Although best known for his Space Opera books, in recent years Alastair has been producing material that is deliberately different. There’s his well-known Revelation Space series, certainly, but as well as his last novel, award-nominated Inhibitor Phase, there’s been “Space Pirates” with the Revenger series, stand-alone books such as House of Suns and Pushing Ice and the Poseidon’s Children series. To this we now must add Eversion, a story where all is not what it seems, and preconceptions are often ruined.
From the publisher: “A small group of intrepid explorers are in search of a remote and mysterious artefact. It’s a well-funded expedition, well organised, which is lucky as they’re sailing north of Bergen on the schooner Demeter, searching for a narrow inlet which will lead them to a vast uncharted lake – and their goal–
Until disaster strikes.
Doctor Silas Coade wakes from disturbing dreams, on the steamship Demeter, in pursuit of an extraordinary find almost too incredible and too strange to believe, secreted within a lagoon in the icy inlets of Patagonia. But as they come in sight of their prize he and the crew see they are not the first to come so far: there is a wreck ahead, and whatever ruined it may threaten them as well–
Shaking off his nightmares, Doctor Silas Coade joins his fellow exploders on the deck of the zeppelin Demeter and realises something has already gone dangerously wrong with their mission. If any of them are to survive, then he will have to take the exploration – and their lives – into his own hands . . .”
The reviews for this one are describing it as “Gothic SF”. I must admit that at first this reads like something courtesy of Jules Verne or even H P Lovecraft. (Conan Doyle’s The Captain of the Pole-Star also springs to mind.) It’s an expedition story, written by a doctor on board the schooner Demeter (Bram Stoker readers, take note!) which takes on Lovecraftian tones as the expeditioners approach the mysterious Edifice (see also At the Mountains of Madness).
The expedition group are a varied lot. Of the main characters, Topolsky is the tempestuous Russian leader, the rich gold-digger paying for the expedition, who seems to actively dislike Coade and sees his presence as a necessary evil. The Captain of the vessel, Van Vugt, is calm, even under increasing pressure. Coronel Ramos is a long-time friend of Coade, who is being paid to be the group’s bodyguard. Dupin is the hyperintelligent youngster on the voyage whose mathematical genius leads him prone to seisures. Reporter Miss Ada Cossile seems to be ever present and forever sniping at Coade.
This is a difficult book to describe or explain without giving things away. However, as the publisher’s quotes above show,it is obvious that Coade seems to be making the journey more than once, in some sort of Quantum Leap meets Groundhog Day situation. Whilst doing this we cover a range of different places, from sailing ship to airship to spaceship, whilst we work out what is going on. This is a lot of fun in that we go from Jules Verne and steam punk to Doc Smith and Star Trek as the good Doctor tells the crew of the novel he is writing. This also covers a variety of styles of writing, from something that is Lovecraftian to China Mieville. There’s even a touch of Dante’s Inferno in there, albeit in an ice world.
As the book progresses, little hints that things are awry begin to connect and make sense. For me this meant that I found myself turning the pages more, intrigued to know if the reasoning for the various mysterious events. The good news is that, despite a lot of metaphorical plates being spun at once, it does all eventually come together. There’s a big reveal about halfway through that the rest of the book spends its time resolving until there’s an apt, bittersweet ending.
In summary then, this is an unusual story that is not typical Alastair Reynolds, but whose narrative drive, clever plot points and rigorous science make this an engaging read. Alastair deserves credit for writing something different, rather than just producing what readers know him best for. I enjoyed this one a lot.
Eversion by Alastair Reynolds
Published by Gollancz, May 2022
320 pages
ISBN: 978-0575090767
Review by Mark Yon
