-depressive if he is not treated with esoteric drugs. Barry is just about to propose marriage to his girlfriend when his rival for her affections kidnaps him and sends him to the far-flung outpost of Pava, a multireligious melting pot. A quarter of Pava's settlers are the suicidal Millenarists who profess to believe that the world is so evil that everyone should kill themselves and thereby reduce the incidence of sin. Pohl takes the time-honored theme of evil religious fanatics standing in the way of progress and adds yet another cliche, that of the "bug-eyed" monster--here given a benign spin in the figure of a helpful and friendly caterpillar-shaped Lep alien named Geronimo, who becomes Barry's best friend. The colonists' religious problems, disturbances among the Lep labor force and Barry's personal "madness" all come to a head at the same time. Although the crisis has a simple solution, the slight skewing of familiar themes gives a piquant slant to the proceedings. The novel reminds the reader just how much fun these world-building stories can be, especially when they are written by a master like Pohl. Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal
Shanghaied to a planet light-years away from his lunar home, fuelmaster Barry di Hoa is forced to adjust to life on the seismically unstable planet Pava, where a colony of religious fanatics awaits the end of the world. As he befriends indigenous aliens and gradually uncovers a malevolent plot to bring about "the Millennium," di Hoa's experiences follow the pattern of classic sf adventure, enlivened by the author's acerbic wit and storytelling expertise. A good purchase for most sf collections.Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist
Pohl's Nebula Grand Master award for lifetime achievement has not affected his prolific output: witness this absorbing tale of extraterrestrial intrigue. Along with the expected aliens and duplicitous humans, Pohl introduces the surprising element of religion. Barry di Hoa is an almost perfectly happy fuelmaster, supervising antimatter fuel transfer to outbound spacecraft from his base on the Moon and keeping a past mental disorder under control. He's even thinking of proposing to his current girlfriend--until her ex-boyfriend drugs his cocktail. Two decades and as many light-years from home later, di Hoa awakens from suspended animation to find himself an unwilling citizen of the planet Pava, a shortage-ridden colony of Earth, where a controlling party of religious zealots equates suicide with salvation. Hoping to improve conditions there with the help of a new cargo of antimatter, di Hoa soon learns the antimatter has been requisitioned for a holier--and deadlier--purpose. With consummate craftsmanship, Pohl weaves suspenseful storytelling and memorable characterizations--including those of the native-to-Pava, caterpillarlike "leps"--into a seamless, elegant whole. Must reading for his fans. Carl Hays

From Kirkus Reviews
In Pohl's latest (after Mining the Oort, 1992, etc.), small colonies on alien worlds struggle to survive with intermittent aid from resource-strapped Earth. Barry di Hoa, a Lunar technician specializing in the transfer of volatile antimatter fuel to interstellar starships, joins the tiny colony of Pava against his will, having been drugged and stuck into the cryonic passenger hold of a starship by a rival for his girlfriend's affection. On Pava conditions are rough; fewer than a thousand colonists suffer frequent shortages, and earthquakes disrupt what progress they make. Di Hoa becomes enthusiastic about life there, seeing ways to improve conditions using the starship's large cargo of antimatter, but the ship's captain, Gerold Tscharka, and his fellow religious devotees have a more sinister purpose in mind. The plot moves along briskly, and the native Pavans, innocent caterpillar-like creatures who assist the colonists, make appealing foils for human folly. The author spices his story with characteristic musings on human nature and the dangers of religious fervor, but even Tscharka is handled with sympathy. Not a Pohl classic like Man Plus (1976), but a solid and engaging read from one of the genre's surest hands. -- Copyright ©1994, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

Review
"Pohl at the top of his form."--Denver Post

"Classic sf adventure."--Library Journal


Review
"Pohl at the top of his form."--Denver Post

"Classic sf adventure."--Library Journal


Book Description
Barry di Hoa had the good life on the Moon: steady work and the love of a good woman. But a rival slipped him a mickey, and he next awoke aboard Gerald Tscharka's ship as it neared the colony planet, Pava, eighteen light-years away.

Pava was the frontier, complete with earthquakes, primitive conditions and hard physical work. The local "doctor" wouldn't treat Barry's little manic-depressive problem without medicine from the Moon. And the Millernarist colonists, who thought suicide was cool fun, didn't thrill him.

Then he made friends with the leps. The large, caterpillar-like, odd-speaking gentle beasts were helping the humans to fashion a life on their planet. In their strange way, they knew things about Pava that might make the difference in the colony's survival. He started to believe he could really enjoy life in this fragile paradise. Except Tscharka was up to soemthing bad, something that would change eveyrthing. Barry knew only he could stop the mad captian, and the captain knew it, too. What neither knew was whether Barry could be manic enough to do it.


About the Author
Frederik Pohl has won all the major awards in the field of science fiction, including three Hugo Awards, two Nebula Awards, both for Best Novel; the John W. Campbell Memorial Award, also for Best Novel; he was accorded the accolade of Grand Master by the Science Fiction Writers of America. He's also won three Hugo awards as editor of the best magazine. He edited the groundbreaking Star Science Fiction series of original-story anthologies. He and his wife, educator and political activist Elizabeth Anne Hull, live in Palatine, Illinois.

ANNOTATION

Barry had the good life on the Moon--steady work and the love of a good woman. But a rival slipped him a mickey and he woke up on Pava, a frontier planet complete with earthquakes, primitive conditions and hard physical work. Then he made friends with the leps, large, caterpillar-like beasts and he started to believe he could build a new life--but what about his rival?

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Barry di Hoa had the good life on the Moon: steady work and the love of a good woman. But a rival slipped him a mickey, and he next awoke aboard Gerald Tscharka's ship as it neared the colony planet, Pava, eighteen light-years away.

Pava was the frontier, complete with eathquakes, primitive conditions and hard physical work. The local "doctor" couldn't treat Barry's little manic-depressive problem without medicine from the Moon. And the Millenarist colonists, who thought suicide was cool fun, didn't thrill him.

Then he made friends with the leps. The large, caterpillar-like, odd-speaking gentle beasts were helping the humans to fashion a life on their planet. In their strange way, they knew things about Pava that might make the difference in the colony's survival. He started to believe he could really enjoy life in this fragile paradise. Except Tscharka was up to something bad, something that would change everything. Barry knew only he could stop the mad captain, and the captain knew it, too. What neither knew was whether Barry could be manic enough to do it.

FROM THE CRITICS

BookList - Carl Hays

Pohl's Nebula Grand Master award for lifetime achievement has not affected his prolific output: witness this absorbing tale of extraterrestrial intrigue. Along with the expected aliens and duplicitous humans, Pohl introduces the surprising element of religion. Barry di Hoa is an almost perfectly happy fuelmaster, supervising antimatter fuel transfer to outbound spacecraft from his base on the Moon and keeping a past mental disorder under control. He's even thinking of proposing to his current girlfriend--until her ex-boyfriend drugs his cocktail. Two decades and as many light-years from home later, di Hoa awakens from suspended animation to find himself an unwilling citizen of the planet Pava, a shortage-ridden colony of Earth, where a controlling party of religious zealots equates suicide with salvation. Hoping to improve conditions there with the help of a new cargo of antimatter, di Hoa soon learns the antimatter has been requisitioned for a holier--and deadlier--purpose. With consummate craftsmanship, Pohl weaves suspenseful storytelling and memorable characterizations--including those of the native-to-Pava, caterpillarlike "leps"--into a seamless, elegant whole. Must reading for his fans.

WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING