Nemesis

Buy : Nemesis
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Synopsis
In this science fiction story, "a man's search for a daughter he has never known, a young girl's affinity for the mysterious planet around which herspace station home revolves, and a space colony commissioner's desire to isolate his renegade community form the delicate framework upon which rests Earth's future." (Libr J)

From the Publisher
In the twenty-third century pioneers have escaped the crowded earth for life in self-sustaining orbital colonies. One of the colonies, Rotor, has broken away from the solar system to create its own renegade utopia around an unknown red star two light-years from Earth: a star named Nemesis. Now a fifteen-year-old Rotorian girl has learned of the dire threat that nemesis poses to Earth's people--but she is prevented from warning them. Soon she will realize that Nemesis endangers Rotor as well. And so it will be up to her alone to save both Earth and Rotor as--drawn inexorably by Nemesis, the death star--they hurtle toward certain disaster.

"A totally new and original work that stretches his talents to their fullest. . .welcome back, champ!"--The Detroit News

Reviews
From Library Journal  
A man's search for a daughter he has never known, a young girl's affinity for the mysterious planet around which her space station home revolves, and a space colony commissioner's desire to isolate his renegade community form the delicate framework upon which rests Earth's future. Although the prolific Asimov's forte lies in his dedication to hard science as the basis for his stories, his latest novel features an intriguing mix of believable heroes and villains, a pair of convergent plots, and a nicely foreshadowed conclusion. Highly recommended.
 
From Gerald Jonas - The New York Times Book Review  
Alas, {this book} reads more like an outline for an Asimov novel. The settings--Rotor, Earth, Erythro--are insubstantial, lifeless. . . . The book is almost all dialogue, but instead of conversing, the characters tend to lectureto one another in the tone of Mr. Asimov's estimable nonfiction science books. Worst of all, the ideological tensions that spiced the great Asimov series--free will versus determinism, the proper definition of human nature--are nowhere in evidence.
 
From John Gribbin - New Scientist  
The plot device may help to keep the scientific part of the story simple and cliff-hanging for the non-scientists, but . . . the level of complexity (simplicity) will probably reduce its interest for New Scientist readers. Whichleaves the entertainment value of the story itself, concerning the establishment of a human colony in an artificial habitat circling a planet in orbit around Nemesis, a teenage girl with near-telepathic powers, a concealed threat, and the fate of humankind. Ho hum, do I hear you say? . . . This would have been a cracking good teenage novel about 30 years ago. Then, Asimov was writing better stories that sold only to SF fans; today, he writes lesser stories thatmake the bestseller lists.
 
From Publisher's Weekly  
When Eugenia Insigna of the Settlement Rotor, an independent space station, discovers an unknown red dwarf star two light years from Earth, she names it Nemesis. Led by Dr. Janus Pitt, Rotor and its population travel to the star to build a new, morally pure society. Insigna's daughter Marlene, who can read body language like a telepath, learns that Nemesis is moving dangerously close to Earth's solar system. After trying to communicate her knowledge, Marlene discovers that a conspiracy is suppressing it. Told alternately from two points of view, Marlene's and (in a different time frame) her father's, the book is repetitive, talky and unengaging. Asimov is at his best when his characters discuss science and their schemes for saving Earth's people from destruction by Nemesis. (Oct.)
 

CUSTOMER REVIEWS - An Open Forum
Number of Reviews: 3

Dicedark (spy811@hotmail.com), a microbiology major at UCLA., July 20, 2000,
Great book, really in depth characters.
Asimov has his most original book in a long time right here. Not a member of any of his well-known series (Foundation, Empire, Robot), it stands alone and, much like the original Foundation, exceeds all expectations. His focus on Marlene (that's mar-LAY-nuh ;) read it...) and development of both her and her father is extremely impressive and the end leaves the reader with a satisfying outcome with a twist, as usual. Worth the read, by far.

Also recommended: Foundation Foundation and Empire Ender's Game Forward the Foundation

A reviewer, April 14, 2000,
Book falls short
The book starts of interesting and then seems to get stuck in an ovbious route to the ending. A little wordy at times. You really need to like science fiction

A reviewer, February 1, 2000,
Great book!
Loved the book, greatest ever