Author:	Harry Harrison
Copyright:	1981
Date Reviewed:	6/15/84
Rating:	8.0

Synopsis: Jan Kulozik, a one time spy on Earth, has been exiled to the farm world Halvmork. Halvmork is an unusual planet; it orbits a blue white star every eight years. The only habitable place on the planet is at the pole facing away from the sun. Thus, every four years, the entire population of the world must travel the 27,000 kilometers to the other pole. It is a treacherous journey, made even more difficult this time because the ships from Earth never arrived to load the corn. The colony must make two trips to the pole to carry the passengers and all the corn that they can so when the ships finally arrive, they will have enough to send to the starving planets.

Jan introduces his plan to move the corn. It is the only possible choice but it is not taken well by the Family Heads who prefer things to stay the same as they always have been. Nevertheless, two trips are made. For his efforts, Jan is given a trial for treason and a death sentence. He is saved only at the very last possible moment by emissaries from the ships.

Review: "Wheelworld" is the sequel to "Homeworld"; the second book in the trilogy. I enjoyed this one a little more than the last. In "Homeworld" I expected events of global import but all I got was an uneven spy story. "Wheelworld" has a single plot with several sub-plots. Throughout the story I understood the goals and how far away the participants were from them. Harry Harrison is a good writer. His prose is crisp and fast paced. Several times I had a hard time putting the book down. I do have one complaint. Whereas the emphasis was on the train trip across the world and the dangers that it presented, I found the intrigue of the Family Heads, the secret trials and the sentences much more interesting.