Eon

A great asteroid plunges towards Earth and enters orbit upon arrival. What is it and what is its purpose ? An expedition is organized and sent to the strange visitor. An entrance is discovered and the astronauts discover a number of mysteries and marvels within the asteroid. If you've read Arthur C. Clarke's Rendez-vous with Rama you'll find similarities between the two books, at least to begin with. In fact Eon and Clarke's novel have very little in common. Eon is a complex 'hard' work of science fiction. At times I found the story got bogged down with technical jargon, but you really don't need to be an engineer to enjoy it, and the story is completely engrossing. Also, the numerous characters are well drawn. This is a very impressive book.
Greg Bear has his own homepage.