Alastair Reynolds

**FitzChivalry** · August 20th, 2001, 02:08 AM

I heard some good things about this author, his first book is Revelation Space.
Anyone read it?
Any opinions?

**Rob B** · August 20th, 2001, 04:53 AM

I personally haven't read him, but he is touted as being one of THE NEXT BIG AUTHORS (along with Peter Hamilton and Ken Macleod) of British Science Fiction.

However, a review was posted to our site Here.

**Hobbit** · August 28th, 2001, 04:41 AM

Yup - think Mr Reynolds is going to be big. Hmm..originally Welsh, now lives in the Netherlands working for the European Space Agency. BIG ideas - thought the first book Revelation Space was a little over long but good. Reminicent of Stephen Baxter's work - not quite as action packed as Peter Hamilton, but I can see how the references come about. If you like big spaceships, alien artifacts etc etc you'll like it. I have his second novel Chasm City 'in the pile' to read, which has been suggested to be better. Definitely one to watch.

Hobbit

**Lord Soth** · September 4th, 2001, 01:51 AM

I now i keep going on about this book but....

Very much like Ian Banks Sci-fi books with alot of the concepts and the ending being similair. But still very good. Check out Chasm City. My only disaapointment is that I think it could have been so much darker.

**James Barclay** · September 22nd, 2001, 04:43 AM

Revalation Space is a good first novel and he's clearly got a good deal of talent. I found some of it a little inchoate but there's more to recommend than criticise.

I've heard Chasm City is better but haven't got to it yet.

**fluffy bunny** · September 24th, 2002, 08:33 AM

reading revalation space at the mo- will get back to you when it's done

**ezchaos** · September 24th, 2002, 01:07 PM

Geez, this is an old thread!
I read Revelation Space recently, and I really liked it-I'd say it's one of the best new science fiction books I've read in a year or two. However, It could have been a hundred or so pages shorter, IMO. The thing I liked the most about the story was the universe Reynold's has created. The different groups of space faring peoples were cool, too. Reynolds is a talent to watch (I hope I don't sound like a blurb-of-praise that you see on the back of books). I'll definitely be reading Chasm City when it comes out in paperback.

**fortytwo** · September 24th, 2002, 02:34 PM

Strange how things go, on another thread a couple of weeks ago someone mentioned how disappointed they were with Revelation Space. I'd only bought the book that morning!
Now I'm a little happier seeing as so many of you are more positive about it.
42

**Sammie** · September 24th, 2002, 05:46 PM

Revelation Space is in the ''to read'' pile.

I read ''Chasm City'' last year, and thought it was pretty good, though not the best. (Apparently it didn't matter that i read them in the wrong order *shrug*)

**Rumfuddle** · September 28th, 2002, 11:46 AM

Unlike most of you I've read Chasm City but not Revelation Space.
I'd like to mention his short stories first though as I've read most of them and I think they're better than the one novel I read. They're visually rich, hard SF adventure stories which always have a satisfying sting in the tail. I found Galactic North, for instance, blew my mind like a powerful drug ( good SF like this being the being the best, and safest, drug around ) a century spanning space opera packed with some of the weirdest cyber-human and alien imagery you're likely to come across, all in thirty odd pages. And the bells and whistles all feel right as (as Hobbit already mentioned) he's a scientist.
Unfortunately he doesn't seem to be able to sustain this energy across 600 pages (Chasm City) - is it that publishers just demand fat books of their authors (especially SF/Fantay authors) these days? It must be what the average reader wants. Though look at another newish British SF author who with SALT gave us an excellent epic tale in just 250 pages or so. I think CHASM CITY just drags on in places, it would've been better at half the length.
You can find some of his short stories free at infinity plus.

**Hobbit** · September 28th, 2002, 02:16 PM

Good point Rumfuddle. Alastair has published a short novella as part of the PS Publishing series, called Diamond Dogs; it might be worth a look if only for the points you've made. I have a nice signed copy of Revelation Ark in the pile to read, when I can, which is more of a sequel to Revelation Space than Chasm City was.

The other author you mentioned is Adam Roberts, (you probably knew that!) who has also published a novella in the same PS Publ. series (Park Polar, I think). I thought Salt was OK but it was a struggle to finish it. Have heard good things about ON and Stone though.

**Hobbit** · September 28th, 2002, 02:25 PM

Just found this reference too - two novellas in the same book. Didn't know about this one. Looks like another cool Chris Moore cover too (though perhaps a little bit too much Star Wars?)

Try:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/...297181-8148441

**Rumfuddle** · September 29th, 2002, 10:02 AM

Thanks for the references Hobbit, I actually didn't know about the novellas by either Roberts or Reynolds. My current genteel poverty means I'm working my way through my backlog of books and not buying anything new for the moment. Sad.
Is Chris Moore well known then? I liked the cover he did for the SF Masterworks edition of The Dispossesed so much I looked him up on Yahoo but couldn't find anything.

**Hobbit** · September 29th, 2002, 07:29 PM

Rum - thank youfor the comment - I know what you mean about the poverty!

Yes, Chris Moore is pretty well known here in the UK. He published a book of his best work called Journeyman about two years or so ago. I've got stuff by him from back in the 70's - most of my early Ben Bovas and Clifford Simaks are his, I think. He's most famous at the mo for the covers on most of the Millennium Masterworks series. Lots of long roads and tall buildings....

again, try :

http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/...297181-8148441