"The Mizar Quartet are Sol-type hydrogen-fusing dwarf stars-"I didn't know Colin Harvey well, but I met him and enjoyed his company at P-Con in 2007. I know that he was a good friend of many friends of mine. This was his second last book, published in 2009, in the middle of his very short publishing career from 2006 to 2011 (excepting his first novel of 2001). He was only 50 when he died; if he had lived, and kept writing at the same pace, he would have doubled his output by now.
I liked this book a lot: protagonist from sophisticated spacefaring society crashes into Viking-style world, and then must track down the long-abandoned spaceship to break out of the surly bonds of the planet Isheimur and bring about the seeds of a new society. There's plenty else in there - commentary on polyamory (good), libertarianism (bad), being nice to trolls who turn out to be differently evolved humans (good). There are dramatic chases across frozen landscapes with 'orrible creatures snapping at our heroes' heels, and a seat-of-the-pants rocket launch with barbarians complaining about weightlessness. Lots of good stuff, and I think he'd have got better.
This was the shortest remaining unread book on my shelves bought in 2009. The only remaining unread book that I bought in that year is now Last Exit to Babylon, a collection of short fiction by the late great Roger Zelazny.
