Reviews

Leviathan Wakes by James S.A. Corey
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I picked up Leviathan Wakes on the recommendation and reviews on Good Reads. I thoroughly enjoyed the book and look forward to the sequel Caliban’s War.

James Corey ( a pseudonym for writers Daniel Abraham and Ty Frank) presents a gritty, action packed thriller set in the near future. All the action is centered around the solar system. In Corey’s vision, we find humanity has Mars as well as the moons and asteroids around Saturn. The inner planets, Mars and Earth, are the cultural and economic powers, while the “Belters” make do on the moons and asteroids near Saturn. Corey presents a world that is very believable, and while not quite a dystopia – certainly is a gritty vision of the future.

The story is told through two point of view characters – Miller, a cynical, hard drinking detective working for security on Ceres and James Holden, the executive office abroad an ice hauler working the route between Saturn’s moons. Miller is the archetype hard boiled detective while Holden is the square jawed idealist. Their stories converge as they are brought together trying to investigate the disappearance of a ship and it’s crew.

The story finds the protagonists face to face with an ancient power that has the power to transform human life. They have to battle evil corporations, corrupt cops, and .. space zombies!

The story is light on science and heavy on action. Some of the action sequences are extremely well written and exciting. The chapters based on Eros are especially well written. However, I couldn’t help but think of this book as a screen play for a very good action video game. The characterization veer into caricature territory (though Miller is a most enjoyable caricature – I am a sucker for Noir!) and the romantic side plot is just not believable.

The author(s) present a future with intriguing possibilities, but they do not really spend much time in building this future. It would have been great to get to know more about the politics between the inner planets and the Belters. The story touches on racism, xenophobia and politics but only does so in the most cursory manner. I am hoping some of these themes are explored in more detail in the sequels ( Leviathan is book one of three in the “Expanse” series).

If you enjoy space opera, good action and a fun read, I would strongly recommend Leviathan Wakes. If you prefer more science in your science fiction, and enjoy world building I would recommend Paul McAuley’s excellent Quiet War series The Quiet War.

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Blue Remembered Earth by Alastair Reynolds
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

“Blue Remembered Earth” is the first of a new series, Poseidon’s Children, by Alastair Reynolds. Unlike his previous work in the Revelation Space series, this book is set in the Solar System. The main events of the book happen in the mid 22nd century as imagined by Mr. Reynolds. The book is also a departure in style from his previous work. It is lighter and more optimistic than any of the books in the Revelation Space series. The work is more character driven and has fewer information dense “hard science” passages.

Surprisingly, it also does not revolve around a “chase sequence” that a lot of Mr. Reynold’s work seem to have as a central plot point ( See The House of Suns, or the short story Galactic North). I think the book is better for it.

Blue Remembered Earth is more character driven and has a lot less action than previous books by Mr. Reynolds, but remains an engrossing and rewarding read. The books centres around Geoffrey and Sunday Akinya, siblings and members of the powerful Akinya clan. It starts with the funeral of Eunice Akinya, the reclusive scion of the clan and picks up space as Geoffrey and Sunday are involved in the attempt to disentangle some of the mysteries of their late grandmother. The book takes us to the Moon, to Mars and beyond.

The plot moves along at fair pace, but it is clear that the author is just setting the things for bigger things to come in subsequent books. The future as described here is believable and the science is very plausible. I particularly enjoyed the chapters following Sunday Akinya’s adventures on Mars.

If you came to this book expecting some of the Gothic feel and the dystopian futures seen in Absolution Gap or Chasm City, you may be disappointed. I enjoyed this lighter style and look forward to future installments in this series.

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A Deepness in the Sky by Vernor Vinge
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

“A Deepness in the Sky” is a Big Book. The plot unfolds via the point of view of multiple characters, both human and the “Spider” aliens. The story centers around the planet Arachna which attracts the interest of two competing human fleets due to the strange nature of the star in the system – the “On/Off” star which comes to life every 200 odd years and stays bright for a few decade before dimming again.

There are two main strands to the story. One based at the Lagrange point above the planet, and one on the planet itself as a new “On” cycle starts. The story is based over a number of years as the Arachnid civilization moves up the technological ladder. The story telling, especially in the human segments conveys a sense of claustrophobia and foreboding that contrasts nicely with the more open story arcs that play out planet side.

Mr. Vinge explores the concepts of freedom, religion and progress in this book. The science is plausible (no FTL) and the universe is believable. While the story can get bogged down in places as it explores the motivations and background of its multiple characters, it still remains extremely enjoyable read for any fan of science fiction.

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