Alastair Reynolds

Advantages: fills in a lot of gaps
Disadvantages: some weaker stories

...Galactic North is a companion pice for Reynolds Inhibitors series. It takes the storyline from the near future all the way to 25 thousand years hence. The book takes the form of a set of short stories, some spooky, such as Nightingale which is the exploration of a 'ghost' ship to deep time with Galactic North, which is the flag ship of the book. Galactic North itself is the reason why many Reynolds fans will want this book as it explains the rather week ending of Absolution Gap and gives the readers a sense of mankinds ultimate destiny within Reynolds universe. Overall the book is an invaluable read for any fans of Reynolds, some stories are obviously weaker, some give the reader exactly what they are looking for.... Read review

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Advantages: A personal story in a huge galaxy
Disadvantages: Pack an inhaler because the twists can leave you breathless

...level of detail. Reynolds absorbs you so entirely in his twisted city that at times the reader will almost beg to be allowed to wave goodbye to our lead character and wander down a different street. Heartily recommended for both sci-fi fans and adventurers.... Read review

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Advantages: Spectacularly imaginative space opera
Disadvantages: Slow going at first

...“Space,” as Douglas Adams once wrote, “is big.” And faced with the mind-bogglingly vastness of it, most science-fiction writers will invent a method of faster-than-light travel; thus did hyperspace, ultraspace and the warp drive come into being – not to mention various methods of wormhole creation and manipulation. How else are the writers’ heroes and villains going to travel the vast distances between stars? However, there are a very few authors out there that take Einstein more literally. Alastair Reynolds is one of the few – not surprising really, considering that the Netherlands-based Welshman has also published several scientific papers, has piled higher and deeper in Astronomy, and currently works for the European Space Agency… His debut novel, “Revelation Space”... Read review

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