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I'm more of a soft sci-fi than a hard sci-fi guy, and Diaspora ranks nanocrystalline adamantium on the hardness scale. There's a lot of fundamental particles-as-wormholes theory, virtual humans, extra dimensions, astronomical events and the like. But it's also surprisingly human.

It asks plenty of interesting questions. Like, what does identity mean if you can shape your form and outlook at will? And if you can clone yourself as much as you like, what does that do to relationships? Are you still human if you're virtually immortal and can experience time at your own speed? Do you need a body for love and intimacy? Is it ok to grow so far apart you can no longer communicate; do we need to bridge or let go? What are the limits to individual choice?

Humanity, relationships, choice, responsibility, death, loss and guilt form the core of the book, and the sometimes lengthy theoretical physics expositions don't detract from that.

The book is structured episodically, with different sections of the book often far apart in time and theme. This makes the start a bit rough, but it's not an accurate representation of the rest of the book. Ultimately, I think it works wonderfully well, although Diaspora certainly isn't a traditional plot-driven character-focused novel. If you enjoy philosophically and intellectually challenging science fiction, set your expectations and ideas about what makes a good story aside and give Diaspora a read.