On the one hand, this book was certainly a page-turner. It started quickly, it kept me wondering what wha going on (even though the cover of the book and the summary ruins it for you) and it presents some interesting slices of life. The characters are not the young, superhuman, heroic type, and they had some depth to them.On the other hand, it does seem to be a total set-up for a movie and computer game. Furthermore, the plot is a mix of Asimov's "Nightfall" and "Independence Day." Basically, it was not contemplative and artistic Sci-Fi like "Dune" or Asimov's works, but rather it was more "trashy."Still, if you're going to be taking a long plane ride somewhere, this is a good book to take with you.