The reason I put off reading this book for so long, is the fact that the back cover to every edition I've ever seen tells a potential reader almost nothing about the book itself. Instead, it contains a quote from the author regarding his idea for a sort of half dyson sphere.
This makes me wonder, do the characters of the story really have any purpose other than to gasp in awe of the nifty bits of the cosmos? If the point of the book is to explore concepts, am I not better off reaching for some kind of science journal? Why do I need funny looking aliens to hold my attention on an idea which, by itself, is somewhat interesting?
This isn't the only book I've had concerns like this about. Historically, I've been an avid Michael Crichton reader, but despite the fact I probably learned quite a bit about the airline industry, I can't remember the name of a single character in Airframe, just a few years later...
-Brian
