Seveneves (Neal Stephenson) - William Morrow - 2015 - 867 pages

If you think you are smart enough to write a science fiction novel, read this one before you try.  Author Stephenson creates very complicated situations, and then methodically works through them in a logical manner.  His grasp of extremely technical issues is amazing.  Perhaps there is too much explaining of details here for the layman, but it is worth it.  After the moon exploded, the residents of the International Space Station (Izzy) endure a five-year journey in a desperate attempt to save the human race.  It seems that moon dust could rain down upon us for thousands of years creating an unlivable environment.  The world governments must stock Izzy with everything that might be needed to ride out the storm.  Unlike many of today's dystopian authors, Stephenson is ever optimistic about womankind and her ability to accomplish gigantic feats of engineering, politics and cultural transformation.  The meaning of the book title is explained at the end of part 2 and then a very different adventure begins in part 3.  [JAM 8/9/2015]