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Losers in Space

3.47 of 5 stars 3.47 · rating details · 221 ratings · 80 reviews

It is the year 2129 . . . and fame is all that matters

Susan and her friends are celebutantes. Their lives are powered by media awareness, fed by engineered meals, and underscored by cynicism. Everyone has a rating; the more viewers who ID you, the better. So Susan and her almost-boyfriend Derlock cook up a surefire plan: the nine of them will visit a Mars-bound spaceship a...more

Hardcover, 436 pages

Published April 12th 2012 by Viking Juvenile

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Aug 03, 2012 Phoebe added it

Full review (and an alternate perspective!) at the Intergalactic Academy.

Losers in Space is a solid novel in a very flawed package.

Like Sean, I’m not averse to hard-SF. In fact, I prefer my speculative science to be reasonably well-thought out; I like stories where scientists are heroic and where writers aren’t afraid to get their hands dirty with either the physics of their world or the sociology of it. But in Losers in Space, John Barnes wraps his speculative tale–about a girl who makes a bid...more Full review (and an alternate perspective!) at the Intergalactic Academy.

Losers in Space is a solid novel in a very flawed package.

Like Sean, I’m not averse to hard-SF. In fact, I prefer my speculative science to be reasonably well-thought out; I like stories where scientists are heroic and where writers aren’t afraid to get their hands dirty with either the physics of their world or the sociology of it. But in Losers in Space, John Barnes wraps his speculative tale–about a girl who makes a bid for fame aboard a space-faring vessel and then gets stranded there when disaster strikes–in exposition meant to teach his young readers about the goodness of hard science fiction. He does this not only through extended infodumps in his own voice–”Notes for the Interested,” which he says you can skip, but also via more standard methods like character dialogue.

This means that a significant portion of the story is derailed by physics and astronomy lessons which are at times both dry and vaguely condescending. The book opens with statements about hard science fiction that even I frowned at–for example, that hard-SF fans are unique in their love of knowledge, and, more, that they love infodumps. Now, I won’t deny that, at heart, I’m more of a soft science fiction fan. However, I’m not averse to hard science fiction (Larry Niven’s Ringworld saga is a special favorite). In my experience, what Barnes says about hard sci-fi just isn’t true. When done well, hard sci-fi is no more likely to be plagued by painful and distracting infodumps than any other sort of science fiction. Writers still seed information into the text via dialogue, clever narrative conceits, and incluing.

But Barnes utilizes none of these methods. Instead, he includes lengthy infodumps in his own voice. It’s oddly distracting, and at times, I found these “Notes” flat-out grating. Particularly pesky was the infodump on why his space terminology was based on aviation terminology, and not seafaring terminology. Not only does he manage to subtly put-down other forms of science fiction there, but it’s also flatly not necessary. A savvy reader will be able to extrapolate worldbuilding from terminology without infodump. He or she will read that a part of a ship is called a “cockpit” and say, “Ah! I see–their space program grew out of their military aviation program.” No infodump necessary; readers are smarter than that.

The aviation/seafaring example is also a solid showing of how Barnes–and other hard-SF writers–ignore soft science concerns in their quest for “scientific” “accuracy.” Because soft sciences remain sciences, and I never really bought the economics or sociology of Barnes’ world. And, really, that a ship’s command center is called a “cockpit” reveals a whole host of social biases–Anglo-centrism and an assumption that America’s ancestors have inherited the stars, for one–that are not nearly addressed by Barnes two paragraph infodump.

Nor, really, were the word choices utilized here–the cutesy “eenie, meanie, miney, and moe,” particularly–sufficiently explained by linguistics; nor was the bizarrely anti-socialist society explained by economics. These are mistakes I’d easily forgive if Barnes wasn’t so insistent that his was a better, more accurate model. Of course, to be fair, he’s not alone here. “Hard-SF” usually elevates certain scientific values above others, name the values of physics, and argument that, to me, has always appeared to be conspicuously short-sighted.

All this is a shame, and if it weren’t the centerpiece of Barnes’ story for so long, I’d almost feel it unfair for focusing so closely on it. But the first third of Losers in Space was full of infodumping, awkward future speech, jarring and somewhat smug asides, and unlikable characters. I finally had to give myself permission to give up on the “Notes for the Interested” (I suppose I really wasn’t, when it came down to it) for the story to really move at all for me.

And when it did, it did so effectively, and, at times, touchingly. Susan, our heroine, is a girl at search for an identity outside of her famous progenitors. Her quest to establish one for herself takes her far into the stars and ultimately finds her facing significant loss. When Barnes really shines is in his more intimate, touching moments–when Susan bonds with other characters on the ship, sharing poignant moments of her childhood.

But I had to search pretty hard to find these emotionally-rich passages. The initial premise of Losers in Space is not character-driven but instead didactic: Read Hard SF; It’s Good For You! And even for me, a reader both accustomed to reading science-driven sci-fi and amenable to it, it was a slog. For readers willing to struggle through the hard-SF posturing, there’s a reward to be found in Losers in Space. Less patient readers are likely better off giving this one a pass.(less)

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Apr 09, 2013 Dana Stabenow rated it 3 of 5 stars

It's a couple of hundred years in the future and mankind has created a society free from want. Everyone is rich, no one is hungry or without shelter. What's the catch?

There's nothing to do. Except sit around and watch the meeds, which most do.

So Susan Teraville (aka Crazy Science Girl) and her other loser friends decide to stow away on the milk run of the Virgo, a cargo ship in orbit between Earth and Mars, and make themselves famous enough to become official celebrities, with their own meeds, f...more It's a couple of hundred years in the future and mankind has created a society free from want. Everyone is rich, no one is hungry or without shelter. What's the catch?

There's nothing to do. Except sit around and watch the meeds, which most do.

So Susan Teraville (aka Crazy Science Girl) and her other loser friends decide to stow away on the milk run of the Virgo, a cargo ship in orbit between Earth and Mars, and make themselves famous enough to become official celebrities, with their own meeds, for which they will get paid more than for sitting around doing nothing. (Some people are just never satisfied.)

As you might expect from a novel by John Barnes, all does not go according to plan, beginning with an accident (or was it?) that kills most of Virgo's crew and knocks her way off course, followed by a subsequent series of mysterious accidents (or are they?) that whittle down the losers down one at a time. Coping with disaster teaches Susan and her crew that maybe they aren't the losers they or their society thought they were, and the last chapter is is maybe the most satisfying revenge fantasy I've ever read.

A lot going on here, including interpolatory chapters called "Notes for the Interested." Barnes writes

In the main text, I'll explain only as much as a reader needs to follow the story; if it's just more cool science upon which you may wish to geek, I'll package it in a Note for the Interested. You ca read the whole book and follow the story without reading a single Note for the Interested (if you're not interested). On the other hand, if you are interested, they're easy to find.

To paraphrase John Le Carre, this novel wears many hats upon its head. First off, it is a slam-bang action adventure story, a Tom Swift novel without the adverbs and with the tech based in reality. It's an exemplar of the sf "if this goes on" novel--the court case upon which the survival of the Virgo hangs is uncomfortably possible, or it is at least from a conservative perspective. It's a character study, in that it looks at what happens to five distinct character types locked up on a tin can in the middle of a vast expanse of nothing for almost two years, and since the narrative is in Susan's voice it is also an examination of the art and results of command.

Losers in Space would be a terrific novel to teach in high school. Teenagers will really relate to the characters, it's an interesting literary choice, and the Notes are a great first step into can-do science. A fun, fascinating and terrifying read.(less)

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Sep 23, 2012 Doug rated it 4 of 5 stars

Rounding up from 3 1/2 stars...

In the post-scarcity 22nd century of Losers in Space, notoriety is worth more than any currency. A loose-knit group of the underachieving kids of famous folks aim to increase their profiles by stowing away on a spaceship bound for Mars. But the plan's architect might be a genuine sociopath. And there are a lot of ways to earn notoriety. . .

Barnes positions Losers in Space explicitly as a gateway book for readers interested in moving from "soft" science fiction/fant...more

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Aug 31, 2012 Caitlin Marineau rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: science-fiction

Set in a media-obsessed world a little over one-hundred years in our future, John Barnes’ new novel tells the story of how far a group of teens is willing to go to achieve fame. In their society everyone is given a minimum amount to live on, and the only way to achieve an additional fortune is to become a professional celebrity by having your image featured in enough media to be considered famous. A group of slacker teenagers decides that the best way to secure their own success is to stow away...more

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Aug 06, 2012 Barbara rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: dystopian, families, friendship, ncbla2013, science, travel, science-fiction

Although it took me awhile to get into this title, possibly because of the science-related Notes for the Interested or the vocabulary words used by the characters or even the characters themselves, but once I relaxed and gave the book a fair shot, I really enjoyed it. The plot revolves around sixteen-year-old Susan Tervaille, the daugher of a famous actor, and a cast of other self-dubbed losers with plenty of time on their hands and no way to spend it. It's 2129, and hardly anyone needs to work....more

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Jul 14, 2012 Schnaucl rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, july, library, read_2012, science-fiction, young_adult

This was an interesting hard science-fiction book. In fact, the intro talks about the difference between hard and soft science-fiction.

The book has an unusual structure. There are "Notes for the Interested" that are worked into the story which explains the science behind what's going on. It interrupts the flow of the story, and at one point the note gave away a major plot point long before it happened. Some of them were also a bit technical for me. I think it's a cool thing to do, and I guess t...more This was an interesting hard science-fiction book. In fact, the intro talks about the difference between hard and soft science-fiction.

The book has an unusual structure. There are "Notes for the Interested" that are worked into the story which explains the science behind what's going on. It interrupts the flow of the story, and at one point the note gave away a major plot point long before it happened. Some of them were also a bit technical for me. I think it's a cool thing to do, and I guess they had to be worked in that way. Almost all the notes contain diagrams so they wouldn't work for footnotes and if they were endnotes most people would probably skip them entirely.

It's an interesting society that Barnes has set up but the more I think about it the less sense it makes. I never really get a sense of why Susan wants to be a celebrity other than a general drive to be famous. Yes, she can earn more money than the very generous stipend that most people earn, but she doesn't really seem to have any grand plans for that money.

(view spoiler)(less)

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Jun 12, 2012 Liviania rated it 5 of 5 stars

TALES OF THE MADMAN UNDERGROUND remains one of my favorite books I've ever reviewed for In Bed With Books. It was a surprising treat. But I started LOSERS IN SPACE with astronomical expectations. The first page of the book met those expectations. Notes for the Interested #0 explains that LOSERS IN SPACE will be hard science fiction, but all the science stuff will be regulated to Notes for the Interested instead of infodumps. I love hard sci-fi, so that didn't deter me, and I thought the notes we...more TALES OF THE MADMAN UNDERGROUND remains one of my favorite books I've ever reviewed for In Bed With Books. It was a surprising treat. But I started LOSERS IN SPACE with astronomical expectations. The first page of the book met those expectations. Notes for the Interested #0 explains that LOSERS IN SPACE will be hard science fiction, but all the science stuff will be regulated to Notes for the Interested instead of infodumps. I love hard sci-fi, so that didn't deter me, and I thought the notes were a clever way to appeal to two audiences.

Then the characters where introduced. Narrator Susan once wanted to be a scientist, until she realized that fame is the most important thing. Now that's true in the LOSERS IN SPACE world, where a YouTube-like version of reality TV is the easiest avenue of work in a world where most work is valued at nothing. If you want any power over your life, you need to have a salable story. But, true though it might be, I don't want to read about a smart girl who dumbs herself down to be a celebutante. And all her friends seemed to deserve their title as losers.

John Barnes, I apologize for doubting you. I absolutely love this book and regret that I wasted time that I could have used reading it. Please know that I only ever doubted you because I love your work.

Novels like LOSERS IN SPACE don't come around that often. It exemplifies the great possibilities that lie within the young adult genre. At it's heart, LOSERS IN SPACE is driven by the characters. The losers decide to stowaway aboard a ship to Mars in order to gain fame. When things go catastrophically wrong, they must somehow survive alone in space for months. Some of the losers rise to the occasion. Some rise and fall. The losers turn out to be much more than they ever thought they could.

Except for Derlock, who is a sociopath. Did I mention that they're trapped in space with a murderous sociopath? How could I leave that part out?

But on top of being a character-driven survival story with thriller elements, there's a nice heaping slice of social satire and classic SF. It's TUNNEL IN THE SKY meets Libba Bray. And let me tell you: TUNNEL IN THE SKY is one of my favorite books ever. I doubt I could give a book a better compliment.

Please, please, please read LOSERS IN SPACE. John Barnes should be one of the big YA names along with John Green and Scott Westerfeld. I would wax poetic longer, but I need to get back to reading. (less)

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May 10, 2012 Carolyn rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: dystopia, science-fiction

After robotic labor replaces all but the most creative jobs on Earth, average humans receive generous incomes that provide for comfortable, work-free middle-class lives. But Susan, the teenage daughter of a celebrity actor, wants to maintain her ultra-luxurious lifestyle after reaching adulthood, which means gaining celebrity status in her own right. So when her quasi-boyfriend Derlock suggests stowing away on a Mars-bound spaceship as a publicity stunt, she and their group of friends goes along...more

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Jun 11, 2012 Kristin Lundgren rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya-sci-fi, spaceships

This is a book hard to pin down. I started writing the review in my head shortly after I started it, but it kept changing. The basic premise is that in the far future, a government has evolved that has created peace, and an end to hunger and poverty. Everyone gets a wage that is quite comfortable, so they never have to work, although some like to, and some jobs do need people in them. But in the top tier of the social and economic strata are the celebrities - the Paris Hiltons of their day; the...more This is a book hard to pin down. I started writing the review in my head shortly after I started it, but it kept changing. The basic premise is that in the far future, a government has evolved that has created peace, and an end to hunger and poverty. Everyone gets a wage that is quite comfortable, so they never have to work, although some like to, and some jobs do need people in them. But in the top tier of the social and economic strata are the celebrities - the Paris Hiltons of their day; the ones with talent - art, theater, sports, etc.; and the extremely smart ones. Children of these people are in a sort of limbo, neither part of the enormous middle class or the upper tier. So they attend a special school, where they can see if they can develop something that will allow them to move up when they turn 18. One way is to basically be in the media attention so much that you amass "points" and a high score, and thus become a celebrity in your own right. Videos, called meeds, are created out of bits or "hooks" of material taken from other sources and spliced (or splyctured) into one video. The more times you get spliced and appear, the higher your score. So when the leader of a teen group comes up with an idea tat will get them recognition beyond anything they normally could get, by pulling a major stunt, they decide to go along. So they stow away on a Mars bound ship, which can only go one way. But it turns out their leader is a sociopath and things go disastrously wrong. Originally, the whole premise I found to be pretentious and over-thought, and the slang or lingo bothered me. But as the book moved along, and the characters were developed, it sort of falls away, and you are left with a rather warm and touching account of kids who have lived a life of privilege suddenly having to cope with some very big stuff. Add in Fwuffy, and you have a story that will melt your heart. The science in it is "hard" - no FTL (faster-than-light), etc. So the ship bound for Mars can only go one way, it can't turn around. Based on the Aldrin Cyclers type ships, it is filled with "notes" for the geeky ones, most of which I read of course, although a few of the higher math ones involving calculations of aphelion, etc. I skimmed. At times heart wrenching, funny, risque, cliched, and fuzzy, it sings. But if you can't take the heart, then get out of this kitchen. ;-)(less)

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May 22, 2012 Kelly rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya-read

"In 2129, no one has to work for a living. But there *is* one job people would kill for: Professional Celebrity."

In an attempt to gain fame, a group of teenagers decide to stowaway on a shuttle bound for Mars, but one of them turns out to be a sociopath and things go awry, eep!

My nerd-girl brain gobbled up all the "Notes For The Interested" sections, details on those hard SF facts explained in an aside from the story -- as opposed to an infodump. That means if you're not into all the details ab...more

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Mar 20, 2013 Nancy rated it 3 of 5 stars

A good book for fans of Star Trek and other space epics, this will hold the attention of teens interested in space travel and astronomy, in survival in space, and in the interactions of a group of 'losers', as they call themselves, who are stuck together on a spaceship that has lost its crew. As with any group of teenagers,unexpected leaders emerge, there is a murderous killer in the group, and there are several teens who find great strengths in themselves as they are forced to put their own abi...more

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Jul 04, 2012 Mary rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 200in2012, action-adventure, dystopia, sci-fi, survival, travel, young-adult

I had such fun reading this story! While I do love the Star Trek/Star Wars style of sci-fi, in which "science" is just magic by a different name, there is something particularly enjoyable in reading hard sci-fi and knowing that there's an real chance this cool technology could develop in the future. It made the story feel a little closer to home, you know?

This book is particularly awesome in that it gives its readers a choice of how much they want to immerse themselves in the science explanatio...more

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Jun 13, 2012 Kylie Woolen rated it 1 of 5 stars

I really wanted to like this book. I read the blurb telling what the book is about and it seemed like a good idea and something I would really be interested in. What turned out to be is that the book is extremely difficult to read and get into. so the author tells a bit of the story and then all of a sudden there are what he calls note for interested parties. I read the first one or two and realized that it was just distracting me from the story and making it so that I couldn't get to know the c...more

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Oct 24, 2012 David rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Eenies, Meenies, Mineys, and Moes

Shelves: science-fiction, hard-sf, teenagers, young-adult, space

You can almost feel the premise of this book and the story John Barnes wanted to tell crashing against current market forces. He's written a hard SF "teens in space" YA novel with echoes of Heinlein, and today, it's estimated that somewhere around 80% of YA readers are girls. I am not saying girls can't read hard SF! Indeed, it would be great if more of them did, and clearly Barnes is trying to encourage more young readers to embrace the geeky science stuff. But the truth is, most girls don't re...more

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Oct 01, 2012 Annie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Demented is the only good word for this book. It takes place in a future where no one has to work, yet there's still a rigid class system. To rise above normal, you either have to do so well in school that you qualify for one of the few jobs in the universe, or you have to be a celebrity. And if you're going to try for celebrity status, it has to happen before you're 21 or you're out of luck. The band of misfits in our story is obsessed with becoming famous--mostly because they all come from fam...more

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May 25, 2012 Amelia, the pragmatic idealist marked it as not-my-type

Shelves: alamw12, arcs

As Lyndsey mentioned(view spoiler), the marketing possibilities for this book are ENDLESS:

"I'm a 'Loser'!"
"I love 'Losers'!"
"Gotta get me some 'Losers'!"
"Will work for 'Losers'!"
"A 'Loser' kept me up last night!"
etc.

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Jul 05, 2012 TheBookSmugglers rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: best-of-2012, science-fiction-awesomeness

Originally reviewed on The Book Smugglers

Let me preface this review with a warning: I loved this book. Intensely. Fangirlish gushing ahead.

It is the year 2129, and Earth has changed. It is a peaceful place, without war or strife, and everyone lives a comfortable lifestyle of leisure thanks to a largely robotic workforce. While robots handle the bulk of humanity's needs, there are some very key professions that still require a human touch; namely the arts/entertainment, athletics, certain elemen...more

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Dec 16, 2012 Amy rated it 3 of 5 stars

I have mixed feelings on this book. On one hand, there were elements that were very distracting. Many reviews posted about the Notes for the Interested-- many of which I glossed over. These weren't distracting in and of themselves for me. What was distracting was the switch in narration. The move from Susan's voice, to the notes, to "at the point of this story" was the problem. It almost seemed like Barnes couldn't create this world entirely with his characters, he needed to explain it as well....more

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Sep 13, 2011 Rene Kirkpatrick rated it 5 of 5 stars

Loved this!

In the future, people don't have to work, there are minimum allowances for everyone, but the one job everyone wants is to be a professional celebrity. In the future, children can't inherit their celebrity parents' money or fame, the only way to become famous and wealthy is to earn it by becoming famous themselves.

A group of students have come up with an idea as to how to do this: stow away on a ship bound for Mars insuring that their fame is made forever. Unfortunately, one of the g...more

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Feb 04, 2013 Sandy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: sci-fi

Susan is the daughter of a famous actor and along with most of her friends, is looking for a way to become famous pretty quick, because in this futuristic society, that’s the only real job left. Derlock is a classmate and sex buddy, and he comes up with a scheme to get them all famous. Susan starts out feeling guilty about the plan, but then as things go wrong, she grows up fast to lead this small group of teens back home safely.
Slow start to the book, and Barnes interjects a lot of “science” t...more

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May 04, 2012 Laura rated it 4 of 5 stars

A unique and meaningful book I would like a lot of teens to read. Similar to Feed in some ways but much less slight and ultimately hopeful. Instead of the well-trod future dystopia, we have what is basically a future utopia, a world without problems except those created by mental stagnation and boredom. I loved the main character, the ending, and all the science. Instead of lazy world-building with internal inconsistencies, everything here is so well-thought out, explained, and even diagrammed I...more

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Dec 16, 2012 Jennavier rated it 3 of 5 stars

I had a weird likability progression with Losers. The beginning completely turned me off, the middle was interesting, and the ending riveted me. No joke, but if the epilogue was a full length novel I would be itching to get my hands on it. Most of the rest of the book, not so much. Th initial characters are completely unlikeable including the narrator and over the course of the journey they become more interesting.
Barnes keeps up the great sci-fi tradition of taking something that might happen a...more

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Aug 30, 2012 Beth Chandler rated it 2 of 5 stars

Recommended to Beth by: Library Journal review

Shelves: science-fiction, teen-ya-fiction, not-finished

I wanted to like this book--it strives to bring the appeal and wonder of hard science fiction to today's teen readers. But it seems just a little too forced and crafted--the slang, the slacker teens who don't use the good minds most of them have--and the narrator has some good points and good sense but is way too self-centered at the outset to be appealing, in my opinion. Teens may think differently though.

That being said, the future world is well planned out, the science rings true and is well...more

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Jul 08, 2012 Kristen rated it 5 of 5 stars

The first fifty pages made this book seem like exactly the kind of book I am sick to death of, "scifi" that really means "dystopian set-dressing." I am so glad I was stuck on a plane with nothing else to read because after the first fifty pages, it became the kind of book I have been craving for YEARS, which is to say character-driven scifi that is so hard you could cut diamonds with it. It was at times inventive, ruthless, heartbreaking, laugh-out-loud hilarious, nerdy, and all in all it came t...more

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May 06, 2012 Deitre rated it 2 of 5 stars

Writing reviews for novels that do not receive 3 or more trees is a very difficult task for me. As each novel is carefully crafted by an energy that an author has, willing them to get a story down on paper, for all readers to enjoy. However, very quickly, I realized that as I began Losers in Space, by John Barnes that I am officially not a fan of science fiction. I knew I wasn’t in regards to cinematography, but it’s official in regards to literature too.

John Barnes creates a setting that is ba...more Writing reviews for novels that do not receive 3 or more trees is a very difficult task for me. As each novel is carefully crafted by an energy that an author has, willing them to get a story down on paper, for all readers to enjoy. However, very quickly, I realized that as I began Losers in Space, by John Barnes that I am officially not a fan of science fiction. I knew I wasn’t in regards to cinematography, but it’s official in regards to literature too.

John Barnes creates a setting that is based around the lives of several teenagers. It’s a futuristic world in 2129, where everyone, who is someone, is a professional celebrity. If your not, than you may go to great lengths, in order to be “somebody.” Here, the reader finds that a group of teenagers decide to do whatever it takes to be recognized, even if it means to become stowaways to Mars, just to be famous and make history. Little do they know that one person in their clique isn’t whom they really think they are, and events change for the worst, very quickly. Before beginning the novel, the author goes into great detail in regards to what hard science fiction is and its relationship to this novel.

In addition, sprinkled throughout the novel, are mini summaries of facts explaining terms, very scientific to be specific, used in various chapters. Some readers may find this information very useful to get a better understanding of the terminology used in the story. Although this information was much needed for understanding, for me, I found it to be a big distraction while reading, and would have rather had these definitions and explanations incorporated into the story line. Unfortunately, I made no major connection with the characters as I feel that their development was not the biggest goal here. In conclusion, if you are a fan of “hard science fiction”, then Losers in Space will be for you. If not, be prepared for something very different.

Visit www.onceuponatwilight.com for more great reviews.
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May 10, 2012 Kwinks rated it 4 of 5 stars

I would give this 4 and a half. It is truly a great book. Losers is a survival story, a space story, and a social commentary all rolled into one. What really drove me to dive into Losers was Susan (who is pretty kick ass-even if she starts off very fake) and the excellent story telling. I read all of the notes for the interested even when they were a little over my head.
My only gripe, and this is very small, is the lack of emotion of the characters. Except for an early freak out, and a touch of...more

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Aug 11, 2012 Michelle rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book was really good. I started out really disliking Susan, but by the end of the book I respected her. In the beginning she acts like a spoiled brat, but that is how she has been raised. She is a good main character for this book because she grows up and takes responsibility when she needs to. I like how in this book, the future isn't terrible, like a lot of teen futuristic books. It wasn't perfect but that made it more realistic. Overall, great book and I can't wait to read more books by...more

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Dec 14, 2012 Nicole Wolverton rated it 4 of 5 stars

This was a book that took me a while to warm to, and this is more like a 3.5 than a 4 for me. I'm still not into the first person present tense narrative style (mostly because the present tense just doesn't seem necessary), but I suddenly loved the novel about 2/3 of the way in after (view spoiler). That, to me, is when things get really great. I particularly loved the reveal about (view spoiler)...more

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Jan 21, 2013 Ivy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: space, hard-science-fiction, young-adult, read-2013

This book is very unique: it's hard sci-fi and young adult, which made me immediately put it on my to-read queue. It's my first hard sci-fi book so I really enjoined reading the "Notes for the interested" about Aldrin cycles and laser beam propulsion. There's a bit of fantasy that I was NOT expecting with Fwuffy but I feel it was well developed. Also it has a bit of "Gossip Girl"-esque feel to it where kids who just want to be famous celeb-eenies (you'll see), always be in the media eye, having...more

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Jul 27, 2012 Courtney rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: teen-fiction, sci-fi-speculative, funny-stuff

Now, this is true sci-fi. And Barnes makes it quite clear from the first "Notes for the Interested" that this is *hard* sci-fi (in other words, science fiction with an emphasis on the science and technology being as realistic as possible given today's knowledge). While it may have its technical moments, the story is anything but boring. In this future, technology has made it such that very few humans have to work and one of the most lucrative forms of work is entertainment. In a world where the...more Now, this is true sci-fi. And Barnes makes it quite clear from the first "Notes for the Interested" that this is *hard* sci-fi (in other words, science fiction with an emphasis on the science and technology being as realistic as possible given today's knowledge). While it may have its technical moments, the story is anything but boring. In this future, technology has made it such that very few humans have to work and one of the most lucrative forms of work is entertainment. In a world where the vast majority of people have, quite literally, nothing to do, the meeds (think a mash-up of media and feeds) reign supreme. If one isn't extra talented in a particular field, the best way to get famous is to get your face in the meeds as much as possible.
So, given all that, we have 6 teens who all have few prospects as far as their intelligence or celeb-status go. One of them, Derlock, comes up with an idea to stow away on a up-pass ship to Mars where they will wait until it is too far out to turn around and then reveal themselves so that they can revel in their new-found fame. Unfortunately, things go horribly wrong within days of departure. The main part of the ship is lost in a massive explosion and the stow-aways are the only ones left in their part of the ship. If they're going to survive their trip, they're going to need to figure out how to correct their course, repair their communication systems and avoid sabotage by sociopathic Derlock. Can Susan and her team make it back to Earth or will they drift off into space, never to be seen again?
The particularly great part of this book is the number of levels it works on. The main plot itself is fast-paced and full of twists, mainly courtesy of Derlock. There's definitely a satirical element going on as well with the media angle. And then there's the characters, all of whom are unique and distinct. Susan, the narrator, finds herself constantly surprised to find out what her friends are capable of when circumstances demand diligence and teamwork. And then there's Fwuffy. What's not to love about Fwuffy?
This is truly a fantastic book that will leave the reader thinking about it long after the last page is turned. Plus, the reader might learn a few things along the way. Bonus!(less)

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About John Barnes

John Barnes (born 1957) is an American science fiction author, whose stories often explore questions of individual moral responsibility within a larger social context. Social criticism is woven throughout his plots. The four novels in his Thousand Cultures series pose serious questions about the effects of globalization on isolated societies. Barnes holds a doctorate in theatre and for several yea...more

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