This one is very much a middle of the line novel for me. I like what KSR was trying to accomplish here, I loved the science, but the plot line and the characters felt dull/drawn out to me, unfortunately. I can imagine that folks who really enjoy crunchy sci-fi enjoying this author, but it reminds me of military fantasy in that I just don't get as much engagement with the characters as I'd like and the plot takes far too long to develop, for my taste. I could see this being written by a different author as a space opera with greater concentration on the central conflict within the universe and enjoying it a lot more. I also found the asides (extracts, lists, etc.) a bit jarring/that they took me away from the reading of the novel itself. 

Probably just not an author for me, and that's okay.