Frank Schätzing: Limit
Some years ago I've read "Der Schwarm" by this German author, available in English as "The Swarm: A novel of the deep". That one was highly recommendable - very suspenseful and very well researched. The scenario is that the seas start to behave strange - attacks by usually peaceful sea creatures are just the beginning. When I heard that a new Schätzing is available I bought it without hesitation.
"Limit" plays in the year 2025. Space travel has been revolutionised by a new technology, but it's strongly influenced by private enterprise, much more than by state agencies. There is a huge space station in orbit. Moon-dust is exploited for Helium-3 which will ensure a clean, eco-friendly energy supply on Earth. Right now a space hotel is being opened. The novel plays in James-Bond-like high-tech and big-style settings like the space and moon stations, but also in places like Shanghai (which I've recently visited myself). I've only just begun it and read 400 of 1300 pages... Still it's not all too suspenseful, but I guess it's gaining momentum now. And once more it's very well researched - all the physical claims are correct, and Schätzing's vision of the society in 2025 seems realistic to me. He also refers to contemporary events and developments a lot. So it's a very good reading, and I suppose it will become a fantastic reading soon.
Cheers!
Markus