Globalization unraveling, governments failing, the world lurching towards wars and famines.
Some thought that space resources could mitigate the damage. But chemical rockets couldn't bring those resources to Earth in economical quantities.
New ideas were needed if humanity was to survive and prosper.
Beginning in the near future and extending into the far future, the Manifold Earth Universe extrapolates future humanity's struggles, failures, and successes in moving out into the vast cosmos.
See the author's website dwpatterson.com for more.