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Worlds by Joe Haldeman
"They were called 'the Worlds' for convenience, not as an expression of any significant degree of political autonomy or common purpose. Some, such as Salyut and Uchûden, were simply colonies, with populations that were still loyal to their founding countries. Others owed their first allegiance to corporations like Bellcom or Skyfac or, in one case, to a church." (page 10) Set in the late 21st century, 'Worlds' is ostensibly the story of Marianne O'Hara, citizen of New New York, and the postgraduate year she spends on Earth, studying (American History: literature, religion, language) and sightseeing (on a Cultural Relativism tour).
It's a tense situation, too. The Worlds' maintains solar power operations and exports materials primarily. The former showed great promise - until cheap fusion was developed. They need to import carbon, hydrogen and nitrogen in order to keep running, which at this stage makes them heavily dependent on Earth, at least until they can drag the asteroid Deucalion into a convenient position - a project that will take 28 years. Deucalion is a carbonaceous chondritic asteroid, containing those elements required for life in the Worlds. And then large deposits of carbonaceous chondrite are discovered on the moon - which is, of course, easily accessible by the Worlds... Earth itself is not the happiest place to be - it's heavily polluted, and split into independent Dominions, States and Unions, with laws and customs varying wildly between them. Violence is rife. Most travel between cities and countries is by subway (including one under the Atlantic Ocean). And there's something worrying going on, underneath the normal, mundane business of the humans on the planet. Marianne manages to get involved with a group of revolutionaries. It starts innocently enough but gradually becomes more and more threatening. The tension between Earth and the Worlds gets worse. Kidnapping, blackmail and sheer stupidity lead to a breakdown in communications - the Third Revolution erupts; the Worlds are attacked and all hell breaks loose. And if I say any more I'll give away the plot... ‘Worlds’ is written with Haldeman's usual lucidity and accessibility in very short chapters that switch back and forth between straightforward narrative, diary entries, official reports, and letters - which may sound messy but actually maintains reader interest extremely well. I was halfway into the book before I bothered to check when it was written (the mention of pre-decimal English coinage - 'shillings' - brought me up sharp): 1955? This is a misprint. On checking further the book was first published in 1981 - which is strange, since the UK converted to decimal coinage in 1971, but since there is an emphasis on pride in one's own culture and history throughout the book. I prefer to think that this is deliberate, that the England of the story has reverted to its old, delightfully eccentric coinage. Nevertheless, the book reads with extraordinary freshness and immediacy. It combines sociological and political awareness with an understanding of the forces that shape the human race; the characterisation is deftly done, the individuals sketched vividly in very few words - and the end is starkly frightening in its dispassionate, blunt depiction of destruction. A thoroughly good read. Not a comfortable one, but certainly thought-provoking and a little scary - the final scenario is unfortunately far too plausible. Not recommended for people who like happy endings... Joules Taylor
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"There were 41 Worlds, ranging in size
from cramped little laboratories to vast New New York, home to a
quarter of a million people." 
Since
Marianne is a brilliant, fiercely independent, almost rebellious
woman this is, of itself, an interesting premise. However, her story
is set against the much larger political situation between the nations
of earth and the Worlds. 
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