Scan barcode
jodar's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
This is a fairly long novel of ‘hard science fiction’, but it is well-paced and kept me wanting to read more.
The characters are diverse and well-rounded, and the dialogue feels realistic among and between humans and alien species. Although its action has a galactic sweep and the story has a backdrop of aeons, the reader is drawn into the fate of the central characters, ethically good, bad and doubtful, both human and alien.
The overarching framework is one of a negative quest, oddly reminding me of The Lord of the Rings, but as SF not fantasy. The structure of the galaxy portrayed and discussed is reminiscent of the tiered worldview of the ancient world (heaven, land/sea, underworld), which adds an interesting complexity to the action as well as a rationalisation for a certain degree of deus ex machina.
One peculiar omission from a novel of such broad outlook is the total absence of any religious belief or motivation, either within a now-widely scattered humanity or among alien species. Even for hard SF, for a story of such a wide outlook I would expect it to occur at least as an epiphenomenon.
The novel was originally written in the 1992, and the flavour of the galactic Net is endearingly evocative of the Internet of that time.
The characters are diverse and well-rounded, and the dialogue feels realistic among and between humans and alien species. Although its action has a galactic sweep and the story has a backdrop of aeons, the reader is drawn into the fate of the central characters, ethically good, bad and doubtful, both human and alien.
The overarching framework is one of a negative quest, oddly reminding me of The Lord of the Rings, but as SF not fantasy. The structure of the galaxy portrayed and discussed is reminiscent of the tiered worldview of the ancient world (heaven, land/sea, underworld), which adds an interesting complexity to the action as well as a rationalisation for a certain degree of deus ex machina.
One peculiar omission from a novel of such broad outlook is the total absence of any religious belief or motivation, either within a now-widely scattered humanity or among alien species. Even for hard SF, for a story of such a wide outlook I would expect it to occur at least as an epiphenomenon.
The novel was originally written in the 1992, and the flavour of the galactic Net is endearingly evocative of the Internet of that time.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Toxic relationship, Death, and War
Minor: Torture and Suicide attempt
More...