Fallen Angels by Niven, Pournelle, and Flynn

[Brown Rat]

So, if you’re like me, sitting there feeling bitter and nostalgic about the fact that humans aren’t yet living on the moon or Mars or mining the asteroids, what do you do if you’re not a rocket scientist or wealthy enough to pay your way into space?

One thing I do is read (and reread) Fallen Angels by Larry Niven, Jerry Pournelle, and Michael Flynn.

In Fallen Angels, the United States has turned its back on technology, a new ice age is engulfing much of North America, and science fiction fans risk losing their jobs and undergoing brain-altering reeducation. When a scoop-ship from the exiled orbiting space habitat is shot out of the sky over North Dakota, the few remaining science fiction fans rescue the two fallen astronauts, hiding them from the government and plotting to send them back into space.

The characterizations of the fans make the book a true delight for anyone who’s attended a SF convention: all the fanac, filking, and fen fun are rended in loving detail. (In fact, some of the characters’ names belong to real people.) The constant persecution of the fans by the government gives the characters a chance to express the anger and sorrow I share about the current state of the U.S. space program—a cathartic venting of spleen at the officials who drained NASA of vigor. And the fans’ ingenious plans make me cheer.

If you’re blue about not being out in the black, pick up a copy of Fallen Angels. It might make you smile.

[Teresa Edgerton]

This book sounds like a lot of fun. I don't know about Pournelle and Flynn, but I've spotted Larry Niven at enough local conventions to figure he knows the setting and the people who inhabit it very well indeed.

(Is there someone in the book who is as passionate about NASA as you-know-who?)

[chrispenycate]

Throw another log on the fire. Ice can't kill you, since ice is a crystal, and crystals preserve. etc, Yes, fun, but hardly one of their more profound books; and I've heard that they were auctioning off roles in the book to fen, for charity (No, I wot not what charity)
Still, I've been to exactly one con in my life, so can't say how accurately they captured the fan mentality.

[Hawkshaw_245]

Probably, the worst-case scenario for a SF author would be having aliens make contact with us in a major, public way.

A 10-mile-wide mother ship full of cute, friendly grays hovers over NYC, and broadcasts multi-spectrum broadband greetings to all Earth's people.

No invasion, no probing, no cattle mutilation. They just pop out and say 'What's up, guys?"

Because the mother ship is actually the intergalactic version of the Queen Mary. We've just made contact with a bunch of tourists who just want to hang with us.

What a let down!!!!!

[Brown Rat]

Hawkshaw, I don't understand your post. It hasn't anything to do with Fallen Angels . . .

Teresa, yep, there are people in the book who speak about NASA in a manner very similar to Paul's rants!

[Dave]

That's a relief, I've not read this and Hawkshaw's post rather put me off.

[chrispenycate]

I just went down to the Baen site and downloaded the electronic version (not being able to find my paperback copy, and it being one of the E-books they're giving away for free)
The first chapter seems to have more in it than I remember from my dead tree version. It could, of course, be my memory, but has anyone done the comparison?

[yngvi]

I liked this one (and I'm mentioned in it!)