by Alastair Reynolds
ISBN: 0441009425
This debut novel is best described in two words: space opera.
It weighs in at nearly 600 pages, and is almost entirely plot-propelled (versus character-driven.) It covers the requisite vast distances and time periods. At times elements reminded me of Vernor Vinge’s last two books, but the characters in Revelation Space were not as fully developed as I find Vinge’s to be.
While Reynolds did keep me turning the pages, I grew annoyed with some of the devices he used. Most irksome was his tendency to have one character explain something to another, but not let me in on it–this is a rather artificial way to create or maintain suspense. The times he did let me it on it, I thought it was too much shorthand on his part, where he should have done more work.
The problem with this planting a sense of “more” and delaying gratification is that it can be hard to create a payoff that lives up to expectations. This was a decent ride, but I think Reynolds overstretched himself at the end.
Bottom line: cool ideas, some flaws in the execution.
