A review by ineffablebob
Red Lightning by John Varley

adventurous tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

Red Lightning is a direct sequel to Red Thunder, set years after the first book, and I think it's a better novel. There are a lot of similarities, of course, including a teenage narrator who is pretty ridiculously mature for his supposed age. Assuming you can live with that, the two major parts of this adventure - a search and rescue mission on Earth, and a friends-against-the-world journey to fight the powers-that-be - both struck me as more engaging than the trip-to-Mars of the first book. In any event, if you like this kind of space opera set in the near future, this one won't disappoint.