Inherit the Stars

This book felt dated in a lot of different ways. First of all, it carries a refreshing optimism about humanity's ability to cooperate and put war behind them, which most modern sci fi has a hard time doing. Second, is the occasional reference to specific technologies or companies – “The DEC minicomputer in the nose made contact with its IBM big brother [...]”. The third is the degree to which outdated ideas of gender roles (and smoking) permeate much of the book.

At times I liked the detail with which it explored the resolution of the various mysteries, but the dedication to avoiding hand-waving frequently led to the clues or solutions feeling really improbable.

The book is wholly dedicated to this mystery-solving premise, to the exclusion of much plot, character development or relationships. If you happen to guess the solution ahead of time, you're in for a lot of predictable exposition before you can move on to the next thing.

It might be a coincidence but this is the (audio) book I've fallen asleep to the most so far this year.