C. J. CHERRYH

HEAVY TIME

Warner Books (1991)

SFBC #18287

Cover by Don Maitz

Condition:  book is excellent:  call it very good plus; jacket has some shelfwear, including some small tears; call it good.

{Note:  The book that follows this one, Hellburner, is also in my store; take a peek if it interests you.}

Bird and Ben are free-runners, prowling the asteroid belt for that one major strike that will make them rich. When they come across another free-runner ship, adrift and inhabited by a half-crazy spacer named Dekker, they decide to tow him in and claim his ship for salvage. Then the body of Dekker's partner is discovered, and Bird and Ben find more than their livelihood is in danger.

Commentaries from on line:

This is a story set in her Union/Alliance universe. She wrote it on the end of her run in this universe but it is actually the first book to read if you want to follow the story by the history timeline she has set up. This is not necessary in the least but it does seem the right way to go if you reread her books. The story itself is vintage Cherryh, by which I mean it is space scifi with good science and plenty of intrigue and action

A good story from one of my all time favorite authors.

God, I can't get enough of CJ Cherryh's world that takes place about 300 years in the future. This book follows the life of a group of miners who live their lives in the "Belt" here in our own solar system. The theme of "heavy time" -- necessary time they must spend in 1g gravity aboard space stations in between mining runs (there's no artificial gravity in this world) -- is ongoing throughout the novel. 

Cherryh's writing is crisp and minimalist without sacrificing interesting details about the harsh life of industrial space. The mature, soft-hearted "blue-skyer" Morrie Bird is contrasted by Ben Pollard, a child of space station and company life who cares more about math and finances than altruism. Cherryh also provides a glimpse into the Earth-side politics that are only hinted at in other novels of the series through the characters of Meg and Sal, Bird and Ben's lady-pals who are also former political agitators.

Fans of the military sci-fi sub-genre who are bored with redressed Horatio Hornblower novels and ultra-conservative manifestos are encouraged to read this book. 

Heaven, I just love reading C. J. Cherryh. Its like being there.