Iceworld

This was Clement's second novel, and the story flows much better than in the first. The plot is more lively and interesting. It makes quite pleasant reading, if you don't mind that:

1. It reads like a book for children, or maybe for teenagers.

2. Clement was clearly fascinated by science in general, and expected his readers to be much the same: for him, science fiction is fiction with plenty of scientific content. You don't need to be a scientist to follow the story, but if scientific details bore you to death then this may not be the right author for you.