William Hall

This book is just tangentially Science Fiction. Yes, it is set in the near future and yes there is space travel to other worlds; however, most of the story deals with narcissistic New Yorker Capitalist (but wants to be Communist) rich man Ben Belson's problems dealing with a troubled childhood and with romantic relationships with women. During most of the first part of the story Belson is constantly fixated on his sexual impotence and his failed relationships. Earth is running out of power and Belson, trying to find himself, refurbishes a Chinese spaceship named after a girlfriend, Isabel, and using some of Earth's last remaining uranium fuel, sets out on an illegal voyage with a crew (space travel has been banned) to find a source of "safe" uranium on another planet. There is a brief part of the story where Belson becomes a morphine addict and communes with the first of two found planets, Belson, named after himself. Two discoveries are made on the journey, a plant that provides a non-addictive treatment for pain is found on Belson and a source of "safe" uranium is found on the second planet, Juno named after a horse that gave Belson comfort during his bleak childhood. The rest of the story mainly deals with Belson's return to Earth, his legal troubles, finding his mojo again, and negotiating with Communist China in getting his cargo released from impound so that he can continue to be filthy rich. The story reads like a bad Woody Allen movie. To be frank, I was not impressed with a Science Fiction tale containing not much Science Fiction.