I think a lot of the coldness and sociopathy of the characters comes from Revelation Space being Reynolds' first novel, and while he already had a lot of experience from his day job writing engagingly about science, (hence the enjoyable infodumps right from the start), he didn't have so much experience writing about people. The dialogue especially often seems to rely on cliches and cheesy one-liners that feel out of place in the majestic gothic environments he creates. That gets much better in his later books though; the character work in novels like House of Suns or the Blue Remembered Earth trilogy, or even the Prefect Dreyfus novels, is much more engaging.
I love these books. Granted they are dense, but the glimpses you get of the universe and its mysteries are really compelling. In general I think that Reynold's takes on some of the classics sci-fi ideas are awesome; add to that his new concepts mixed with gothic and cosmic horror elements -almost warhammerie- and you get a must-read sci-fi series.
Well said, and I totally agree. The books are dense, and I don't always love Reynolds' characterization, but as you say, in terms of good plotting, big profound ideas, and hard SF accuracy, Reynolds is hard to beat. Also, I agree-there is definitely an almost gothic warhammer-y aesthetic vibe to some of the scenes.
Yes, the first time I picked it up I got through the first 80 or so pages. I didn't have a lot of experience reading SF at that point, so I found it to be a little difficult with all the exposition and the time and space jumps. Now it feels like nothing! :) Thanks for watching.
I just finished this book and this was a great review. Your deep dive into the consciousness ideas in this book lead me to highly recommend Blindsight by Peter Watts if you haven't read it already. Blindsight is an entire hard sci-fi book dedicated on exploring the philosophy of consciousness, featuring a whole crew of transhuman characters each with different degrees of consciousness, as well as a big central mystery about alien consciousness. It wasn't an easy read for me (it's dense, full of manicured prose with multiple meanings, unreliable narrator), but it's a book that I pondered for a long time after finishing it.
Thank you for watching! Now I really want to read Blindsight, by Peter Watts. That's definitely going on my 2024 TBR. I keep hearing about that book from folks like Moid, but just haven't gotten around to it yet. Sounds right up my alley. :) Cheers!
Blindsight and Echopraxia are fantastic. Watts being a biologist really imbues a creepily organic tone throughout the stories that stick with you. Because of the vampires, you imagine everything with no straight angles, adding to the entire biological creepiness of the novels.
Thanks so much. Yes, I felt the same way. It had been about ten years for me. I couldn't get the books out of my head and so I felt I had to pick them back up after all this time. Cheers!
Damned fine description of this superb book. I have read it twice so far and may I recommend Blindsight by Peter Watts which is distinctly hard science fiction and another level of dense. You mention Steven Ericson and his Malazan Book of the Fallen is the best fantasy I have read by far. Superb military fantasy along with Glen Cook's Black Company series. Great work mate. Subscribed.
Thanks for the sub! I keep receiving the Watts recommendation and I'm thinking I might have to read that---maybe this summer. Sounds like you enjoy dense, deep, and complex works of fantasy. I have to check out the Black Company series. Cheers!
Incredible stuff as always! This is my 2nd favorite sci fi series behind red rising. I've only read the trilogy so far, but the philisophical Gothic horror approach is fascinating! Those are my 2 favorite aspects in books so the combination was perfect for me! If you have any suggestions for more philisophical scifi or gotchic scifi definitely let me know! I'm relatively new to the genre so any recommendations help.
Thanks for watching! Yes, the cyberpunk / gothic spirit in Revelation Space is a big part of why I love it. In terms of philosophical fantasy and SF, I'd recommend R. Scott Bakker's work (fantasy) and Stanislaw Lem's work (SF). Christopher Ruocchio's Sun Eater series (SF) is very philosophical, too, but nobody ever really mentions that. I tend to think Frank Herbert's Dune (SF, obviously) is deep and philosophical as well. Cheers!
Wow, yes. No one talks about that series, but I've always wondering if it's any good. I usually see that series with like 3.5 star rankings. Do you think it's worth giving a shot?
Here's pulling the proverbial rug out from under it all; {LIVE Science; Forums, History and Culture; Culture History & Science; What is a living individual and is it naturally universally mobile?}
I envisioned Ilia Volyova with a buzz cut. Like a Russian woman with a buzz cut. And I think he explains Kouri that way, but I liked Ilia having the buzz better. Also, if you like AR, you HAVE to read House of Suns. Definitely his best book next to Rev Space. Probably equal. Lots of his fans say it is his best book. And then Chasm City and Rev Space after that, but there are a lot of people who like the third book, Absolution Gap more than Rev Space, but I freaking loved the ending of Rev Space. I read the last 160 pages in one sitting. I couldn't put it down. I will admit, I didn't like the boob at first and took me a while to get into it, but once I did I really liked it. Because the Hyperion Cantos is my favorite sci-fi novels.
Thanks for the recommendation. I read the first three chapters of House of Suns when I was shopping at Barnes and Noble, and I really enjoyed what I read, so I bought the book, but I was in the middle of another book at the time, and so I haven't picked it back up. Thanks for the Hyperion Cantos recommendation. It's definitely been on my TBR a while and I suspect I'll get to it this year.
I think a lot of the coldness and sociopathy of the characters comes from Revelation Space being Reynolds' first novel, and while he already had a lot of experience from his day job writing engagingly about science, (hence the enjoyable infodumps right from the start), he didn't have so much experience writing about people. The dialogue especially often seems to rely on cliches and cheesy one-liners that feel out of place in the majestic gothic environments he creates. That gets much better in his later books though; the character work in novels like House of Suns or the Blue Remembered Earth trilogy, or even the Prefect Dreyfus novels, is much more engaging.
I agree wholeheartedly. Cheers! Btw, I never read Blue Remembered Earth. How was it?
The book sounds really fascinating. going to purchase this book book. Thanks for introducing me to a new book series ;)
Oh, I'm so happy to have spread the gospel of Reynolds! I so hope you will enjoy! :) Cheers!
Thanks ;)@@iWizard
I love these books. Granted they are dense, but the glimpses you get of the universe and its mysteries are really compelling. In general I think that Reynold's takes on some of the classics sci-fi ideas are awesome; add to that his new concepts mixed with gothic and cosmic horror elements -almost warhammerie- and you get a must-read sci-fi series.
Well said, and I totally agree. The books are dense, and I don't always love Reynolds' characterization, but as you say, in terms of good plotting, big profound ideas, and hard SF accuracy, Reynolds is hard to beat. Also, I agree-there is definitely an almost gothic warhammer-y aesthetic vibe to some of the scenes.
It can be a little difficult to get into at first but it's well worth sticking with.
Yes, the first time I picked it up I got through the first 80 or so pages. I didn't have a lot of experience reading SF at that point, so I found it to be a little difficult with all the exposition and the time and space jumps. Now it feels like nothing! :) Thanks for watching.
Yeah, this series is really good. I'm surprised it hasn't been picked up to become a tv show or movie. It's a lot better than The Expanse.
If someone like Christopher Nolan could turn this book into a miniseries or lengthy film, I could die happy, haha! Cheers!
That and redemption ark were life changing for me. Thanks for reviewing!
Of course! And thanks for watching! :)
I just finished this book and this was a great review. Your deep dive into the consciousness ideas in this book lead me to highly recommend Blindsight by Peter Watts if you haven't read it already. Blindsight is an entire hard sci-fi book dedicated on exploring the philosophy of consciousness, featuring a whole crew of transhuman characters each with different degrees of consciousness, as well as a big central mystery about alien consciousness. It wasn't an easy read for me (it's dense, full of manicured prose with multiple meanings, unreliable narrator), but it's a book that I pondered for a long time after finishing it.
Thank you for watching! Now I really want to read Blindsight, by Peter Watts. That's definitely going on my 2024 TBR. I keep hearing about that book from folks like Moid, but just haven't gotten around to it yet. Sounds right up my alley. :) Cheers!
Blindsight and Echopraxia are fantastic. Watts being a biologist really imbues a creepily organic tone throughout the stories that stick with you. Because of the vampires, you imagine everything with no straight angles, adding to the entire biological creepiness of the novels.
my fav series!
Almost no one else working in SF today can do what Reynolds does! So good. Cheers!
Great review, i read the first 4 books like 15 years ago and I'm still thinking about them. So good.
Thanks so much. Yes, I felt the same way. It had been about ten years for me. I couldn't get the books out of my head and so I felt I had to pick them back up after all this time. Cheers!
Damned fine description of this superb book. I have read it twice so far and may I recommend Blindsight by Peter Watts which is distinctly hard science fiction and another level of dense. You mention Steven Ericson and his Malazan Book of the Fallen is the best fantasy I have read by far. Superb military fantasy along with Glen Cook's Black Company series. Great work mate. Subscribed.
Thanks for the sub! I keep receiving the Watts recommendation and I'm thinking I might have to read that---maybe this summer. Sounds like you enjoy dense, deep, and complex works of fantasy. I have to check out the Black Company series. Cheers!
@@iWizard the Black Company is not dense but you see where Ericson gets his influence
Just read house of suns and I fell in love with Reynolds…this series is shooting up the TBR!
I do hope you read these books. They’re absolutely unforgettable.
@@iWizard definitely will :)
Incredible stuff as always! This is my 2nd favorite sci fi series behind red rising. I've only read the trilogy so far, but the philisophical Gothic horror approach is fascinating! Those are my 2 favorite aspects in books so the combination was perfect for me!
If you have any suggestions for more philisophical scifi or gotchic scifi definitely let me know! I'm relatively new to the genre so any recommendations help.
Thanks for watching! Yes, the cyberpunk / gothic spirit in Revelation Space is a big part of why I love it. In terms of philosophical fantasy and SF, I'd recommend R. Scott Bakker's work (fantasy) and Stanislaw Lem's work (SF). Christopher Ruocchio's Sun Eater series (SF) is very philosophical, too, but nobody ever really mentions that. I tend to think Frank Herbert's Dune (SF, obviously) is deep and philosophical as well. Cheers!
@@iWizard they are all on my short list for 2024! Thank you!
you could try his under-
appreciated series Poseidon's Children which IMO has more character development that you find lacking here.
Wow, yes. No one talks about that series, but I've always wondering if it's any good. I usually see that series with like 3.5 star rankings. Do you think it's worth giving a shot?
Here's pulling the proverbial rug out from under it all; {LIVE Science; Forums, History and Culture; Culture History & Science; What is a living individual and is it naturally universally mobile?}
You sold me on it !
Yes! I love to hear it! I hope you enjoy. Book 2 is even better than book 1, IMO. Such a great series. :)
I appreciate you , keep making videos and spreading the art of literature.
I envisioned Ilia Volyova with a buzz cut. Like a Russian woman with a buzz cut. And I think he explains Kouri that way, but I liked Ilia having the buzz better. Also, if you like AR, you HAVE to read House of Suns. Definitely his best book next to Rev Space. Probably equal. Lots of his fans say it is his best book. And then Chasm City and Rev Space after that, but there are a lot of people who like the third book, Absolution Gap more than Rev Space, but I freaking loved the ending of Rev Space. I read the last 160 pages in one sitting. I couldn't put it down. I will admit, I didn't like the boob at first and took me a while to get into it, but once I did I really liked it. Because the Hyperion Cantos is my favorite sci-fi novels.
Thanks for the recommendation. I read the first three chapters of House of Suns when I was shopping at Barnes and Noble, and I really enjoyed what I read, so I bought the book, but I was in the middle of another book at the time, and so I haven't picked it back up. Thanks for the Hyperion Cantos recommendation. It's definitely been on my TBR a while and I suspect I'll get to it this year.
You want a book that will REALLY blue your mind and get your wheels turning about consciousness, read Blindsight by Peter Watts
I keep getting this recommendation. I hear it's VERY hard SF.
@@iWizard it is. It is very hard sci-fi. It's a little difficult in some areas. So you have to focus on every sentence.
Sun STEALER. Not Sun Eater.
Yes, I often get the two confused because I've spent so much time writing Christopher Ruocchio's Sun Eater series, haha.