The accomplished Flynn (In the Country of the Blind) offers more character analysis than action and adventure in this stand-alone novel, which fans of more cerebral SF will find thoroughly absorbing. Late in the 21st century, The River of Stars, an aging tramp freighter whose magnetic sails once plied the entire solar system, is reduced to trading in the Middle System past Jupiter. Personality conflicts exacerbate technical problems among the misfit crew, operating on a shoestring budget. After the death of beloved Captain Hand, his successor, self-absorbed First Officer Gorgas, quickly loses control. When two of the River's four fusion-powered engines malfunction, precious resources are cannibalized in an ill-conceived attempt to get the magnetic sails working again. The inability of the ship's navigational systems to account for the sails leads to costly course corrections. Flynn layers the personalities and disasters in this complicated story with his usual attention to detail. One can find the precise, if understated, point at which this or that misjudgment results in tragedy that might otherwise have been averted. Inevitably, no one in command is able to make reasonable decisions. This is a sad but compelling study of (literally) explosive group dynamics in an arena where technology is critical to human life. (Apr. 23)
