Tau Zero starts as a straightforward story of space exploration. A group of scientists embark on a journey to investigate a remote star system. A newly developed drive promises to get them there in a practical amount of time. Of course, shortly after departure, things start to go wrong.

The story itself is pretty linear. Once the inevitable big bad has been got out of the way, the remainder of the plot plays out pretty much as expected. However two factors separate this story from others of it's genre - it's characterization and it's science.

The characters are all quite deep and complex characters, all flawed individuals with their own neuroses and interactions. My only fault is that gender stereo-types are abound here, men are men, and women pine after men. But they are well developed, and for a fifty strong cast where we only really see a dozen characters, those characters are developed well and their relationships to others well handled.

The science is superb. Near to as-fast-as-light is a topic that's often visited within science-fiction, and whilst the ideas of time relativity are explored in "The Forever War", I don't think I've seen a novel which details the science, and the consequences as thoroughly as this. Despite this, it's completely accessible to anyone with a decent understand of basic physics to around school-leaver level. And not only is the science presented well, but it's entwined with the story superbly. You're never given the effect of a pause in the story so you can be lectured to for the next five to ten pages (James Blish I'm looking at you).

It's excellent, an easy reader, and engaging. Well worth your time.