Scan barcode
jeromy's review against another edition
2.0
I did not enjoy it. Ideas around cellular automata and virtual worlds but the story didn’t gel with me/didn’t age well.
catallena's review against another edition
challenging
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
3.0
elliottback's review against another edition
5.0
Some interesting ideas (self-emergence, organization) mix to life in this multiverse tale.
hay_shock's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed the idea behind this story & the way it was written to keep you guessing, to keep you wondering 'what on earth is happening'. However I'm unsure about the final phase of the story.
Story Telling - As I mentioned, I enjoyed how much this book made you think! You had to really focus on the story to understand which direction it was going in.
Characters - I wouldn't class this as a character led book. The characters all had annoying traits and thoughts, but that was the limit to the character building.
World Building - Is probably the best aspect of the book. I really enjoyed how the world grew and how the author explored immortality.
Story Telling - As I mentioned, I enjoyed how much this book made you think! You had to really focus on the story to understand which direction it was going in.
Characters - I wouldn't class this as a character led book. The characters all had annoying traits and thoughts, but that was the limit to the character building.
World Building - Is probably the best aspect of the book. I really enjoyed how the world grew and how the author explored immortality.
nanometers's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Fun book that tests our imagination of what our future holds, questions around infinity and immortality.
nvcdesi's review against another edition
4.0
Incredible introduction of many complex ideas in a very simple way. The world Egan paints here is truly vast (and self-reflectively so)
paweljw's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
jwpeddle's review against another edition
3.0
My least favourite Greg Egan read so far. Had it been my first, I might have rated it a 5, but it all felt somewhat convoluted, with questionable pacing. Still a Greg Egan book though, and the concepts driving the story will be burned into my brain forever.
bindtortureill's review against another edition
4.0
Normally, the idea behind a science fiction novel can never carry it beyond its writing. Egan's ideas, however, sometimes carry enough kinetic force to neatly puncture this axiom.