Zero Limit

Up-and-comer Brown’s hard SF novel is a nail-biter about a onetime war hero turned underdog forced into trying to save Earth from a planetary cataclysm. Rising political tensions on Earth strand Caitlin Taggart indefinitely in a city on the moon, separated from her planetside eight-year-old daughter, Emily. When she learns Emily is about to be thrown into the horrible government-run foster care system, Caitlin, desperate to get home quickly, accepts a dangerous asteroid mining job. Then her mining ship crashes into the asteroid and a piece of rock breaks off on a trajectory aimed directly at Earth. Caitlin is a starkly drawn and sympathetic protagonist who doesn’t want to be a hero but rises to every nerve-racking, potentially lethal challenge with a stubbornness that will make readers cheer through gritted teeth. The situation is constantly bleak, but it’s easy to believe she can find a way to save the day. Funny, grim, and technical but not oppressively so, this story of sacrifice born of love, duty, and redemption should appeal to any SF fan. Agent: Jennifer Lyons, Jennifer Lyons Literary. (Mar.)