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A++, amazingly good. Very likely his masterwork. Pretty near flawless.

It's been twenty years since humanity was driven from Earth and the Inner System by a runaway Bloom of mycora, a [nano] "technologically generated lebensform" (TGL) that's eaten all of Earth's life, and most of its crust. Humans have retreated to the moons of Jupiter and the asteroids -- the Immunity (Munies) and Gladholders, respectively -- where constant vigilance is required to keep the Mycosystem at bay. The mycora are generally thought to have been created in an industrial accident, but human malice -- or an extrasolar origin -- can't be ruled out.

The viewpoint character is a part-time newsnet columnist in Ganymede, a member-state of the Immunity -- a rather Teutonic, no-nonsense culture, contrasted nicely with the more laid-back, Latinate culture in the Gladholdings asteroids.

The Munies are sending a well-protected (they hope) ship to the Inner System -- the first one since the Evacuation -- to plant sensors and scout the Mycosystem. The ship leaves early, after a sabotage attempt, and makes an unscheduled stop in the Gladholdings for fuel and supplies....

Beh. I didn't set out to write a plot summary. As in many SF novels, the plot and characters are there to support the Neat Ideas -- of which there are *lots*. And McCarthy writes in a crisp modern style that is more than adequate.

Did I mention the ladderdown transmutation reactors? The cryonic witch's tits? The Philusburg Optima (release 1.4) phage ?

Hmmph. Am I getting across here? Sometimes these reviews just about write themselves. Other times, like now, I end up with disjointed bits and pieces all over the screen.... What I'm trying to say is, this is a *really good* book. If you like the Good Hard Stuff, this is your kind of book. So go read it, OK? Or read it again, if it's been awhile....

This is my third reading of BLOOM. I read it in 2000, 2008 & 2015. BLOOM earns my highest possible recommendation. SF played with the net up! On my 100 Best Ever desert-island list.
[Review revised in 2015, from a 2000 review for SF Site: ]