Alastair Reynolds "Chasm City" and "Revelation Space"

Alastair Reynolds - Leading writer of modern space adventure, equally adept at epic novels & short fiction. Absolute "must-read" for all hard sf fans, but perhaps a little dry for those who like more conventional sf. Reynolds fiction can also be quite cold and impersonal, though it's ALWAYS entertaining. Blockbuster wide-screen special effects and extensive "future history" are guaranteed in every story. Vast and Brooding Ziggurat of Thrills Alastair Reynolds "Revelation Space" (nv) (Revelation Space series: 1) © 2000, Gollancz / Ace --shortlist : 2001 Clarke --first novel : 2001 Locus /2 --sf novel : 2001 Locus /22 --novel : 2001 British SF --/ FIRST place sf series --/ second place space sf novel --/ adventure award --/ wonder award --/ idea award --/ awesome scale The vistas are wide and gorgeous, the ending is pure joy, the canvas is colorful and satisfying. The novel starts in intriguing, if somewhat slow-paced way - an archaeological dig on the other planet; but once we learn what kind of immensity this dig uncovers, the pace picks up and a marvelous adventure gets underway. Various planet environments are introduced and a weirdly twisted space-faring cyber-culture gets a new treatment (since Bruce Sterling's similar "Schismatrix" series). The lack of hyperdrive - instantaneous FTL travel - in Revelation Space universe makes for a truly mind-boggling contemplation of stellar distances and unforgiving time spans, introduces certain harshness in how the characters live and function... faced with huge gaps of traveling through the void. Thus, the flavor of the "Generation Ship" epics from classic science fiction can be felt once again, mixed with edgy cyberpunk philosophies. In a word: this novel is a trip. And it makes sense, combined with a sensory experience. One can almost imagine boarding the colossal and beautiful spaceship, armed to the brim with deadly weapons (capable of destroying whole star systems), battling the ghosts, mysteries and conspiracies along the way and arriving at the weirdest destination possible (the novel does end with a bang, I'm not going to spoil it for you). This is a grand space adventure that will stay with you for years, an ice-cold thrilling vehicle...Though this is exactly my only complaint: that the novel feels cold to the heart like a surgical instrument, devoid of any particular warmth. One might argue that the detached narrative tone perfectly fits the immensity of space and life/death decisions that characters face there. Think of it as an epic story, covered in chrome, with tangled spikes of brooding menace sticking out here and there - launched on a grand voyage with not much thought about side sentiments (though you'd wish it lasted longer than the 500 pages alotted to it). Plenty of other influences here: certainly Iain M. Banks, William Gibson, even early Heinlein in its epic sweep - and a striking similarity to Larry Niven's stories for a mind-bending finale. Yes, it could have been paced more engagingly, with fewer chunks of exposition, but the reader knows he is in competent hands: Alastair Reynolds is capable of delivering hard science and plot twists with equal flamboyance. As a sidenote, I find it hard to forget the vast weapon bays inside Ultra's spaceship (complete with a ghost captain), where the dread star-destroying guns sleep... waiting for a senseless command to wake them. You can tell, this is the stuff classic space operas are made of, stuff that never gets out of date. Awe-inspiring. review: 10-Oct-08 (read in 2003) (image credit: kbarts.hu) Alastair Reynolds "Chasm City" (nv) (Revelation Space series: 2) © 2001, Gollancz /Ace --sf novel : 2002 Locus /9 --novel : 2002 British SF W --/ third place space sf novel --/ wonder award --/ adventure award --/ awesome scale --/ shock value This novel is completely another beast than "Revelation Space", darker in tone, unapologetic (and often unjustified) in plot twists, baroque in structure and ambition. A reader might get in turn bored, shocked, confused, astounded and perplexed - but it is a black obelisk of a novel, a vast achievement, nevertheless. Think of it as Dashiel Hammett's hard-boiled mystery set to steampunk gears and the brooding lustre of China Mieville novels and (somewhere deep down) Philip K. Dick's angst. The pacing and sudden plot twists reminded me of A. E. Van Vogt's approach (a new revelation for the reader every few paragraphs), however in the first half the story tended to drag and one might wish for the action to speed up, with rather more emotion. Still, it is a cinematic trip, worth the admission. Most people with find the tone and setting somewhat depressing. Even with the occasional glamor and glitz of Chasm City's environment, and the unmistakable steampunk and William Gibson references in visuals and invention, the overall sense of doom and the obviously cold-blooded souls of the main characters would get to anybody (there is not a single good-natured human being along the way). But guess what, it seems like only a fitting build-up for the final sentiments that Reynolds masterfully hides in the ending. There is an ultimate grace and a deep yearning for things pure and innocent that are hinted - only hinted! - that shape the character and (still pretty convoluted) outcome. The novel opens with a bang (the explosive destruction of an enormous space elevator) and unfolds as a voyage to the Jack Vance-like environment of Yellowstone / Chasm City, interspersed with flashbacks to the "Generation Ship" odyssey to another star. I have to admit, I was deeply impressed how Reynolds developed his Sky Hausmann anti-hero: a tyrant in the making, a ruthless figure, a true glimpse into the dark souls of the likes of Stalin and Hitler. Absolutely fascinating progression of mounting sins that are justified in the name of an idea, revealed as the lust for power. Many find this creature hard to forget (complete with the appearance of the Joker figure) - and yet... yet.... there is a redemption lurking just at the vision's edge, a possibility of the impossible, transcending change that can not be really explained, only felt. I applaud Reynolds for not stating these things clearly, and for the subtle emotional nuances that break thru the cold plot facade.... well done. There is much to be said about the novel's Pandora's Box of visual delights, and I attach a few works of art that (barely) touch that splendor. One word of caution, though - nothing in this novel is what it seems from the start, so prepare to be utterly astounded a few times, and also prepare to be exposed to long, meticulous exposition in the beginning. Chasm City grows on you... and just like in the twisted jungles of its buildings, you might never see the way to a happy ending, unless you can uncover that happy ending inside of you. And that seems to be exactly what Reynolds was after. review: 10-Oct-08 (read in 2008) (art credit: Marcin Jakubowski) (art credit: Mark Goerner) ---------------------------------------------- Read more reviews for this writer Also read: Alastair Reynolds, "Pushing Ice" Alastair Reynolds, "Galactic North" (collection) Alastair Reynolds, "Galactic North" (collection) Part 2

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