Gridlock (novel) Gridlock (novel) Gridlock is a 1991 novel by Ben Elton. The novel depicts a near-future London in which traffic congestion has reached almost critical levels, such that accidents in a few key places could bring the entire city's traffic network to a halt. The government is aware of the problem and plans a major new road-building program to relieve the pressure. The alternative, heavy investment in public mass transport systems such as railways, is ignored because it clashes with the government's ideology. The author argues that this is a highly misguided policy since, in his view, more roads have historically
The Snow Queen (Vinge novel) interstellar travel is again possible through the black hole. Vinge also wrote a sequel to "The Snow Queen" called "The Summer Queen" (1991), with a novella, "World's End" (1984), linking the two. A third novel, "Tangled Up In Blue", was published in 2000. Vinge’s novel was well received when it initially came out. Reviewers have admired the complex world-building Vinge created with the planet of Tiamat and the Hegemony calling it a “carefully crafted universe” and “impeccable and expansive”. Reaction to the characters and plot have been mixed. Some reviewers have seen the characters as “distinctive and believable” while other