By Frank Gasperik
In America today, there seems to be a misconception, that Science Fiction is for children. TO correct that, Science Fiction is not for children, its for anyone who would like to take a look at future possibilities. Sometimes you have to go to the past, or in this case a Mythical one. BURNING CITY does this.
Set 50 years after the sinking of Atlantis on a Major continent half a world away, there is a city that burns itself every few years. A culture of rigidly set societal levels that is strikingly somewhat like those seen in cities today, exists in an almost frightening mirror of what urban life could easily become.
This book is an exploration into the possible and perhaps Probable of urban life as we know it and invites the reader to explore their own attitudes towards what can and cannot be tolerated.
In a satirical vein, Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle take a HARD look at where we could easily be going and offer some hope.
If you like Social Commentary wrapped in a whacking good adventure story, complete with rites of passage and fascinating detail, you will enjoy BURNING CITY.
I read it, I liked it, I will reread it to see what I missed the first time through.