Please note: This is not a plot driven novel. It is primarily a love story. You aren’t going to find space battles, aliens/monsters, or lots of adventure & intrigue. There is a plot, with touches of conspiracy & adventures, but they are of a tertiary importance at best. The primary focus is on character development, with a surprising & wonderful examination of the natural wonders of our solar system coming in second.
Given all the problems of our age, the genre seems to be more & more focused on dystopian visions of the future. I found “2312” to be a wonderful optimistic answer to this doom & gloom. Yes, we have problems, but perhaps they are solvable. This optimism & overall sense of wonder seemed to be a return to some of the best qualities of golden age science fiction. I think that in times like these, we need more of this sort of vision.