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3.86 AVERAGE
3.86 AVERAGE
Very few books have rattled around my brain for months after reading them in the way that Adrian's 'Children of Time' did, since I read that, but 'The Doors of Eden' is one of them. Even a couple of days after finishing it, I'm still trying to process all the thoughts I had while reading it.
On the one hand, it has a series of alternate histories of Earth, each with a different species emerging as the dominant lifeform evolving sentience, technologies and (in many cases) ultimately the seeds of their doom. And yes, one of those histories involves spiders – fans of 'Children of Time' may want to leap out of their seats cheering when they reach that section. I certainly felt like that.
But that's just part of the book, interspersed between the main story, which starts in what *could* be a conventional spy thriller, before branching out into Weird Stuff, and ultimately (and beautifully) intersecting with those alternate histories, which turn out to be parallel universes (and thus Earths) that are in danger of collapsing into one another.
I loved it. From the different beings thrown together (humans, neanderthals – but evolved much further than in our reality – weaselly rat-like things, giant floating space woodlouse-like things...) to the relationships between the humans (particularly the romantic relationships) it had me rapt throughout.
My head does start to spin and occasionally hurt a bit when thinking about parallel universes and their implications, but that side of things never felt overwhelming in this book. I'm going to be thinking about it for a while yet, I think. It's well worth the headache!
The publisher supplied me with an advance reader copy (ARC) via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.
On the one hand, it has a series of alternate histories of Earth, each with a different species emerging as the dominant lifeform evolving sentience, technologies and (in many cases) ultimately the seeds of their doom. And yes, one of those histories involves spiders – fans of 'Children of Time' may want to leap out of their seats cheering when they reach that section. I certainly felt like that.
But that's just part of the book, interspersed between the main story, which starts in what *could* be a conventional spy thriller, before branching out into Weird Stuff, and ultimately (and beautifully) intersecting with those alternate histories, which turn out to be parallel universes (and thus Earths) that are in danger of collapsing into one another.
I loved it. From the different beings thrown together (humans, neanderthals – but evolved much further than in our reality – weaselly rat-like things, giant floating space woodlouse-like things...) to the relationships between the humans (particularly the romantic relationships) it had me rapt throughout.
My head does start to spin and occasionally hurt a bit when thinking about parallel universes and their implications, but that side of things never felt overwhelming in this book. I'm going to be thinking about it for a while yet, I think. It's well worth the headache!
The publisher supplied me with an advance reader copy (ARC) via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.
A clear path from Children of Time but not a sequel - parallel Earths with different evolutionary paths are colliding. While I enjoyed it, I didn’t love it and the number of characters probably caused some of my meh-ness.
You never quite know what to expect from a new Adrian Tchaikovsky novel, but you can safely assume it will involve sentient creepy-crawlies. The British sci-fi and fantasy author memorably brought a civilisation of intelligent spiders to life in the award-winning Children of Time, but his latest book, The Doors of Eden, takes this idea one further, uplifting species across the whole of Earth’s evolutionary history.
Read more: https://www.newscientist.com/article/2235357-the-doors-of-eden-review-a-gripping-alternate-biology-techno-thriller
Read more: https://www.newscientist.com/article/2235357-the-doors-of-eden-review-a-gripping-alternate-biology-techno-thriller
adventurous
informative
lighthearted
medium-paced
I got about 50% through this, but I had to quit because the almost constant dead-naming and misgendering of the trans character was just too much for me. Plus, she had basically no agency up to the point that I quit and this was just terrible representation. I believe the author was trying to be inclusive and not transphobic, but it didn't work for me.
adventurous
challenging
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Tchaikovsky is back with another boatload of big ideas - this time, a tale of evolutionary alternatives and parallel realities, in which a small group of disparate souls from this Earth and others must find a way to save the collapsing multiverse.
This is an extravagant act of imagination that is distinctly Tchaikovsky (who else would give us societies of trilobites and sea scorpions?) with a side helping of acerbic commentary on our times and a big-hearted cast I adored. A bit long, but worth the effort. Engrossing, compelling stuff.
Full review
This is an extravagant act of imagination that is distinctly Tchaikovsky (who else would give us societies of trilobites and sea scorpions?) with a side helping of acerbic commentary on our times and a big-hearted cast I adored. A bit long, but worth the effort. Engrossing, compelling stuff.
Full review