At the end of the 21st century, many people believe the only real hope
for humanity lies in the Worlds: 41 orbiting satellites housing half a
million people. Though the creation of cheap fusion has undermined the
Worlds as a source of solar energy, they still welcome many tourists
and offer plenty of raw materials for export. For example, New New York
is almost pure steel. And, from that city comes Marianne O'Hara, a
brilliant political-science student who has elected to spend a
postgraduate year on Earth – where she unwittingly finds herself caught
up in a group of fanatics looking to start another revolution in
America, even if it means the destruction of the planet.