Richter 10 is a collaboration between Arthur C. Clarke and Mike McQuay; Clarke's ideas but McQuay did the actual writing. As a Californian, I can much appreciate the detailed discussion on earthquakes, but I think it's a good story in general. Not Clarke's best certainly, but pretty good. The view of interracial relationships can be quite disturbing, however. Perhaps all the more so in that I don't doubt there are those who would welcome the problems.

The United States has fallen into serious racial problems, and many blacks and Hispanics live in "War Zones," apart. The United States is rules by Chinese corporations.

The focus, however, is on Lewis Crane's obsession with finding a way to predict earthquakes. He lost his parents and the use of one arm in the Northridge quake, and is obsessed with ending them. He is not a particularly sympathetic character for much of the book.

There is much about this book I didn't like. Didn't like the stereotypically vicious attitude of the Islamic characters. Didn't quite get convinced by the science, especially the bit about ending earthquakes. I'm no geologist, but I don't think it would work. On the other hand, the discussion on how earthquakes happen is quite good.