Orbital Cloud

Fujii’s second novel (after Gene Mapper) disappoints by saddling a clever and inventive science fictional element with a cast of implausible characters and a poorly realized setting. In 2020, just as Elon Musk–like billionaire Ronnie Smark becomes the first private space tourist at his orbital hotel, an inexplicable cloud of debris begins to threaten objects in orbit. It’s first spotted by Kazumi Kimura, a meteor forecast blogger with a gift for calculating orbital trajectories in his head. The cloud sets off an international effort to discover its nature and protect the future of space exploration. The space tether technology at the center of the story is a compelling idea likely to appeal to fans of hard science fiction, but many readers will find it hard to endure the plot twists powered by inexplicable character actions, inaccuracies and implausibilities in setting details, and awkwardly cheesy inspirational speeches at the conclusion. (Mar.)