In 2079, America has been all but destroyed by the explosion of a Yellowstone super-volcano, and publicity-thirsty terrorists ranging from the mildly annoyed to the incandescently furious find it surpassingly easy to engineer mass murders. As the world prepares to commemorate Pompeii's sad passing, indentured American laborer Brad Sheridan finds himself slaving in a wine shop, wearing authentic costume and eating authentic Roman food, serving chemically concocted wine to the throngs of tourists enjoying the ambience of a virtually reconstructed Pompeii. So good is "virt" technology that it's not easy to distinguish real near-slaves like Brad from the virtual ancient Romans. An annoyingly dimwitted narrator, Brad remains oblivious to significant and possibly sinister undercurrents: the ominous spread of a necrotic plague known as Pompeii Flu; the reason his friend, well-to-do hydrology engineer Maury Tesch, asks—insists—that Brad conceal Maury's mysterious sausage in Brad's refrigerator; the persistent attentions of a security operative, Piranha Woman; even the way his girlfriend, attractive volunteer Gerda Fleming, finds excuses to disappear out of town for extended periods. Will Brad ever catch on to the fact that something big and nasty is brewing? Pohl brings genuine expertise to his sketches of ancient Rome, and few can match the sheer warmth of his technique. In the later stages, though, the plot runs away, leaving most of the characters behind.

When the natural disaster known as "the Yellowstone" destroyed much of the United States in the middle of the 21st century, Brad Sheridan became an indentured servant in Europe to escape his native land and seek a better life. At least that was the plan. In 2079, he is working in Pompeii as tourists flock to the site in commemoration of the 2000th anniversary of the volcanic eruption that destroyed the ancient city. The masses may experience an eruption of another kind if a terrorist plot goes unchecked. VERDICT Pohl, named a Grand Master by the Science Fiction Writers of America, spins an entertaining futuristic thriller with several thought-provoking threads ranging from the ethics of biotechnology to the fragility of the global economy.—William Baer, Georgia Inst. of Technology Lib., Atlanta

In a tired, terrorist-plagued 2079 still reeling from the aftereffects of a massive Yellowstone eruption, Brad Sheridan escapes from America's refugee camps by signing up for an overseas indenture. Chance earns him a spot working in Italy's lavish commemoration of the 2,000th anniversary of the destruction of Pompeii. Beneath quiescent Vesuvius, tourists enjoy entertainments real and virtual. Ben's ambition is limited to minor scams and romance, but fate places him near the epicenter of a terrorist plot of unprecedented scale. This seminihilistic novel, reminiscent of Mining the Oort and The Cool War, is not among Pohl's best only because the Grand Master's previous novels have set such a high standard, and it stands as a demonstration of his continuing strengths in the eighth decade of his career. (Apr.)