This book was an unholy mix of "Moby Dick", "Journey To The Center Of The Earth" and "The Lost World" with a little bit of Kingsley Amis' hilarious "Lucky Jim" thrown in. But comparing it to all these other novels does it an injustice, because it is unusual and marvelous in its own right - magical realism that is concomitantly funny and poignant and edifying. I am also so pleased to at last read an epic (in the literary sense) story that features an all non-white band of characters. It was at once an homage to traditional science fiction and a complete, masterful upheaval of the genre. I have not been so gripped and entertained by a book since reading "The Magicians" by Lev Grossman. 5 well-earned stars.