EMPIRE BUILDERS

Sequel to Privateers (1985), Bova's near-future saga of swashbuckling capitalist Dan Randolph's efforts to save the world from communism. This time out, he will save the world from falling over a global-warming cliff. Dan's old enemy, the ice-cold Vasily Malik, is now head of the Global Economic Council and, apparently, still intent on putting the aging Dan out of business. Dan's scientists have determined that, in ten years or so, the Earth is doomed to a climatological meltdown (rising seas, climate changes, monster storms, the works) unless immediate heroic remedial efforts are made. But Dan, betrayed by his lawyer, loses his grip on his business empire, then is lured to a remote island by his ex-wife, former president Jane Scanwell, and Vasily; the latter, unwittingly, has become a tool of the Mafia. Dan escapes to the moon, using Jane as his hostage, and disappears into skid row. Later, once recaptured, Dan convinces Jane of his ecological good faith. And Vasily, it emerges, knows about the crisis, but his priority is to unite the global factions (industrialists, politicians, scientists, and so forth) before taking overt action. Dan, Jane, and Vasily are all on the same side—but the Mafia have infiltrated everywhere, and intend to manipulate the crisis to their own ends. Solid action-adventure/politicking/consciousness-raising from a veteran pro who knows how to spin an agreeable yarn from standard, unsurprising material.