English language
Published Feb. 11, 2022 by Penguin Publishing Group.
When unforeseen circumstances during an innovative—and unsanctioned—commercial asteroid-mining mission leave two crew members stranded, those who make it back must engineer a rescue, all while navigating a shifting web of global political alliances and renewed Cold War tensions. With Earth governments consumed by the ravages of climate change and unable to take the risks necessary to make rapid progress in space, the crew must build their own nextgen spacecraft capable of mounting a rescue in time for the asteroid's next swing by Earth.
In the process they'll need to establish the first spin-gravity station in deep space, the first orbiting solar power satellite and refinery, and historic infrastructure on the moon's surface—all of which could alleviate a deepening ecological, political, and economic crisis back on Earth, and prove that space-based industry is not only profitable, but possibly humanity's best hope for a livable, peaceful future.
I read this sequel immediately after finishing Delta-V and liked it even more. I have been hoping Suarez would build out a world where crypto makes sense to aid my understanding and he did it here extremely well (as always) and just a sideline to the centerpiece of space tech. And while I loved all the tech here, it’s the characters that make this story.
Critical Mass is a very good second book in the Delta-v series. While very good fiction, it is intended to be a realistic telling of what could be possible in addressing climate change if a motivated, small group of people go outside of norms to achieve their goals.
Some of the plot point are deliberately optimistic, but in the afterword Daniel Suarez wrote that was deliberate in an attempt to inspire people to action.
My only quibble was the simplistic handwaving around the how cryptocurrency magically makes the economics work in favor of the protagonists.
