But its not just Hell's management, the book itself seems confused as well. One is overwhelmed by the confusion raining in hell.

Hell is in the midst of a technological upgrade as its records are computerized and the results of Vatican II have caused major bureaucratic nightmares. Now there is a place for the Mayans, Tribesmen and other 'heathens' absent in the first book. But now Hell is much more confused, middle-eastern suicide bombers walk the landscape. In Inferno Hell was populated with westerners who were all at least culturally Christian. The world has changed, Religion has changed and in this book Hell has changed. discovered the rest of the world replete with different countries, faiths, values and aims. Now countries that were previously thought of as mere 'client states' suddenly have a prominence of their own. The world is no longer divided between the U.S. Much has changed in the 30 years between Inferno and Escape from Hell.

When we left Carpentier (Inferno) it was the mid 70's the height of the cold-war. In this book we see the continuing adventures of Alan Carpentier in hell. No character development here, today's readers need more. I would think two smart writers could visit Hell and have a plot. Even though I agreed with a lot they had to say, the book had no plot as of course neither did Daunte's book. They talked about Silicon Breast Implants and how it was never proved they caused any harm. The talked about DDT and how it should have never been banned and the lives it cost to ban it. They hinted that today's Global Warming Scientist might be scamming us. They mentioned scientists in the 1970's who warned us about a coming Ice Age. They hammered hard on scientist that gave false evidence. At first I thought too much so, and then the night I finished the book, the news had a story on the New Orleans Mayor, who had just been convicted of bribery and taking money on construction projects. They hit everyone in New Orleans pretty hard. Niven and Pournelle used this as a way to complain about modern problems. WHAT WAS YOUR SIN? Actually I have several.

Escape from hell niven