Slow Bullets is the latest release from the acclaimed sci-fi writer Alastair Reynolds. Released by Tachyon Publications, Slow Bullets falls outside of Reynolds’ usual publishing schedule, and this is reflected in its rather modest page count. While Reynolds’ shorter fiction output is often a highlight of my reading, I have never really been able to connect with any of his novel-length works. This was my main concern going in to this novella, but one that was ultimately unfounded: Slow Bullets captured my attention and did not let up until the ride was over.
From the publisher:
From the author of the Revelation Space series comes an interstellar adventure of war, identity, betrayal, and the preservation of civilization itself.
A vast conflict, one that has encompassed hundreds of worlds and solar systems, appears to be finally at an end. A conscripted soldier is beginning to consider her life after the war and the family she has left behind. But for Scur—and for humanity—peace is not to be.
On the brink of the ceasefire, Scur is captured by a renegade war criminal, and left for dead in the ruins of a bunker. She revives aboard a prisoner transport vessel. Something has gone terribly wrong with the ship.
Passengers—combatants from both sides of the war—are waking up from hibernation far too soon. Their memories, embedded in bullets, are the only links to a world which is no longer recognizable. And Scur will be reacquainted with her old enemy, but with much higher stakes than just her own life.
Slow Bullets focuses on Scur and her life after coming out of hibernation on board the Caprice. Chaos reigns and she just about manages to get the situation under control, arranging details with representatives from each group of survivors. Following these early events, those left alive must find out what has happened, where they are, and how they got here. For Scur her memory is fresh: she was rescued from the battlefield after Orvin, a war criminal from the enemy side, left her for dead.
Now on board a deteriorating space ship in orbit around a strange planet and receiving no contact from the outside universe, Scur and the survivors must piece together events that led them to the present. Not only that, but they must find a way to continue surviving while the ship systems slowly submit to oblivion. And, somehow, Orvin is among those on board, and Scur will not stop until he is brought to justice…
Slow Bullets is an interesting novella exploring some fascinating themes. From the immediate jeopardy in which those aboard the Caprice find themselves, to the further reaching repercussions after they discover just what has happened to them, Reynolds has crafted a particularly engrossing story. However, this is a story that is about the characters and how they deal when facing a situation such as this. It’s particularly about Scur, her drive for revenge against Orvin, and how she takes a somewhat primary role in the running of the ship.
Reynolds manages to effortlessly combine the lost-in-space aspects with the need for survival. While both finding her way and survival are priorities for Scur, they are dealt with logically and through communication with others on board. Prad, one of the ship engineers that Scur first comes across, plays a major role in helping them to survive, investigating and learning about the ship and its disposition. As a group, the survivors have purpose in tracking down Orvin. However, not all is plain sailing. Once this focus loses clarity and longer-term issues are raised, human nature comes to the fore and confrontation and disagreements are aplenty. It all fits in nicely together, with Reynolds blending all aspects of survival into one cohesive whole.
Perhaps one of the deeper themes that comes up is that of knowledge preservation. On a ship that is slowly losing its memory banks, and only a finite amount of time to save what can be preserved, the argument of what information is given priority is ever-present. Religion in the form of ‘the Book’ (an ancient text comparable to the Bible) is central to the discord between the survivors, and Reynolds realistically shows how opposing views can cause violence and discontent. Above all, it’s the setting that allows for such examination of human nature.
Slow Bullets is an interesting novella, one that deals with very real topics that are present in day-to-day life. It’s a story that delivers on many counts, from its strong cast of characters, to the fascinating and barely touched-upon universe it is set within. I enjoyed this novella very much, and I’ve come away with a renewed interest in reading some more of Reynolds’ previous works.
Highly recommended.
Publisher: https://tachyonpublications.com/
Author: http://www.alastairreynolds.com/
June 2015, 192 Pages
Paperback, ISBN: 9781616961930
Review copy received from the publisher
© 2015 Mark Chitty
More Alistair Reynolds is always more brilliance added to current existence,
If you have a problem finishing Alastair Reynolds’ books I would recommend starting with “The Prefect” or “Chasm City” which are both excellent and set in the Revelation Space universe.