Ben Bova - Titan

Pros: In a word, brilliant! I said it all in my last paragraph!
Cons: The cast of characters is complex and takes concentration to keep straight!

In Earth's past, Australia was effectively a prison colony, a place for transportation of convicted felons to get them out of sight and out of mind, a place where misfits, recluses and hard-nosed independents could live or die on the strength of their ...

Pros: Character driven, lots of surprises and mystery.
Cons: Almost too many characters to keep track of and stay interested in.

It's funny, I never would have picked up this book if it weren't for my husband. He picked it out at the bookstore, he brought it home, and he started enthusiastically reading it. Exactly 162 pages later, he put it down in disgust, saying - I kid you not ...