One reason why critics have sometimes called John Varley a "young Robert Heinlein" is the skillful plotting of his fiction. In fact, some critics see him as a throwback to a literary era that is now out-of-date. Most readers, on the other hand, note the inventiveness of setting and situation in Varley's writings. The Ophiuchi Hotline offers to readers a world that is dazzlingly different from their own. The careful construction of the plot helps readers follow events that could be confusing out of context. For instance, having different Lilos on different adventures could turn the novel into a vague and wandering morass of unexplained details if not for the unifying problem of the Ophiuchi Hotline. By directing the plot toward the goal of discovering the secrets of the Hotline, Varley gives his imaginary society order; that is, the details arise logically, not at random, and are therefore...