Earthlight

SUMMARY: The time: 200 years after man's first landing on the Moon. There are permanent populations established on the Moon, Venus and Mars. Outer space inhabitants have formed a new political entity, the Federation, and between the Federation and Earth a growing rivalry has developed. EARTHLIGHT is the story of this emerging conflict. From back cover Del Rey paperback September 1991: THE TIE THAT BINDS The human race had been born on a unique world... a world loaded with mineral wealth, unmatched elsewhere in the solar system. This accident of fate gave a flying start to man's technology -- but it made man dependent on his home world. What were the independent republics on Mars and Venus to do? United in a Federation, they were still dependent on Earth for such essentials as mercury, lead, uranium -- and modern technology could not survive without them. There had to be a better way...