The Quantum Rose

As I mentioned in an earlier post, I started Catherine Asaro's "Saga of the Skolian Empire" explicitly to read The Quantum Rose, the sixth book in the series, which won a Nebula. (I'll probably end up reading to the ninth, which I got her to sign.) Here are a few reasons why it may have won the Nebula:

• The entire novel is an allegory for quantum scattering theory. This is a clever and unexpected device.
  
• The series brings back the old "space opera" style of science fiction. (Think "Star Wars.")
  
• The technology described in the books is much more carefully balanced with current scientific knowledge than in most "space opera" books.
  

And here's one reason why maybe it shouldn't have won a Nebula:

"If thwarted passion could have powered space ships, she and Vyrl would have launched an entire fleet by now."