alastair reynolds

August 6, 2015

The way the unexpected and satisfying SLOW BULLETS deals with familiar tropes is original

Alec Checkerfield Uncategorized alastair reynolds, boardgamegeek, el jardin del sueño infinito, elizabeth story, locus online, novella, review, science fiction, sfcrowsnest, slow bullets, space opera, Thomas Canty

A quartet of reviews for Alastair Reynolds’ excellent SLOW BULLETS.

(Image courtesy of THE ECONOMIST)

From LOCUS ONLINE:

The immediate problems of maintenance and social order are manageable, but determining where the Caprice has wound up drops the survivors through a series of increasingly deep trapdoors and deposits them in a situation that transforms and reframes their efforts. This, along with the solution to the data-decay problem and the outcome of Scur’s eventual showdown with Orvin, point the story in an entirely new direction and towards a set of resolutions that one would not have expected from the first chapters. We wind up in a place far removed from ‘‘military SF,’’ even though some of that subgenre’s themes and concerns generated the initial situation. Slow Bullets finally addresses a set of questions about what it takes to rebuild a damaged society: what is worth saving, what can or should be jettisoned, how to choose a new direction, and how one’s humanity might be reshaped in order to make that all happen. It’s an unexpected and satisfying destination for what seemed at first to be a straightforward melodrama of survival and revenge.

SFCROWSNEST:

In this book, Reynolds wraps a number of themes in a relatively few pages. Some of them will feel like familiar tropes from the SF catalogue but it is the way that he deals with them that is original. For those who do not want to face one of Reynolds’ huge tomes as an introduction to his work, this a good place to start to get an idea of his style and ingenuity before embarking on such as the ‘Revelation Space’ series. Then get stuck in to the rest of his oeuvre.

EL JARDÍN DEL SUEÑO INFINITO:

Despite the short distance Reynolds develops the plot competently and is given time to present some other philosophical issue as the importance of memory in humans and offers an intelligent solution to the hatred and revenge.

Reynolds is losing that feature hard coldness of writers, but is becoming a more complete author.

Personally, I dedicate to read all the works to write this gentleman.

(Translated from Spanish by Google)

BOARDGAMEGEEK:

Reynolds does an excellent job building this world. The war, the aftermath, and The Book at the heart of it all feel so real and compelling. I hope he visits this universe again. I won’t spoil anything, other than to say this turns into much more than a revenge story.

If you’ve never read any Reynolds, this is an excellent place to begin.

For more info about SLOW BULLETS, visit the Tachyon page.

Cover art by Thomas Canty

Design by Elizabeth Story

July 30, 2015

SLOW BULLETS is effortlessly genius and impossible to put down

Alec Checkerfield Uncategorized alastair reynolds, elizabeth story, novella, review, science fiction, slow bullets, space opera, sweat tears and digital ink, the little red reviewer, Thomas Canty, tzer island

Trio of reviews for Alastair Reynolds’ intriguing SLOW BULLETS.

(Photo: Barbera Bella)

From THE LITTLE RED REVIEWER:

I really loved Slow Bullets. The pacing is spot-on perfect, I liked how Scur and many of the other characters seemed reluctant to expose anything about themselves. Some readers may view it as flimsy characterization, but to me there is a line between flimsy characterization and a character telling the reader at the onset: I’m not sure if I trust you yet. Scur prefers to warm up to people before she tells them about herself. About how her conscription was meant to be a punishment for her father. About how she doesn’t believe in The Book, even though she was raised by religiously observant parents. From what the other soldiers mention, and Scur’s conversations with the crew-member she befriends, we learn the interstellar war had religious underpinnings. Two cultures with two similar holy books. But different enough that each side decided they were right, the other side was wrong, and the heretics needed to die. Hmmm… sounds familiar, actually.

<snip>

There were also some fun twists in the plot. I was sure certain characters had certain identities, and I was proven wrong each time. When I thought the plot was going to go in one direction, it went in a completely different one. And then there is *the* twist. The one that made Slow Bullets so effortlessly genius and impossible for me to put down. It’s a twist I’ve run into before, and I can’t get over how much I liked the way Reynolds presented it.

Once the final twist is revealed, the story takes a fascinating turn, one that Scur hints at and that I’d really love to talk about, but I don’t want to spoil anything. All I can tell you is that it has to do with creative methods of transferring information and coming to terms with reality. Wow, that phrase sounded really boring, didn’t it?

Slow Bullets is a short novel I see myself rereading again and a again. This is only the second or third book I’ve read by Reynolds, but my enjoyment of this one makes me want to start collecting his titles.

SWEAT, TEARS AND DIGITAL INK:

Having read this, I wish Reynolds would write more of this length. Not because I don’t like his longer work (because I do), but because his style, depth and concepts can be so easily adapted to something like this without losing the quality for which he is known; it’s also much adapted than to the short fiction which always leave me feeling disappointed. He has attempted “twist in the tale” type stuff before, but this one is full of twists and turns that will keep you guessing up to each and every revelation. I’m not revealing any of them here but I do recommend this, especially if you have not read Reynolds before and are curious about hard science fiction.

TZER ISLAND:

Alastair Reynolds addresses a number of interesting ideas in this story. One has to do with how information should be preserved when much of the accumulated knowledge of mankind is about to be lost. Another has to do with the value of redemption, or even the possibility of redemption, as an alternative to punishment. Lesser themes concern the nature of individual identity and what should be done about religious conflict in a confined society.

Slow Bullets will probably disappoint fans who want everything a favorite author writes to be just like their favorite novels by that author. Fans sometimes have little patience for writers who stretch, explore, or depart from their own formulas. This isn’t a Revelation Space novel – it isn’t even a novel, but a novella length story. It isn’t action-filled. If you approach Slow Bullets with an open mind, however, those are not sensible reasons to dislike the work. While the characters in Slow Bullets do not the depth that a longer story would permit, the ideas are intriguing and the length of the story is perfect for the development of those ideas.

RECOMMENDED

For more info about SLOW BULLETS, visit the Tachyon page.

Cover art by Thomas Canty

Design by Elizabeth Story

July 16, 2015

Fresh reviews of Nalo Hopkinson, Alastair Reynolds, and Kate Elliott books

Alec Checkerfield Uncategorized alastair reynolds, chuma hill, collection, elizabeth story, falling in love with hominids, fantasy, julie dillon, kate elliott, nalo hopkinson, review, science fiction, short stories, slow bullets, space opera, the very best of kate elliott, Thomas Canty

A trio of Tachyon reviews from around the web.

BOOK REVIEWS FOREVERMORE on Nalo Hopkinson’s FALLING IN LOVE WITH HOMINIDS:

This is an imaginative, provocative collection of stories that reflect the complexities of human existence, the moments of good and the impulses of bad. The collection contains eighteen pieces that were written over the course of years, some written to specific themes, and published in variety of venues. Each piece has a short introduction that generally provides background to the story, usually in regards to the story influences. “Shift,” for instance, mentions Peter Straub, “Ours Is the Prettiest” gives some background to Bordertown, while “Delicious Monster” mentions the plant that inspired it. I appreciate the information and the variety of insights; anthologies that are presented without context often feel disjointed, while authors that provide long explanations for the story origins distract from the actual pieces.

And what a collection this is. Explaining the subject and emotion of her works is challenging–I don’t read much in the literary fiction genre, and there aren’t many like her in sci-fi and fantasy. It’s rather like Octavia Butler sat down to brainstorm with Angela Carter in a beach cottage rented from Jeff Vandermeer.

POTPOURRI OF SCIENCE FICTION LITERATURE on Alastair Reynolds’ SLOW BULLETS:

Though much of Reynolds’ work is rather lengthy, Slow Bullets is a slim volume on par with a novella (a little less than 40,000 words). Its compact size doesn’t leave out any of the expectations associated with Reynolds’ work—a combination a distant future humanity, a large-scale war, the gritty reality of the grassroots, and greater mysteries of Man.

Typically, when I read a book’s synopsis that contains the words “vast conflict” or “conscripted soldier”, I immediately place the book back on the shelf; I’m not at all into novels glorifying soldiers or war (though some novels redeem themselves in one way or another). Thankfully, Slow Bullets doesn’t focus on the command structure of the military or the tactics of the battlefield; rather, the focal point of the story is on one solider, a woman named Scur, and her self-imposed parallel responsibilities of revenge upon her torturer and keeping peace and order.

RASCUNHOS on THE VERY BEST OF KATE ELLIOTT:

To represent. The genre is insignificant. Science fiction or fantasy, the main purpose of some stories is to explore women, not in the traditional roles of passive and dumb observers, but as acting agents. Here women take the steering wheel, even if, sometimes, anonymously.

Being also a reader of fantasy and science fiction, the author felt the need to read about characters with whom she would connect. This need would encourage the majority of the stories – but not as a naïve attempt with hidden purpose. Even if you jump over the introduction the author will plainly state along the story that she is, consciously, not following the usual path. The result is uncanny. In a good way, but still uncanny.

Even as a woman, I recognize that I’m not used to read about the physical needs of a woman in such direct, blunt and independent way. Please don’t misinterpret me. These are not erotic stories, but portraying female characters they sometimes contain the thoughts a mature woman that feels attracted towards a man. The unusual element is that these women do not adopt the secondary role in attraction. They clearly think about their attraction, but they don’t feel the need to change their way in order to feel attracting.

I also perceived frustration, although I am not sure it was mine or the author’s. Women have, to many times, to resort to concealed strategies to achieve their goals – sometimes they use the social expectation of having a simple and muddled mind to, slowly, keep going.

Almost every story has a memorable moment, even if sometimes it seems that the end is not as important as the scene, resulting in an inconclusive feeling towards some stories. In the end you’ll find some texts about the role of women in fiction that will light some choices in the stories.

(Translation supplied by the reviewer)

For more information on FALLING IN LOVE WITH HOMINIDS, visit the Tachyon page.

Cover art by Chuma Hill

Design by Elizabeth Story

For more info about SLOW BULLETS, visit the Tachyon page.

Cover art by Thomas Canty

Design by Elizabeth Story

For more information on THE VERY BEST OF KATE ELLIOTT, visit the Tachyon page.

Cover art by Julie Dillon

Design by Elizabeth Story

July 13, 2015

SLOW BULLETS examines the philosophical, technological, and social issues of memory

Alec Checkerfield Uncategorized alastair reynolds, duncan lunan, interzone, los angles review of books, novella, review, science fiction, slow bullets, space opera, stan hunter kranc, the deckled edge

The reviews for Alastair Reynolds’ enjoyable SLOW BULLETS keep rolling in.

From the LOS ANGELES REVIEW OF BOOKS:

The war crime is perpetrated at the conflict’s end: Scur grimly reports her own capture and subsequent torture by a group of renegade soldiers, led by the infamous war criminal Orvin. Though the details evoke a rape, the instrument of Scur’s torment is technological: the slow bullets that give the novella its name.

Readers unfamiliar with the larger body of the Reynolds’s work — a dozen novels and an impressive number of short stories, novellas, and collections — may be startled by the prose, which is disarmingly clinical, punctuated by instances of visceral phrasing. Some readers may find themselves thrown off balance by the juxtaposition of beauty and ugliness — or by the abrupt shift in circumstances that immediately follows: Scur awakens on an apparently derelict ship, surrounded by feuding soldiers from both sides of the conflict, and with no memory of how she came to be there. Readers familiar with Reynolds’s work, however, will know that these two threads must be intertwined. Reynolds is practiced in tying together apparently unrelated elements, and by the end of the story, the text irrevocably links bullet and poet.

<snip>

Slow Bullets, however, marks a development in Reynolds’s writing. As a storyteller, we see him experimenting with both the form and manner of narrative. We come to understand that the text’s “flaws” (that it is often repetitive and sometimes obtuse) are deliberate artifacts of its narration, a glimpse into the inner workings of Scur’s mind and motivations. As a writer, we see a more overtly thoughtful work examining the philosophical, technological, and social issues of memory.

<snip>

Like so much of Reynolds’s other writing, the message of Slow Bullets is ultimately ambivalent. Although Reynolds excels at weaving different threads together, his knots are convoluted, difficult things. Again, were this an “old” space opera, Scur’s exploits in unifying the crew and forging a tentative peace would be heroic. Instead, a twist or two at the end reminds the reader that Reynolds is too pragmatic to write anything so unequivocal.Slow Bullets is a story of revenge and redemption, high-tech problems and low-tech solutions, and the preservation of memory through surrendering the past — the failure to forgive but the possibility to forget.

INTERZONE:

Scur’s bête noir, the war criminal Orvin, was doing that to his victims for entertainment by the end of the conflict; and since she’s been a victim of it, you can guess that her revenge will be some variant on it when the chance comes. Nevertheless, what actually happens is unexpected, and ties together the various narrative threads of the book. Watchers of Gene Roddenberry’s Andromeda may find the ending less surprising, perhaps, but it’s none the worse for that. SLOW BULLETS has many fewer pages and a much less convoluted plot than Poseidon’s Wake, but it would be a mistake to dismiss it for those reasons – in its own way it’s an equally enjoyable read.

THE DECKLED EDGE:

This being a novella instead of the usual time spent building up his world, Reynolds pretty much throws the reader right into things so it takes a little while to get into the story, but once you do, it’s a good read. The title refers to implants given to soldiers that contain their life histories, and as the ship fails and computer memory becomes precious, the characters must decide if they’ll hold onto their past or look to the future.

Rating: 8/10

For more info about SLOW BULLETS, visit the Tachyon page.

Cover art by Thomas Canty

Design by Elizabeth Story

July 8, 2015

SLOW BULLETS is a great introduction to Reynolds’ masterful storytelling

Alec Checkerfield Uncategorized alastair reynolds, elizabeth story, fantasy literature, joseph mallozzi, josephmallozzi's weblog, novella, review, science fiction, slow bullets, space opera, Thomas Canty

Another pair of reviews for Alastair Reynolds’ immersive SLOW BULLETS.

From FANTASY LITERATURE:

Slow Bullets begins with Scur’s first-person narration, which is an effective method for conveying her story, but then Reynolds adds a new layer of interest by having Scur directly address the reader. By referring to things that the reader supposedly has experience with, treating them not only as a person who is reading a book but a person who is reading Scur’s hand-written account of her actions — scratched into the walls of a ship which the “reader” has been living on — Reynolds immerses the reader into the extraordinary events that Scur encounters. The epistolary style isn’t one that I’ve seen too often in science fiction, and Reynolds uses it to great effect here.

My only complaint is that the novella was too short: there is a surprise near the end which I wish had been explored more fully, but it’s simply glossed over by Scur. The detail revealed, however, calls into question everything the reader has been told about certain characters and their motivations. Additionally, I had questions about how and why this action had been taken, since there’s no indication in the preceding pages that it would be possible. None of this prevented me from enjoying the novella or its conclusion, but it did throw me for a loop.

However, I consider Slow Bullets a great introduction to Reynolds’ style and skill. Readers who are already familiar with his work are sure to enjoy this, and if activity on Goodreads and the Internet in general over the last month is any indication, fans will have all kinds of ideas as to whether and how this fits in with his larger body of work. (I have it on good authority from a trusted source that Slow Bullets is meant to stand alone, but I still enjoy reading fan speculation.) I’ll be sure to add other Reynolds novels, like Revelation Space and House of Suns, to my TBR list.

JOSEPHMALLOZZI’S WEBLOG:

If you’re a fan of science fiction and aren’t reading Alastair Reynolds – WHY THE HECK NOT?!! He is one of a handful of contemporary SF authors who should be required reading. His books are narratively rich, wondrously engaging hard scifi epics possessed of astounding scope and creative depth. Sound familiar? Yes, if you love the works of Iain M. Banks (his Culture books in particular), then you’ll love Alastair Reynolds – and vice versa.

<snip>

At a modest 192 pages, Slow Bullets is a great introduction to Reynolds’ masterful storytelling, and the perfect gateway book for those looking to discover their new favorite SF author.

For more info about SLOW BULLETS, visit the Tachyon page.

Cover art by Thomas Canty

Design by Elizabeth Story

July 3, 2015

Reviews of recent Alastair Reynolds, Peter V. Brett, and Hannu Rajaniemi titles

Alec Checkerfield Uncategorized alastair reynolds, brayan's gold, collection, demon cycle, elizabeth story, fantasy, hannu rajaniemi, hannu rajaniemi: collected fiction, lius lasahido, novella, open book society, peter v brett, review, risingshadow, science fiction, short stories, slow bullets, space opera, supernaut, the great bazaar, the great bazaar & brayan's gold, Thomas Canty

Photo: Barbera Bella (Alastair Reynolds)/Kasrsten Moran (Peter V. Brett)/(Hannu Rajaniemi)

OPEN BOOK SOCIETY lauds Alastair Reynolds’ SLOW BULLETS.

Alastair Reynolds’ SLOW BULLETS pontificates this and more in a pulse pounding novel that is easily the equal of any Arthur C. Clarke and Phillip K. Dick story rolled into one.

<snip>

Stylistically this is a masterpiece to behold. Slick and polished, SLOW BULLETS will please the palette of any reader of any genre, not just science fiction. Word economy is tight and nothing is wasted on the reader. Suspense, intrigue and the thought provoking instances that occur in time all play an equal part to the collective whole; adding in characterization, the whole is definitely more than the sum of its parts. All attempts at keeping the reader’s imagination open are left open wide and the book is better for it.

All in all, SLOW BULLETS by Alastair Reynolds, is a remarkable read. Fans of contemplative science fiction, like The Matrix, Johnny Mnemonic, or books like Joe Haldeman’s The Forever War or any Phillip K. Dick story, will find themselves treading familiar waters here. Make no mistake about it, though. SLOW BULLETS will more than likely garner a few more discerning readers. For a thought provoking read, look no further than SLOW BULLETS.

RISINGSHADOW praises Peter V. Brett’s THE GREAT BAZAAR & BRAYAN’S GOLD.

I give this collection strong 4.5 stars on the scale from 1 to 5 stars for its entertainment values, because I enjoyed reading the stories and the deleted scenes.

Peter V. Brett’s The Great Bazaar & Brayan’s Gold is an entertaining collection of two novellas. It’s a must-read collection for fans of Peter V. Brett because of its thrilling blend of traditional fantasy elements, action, magic and originality, but it’ll also please newcomers who haven’t read any of the author’s novels. If you’re looking for entertaining fantasy stories to read, you can’t go wrong by reading this collection, because it offers fantasy, demons, good characterisation, action and originality in one package.

Good and well written fantasy entertainment for adults!

And finally, SUPERNAUT reviews the sold out HANNU RAJANIEMI: COLLECTED FICTION.

The cover! I haven’t had a good cover conversation with myself in a long time, mostly unmemorable, or in the case of almost all non-fiction, not applicable (“blue-grey cloth hardback with gold-embossed serif type … mmmhuh.”) Collected Fiction, he got a good typeface finally, two in fact, nice mix of condensed serif (with drop shadow) and monospace. And then there’s theAlien/Borg/Ex Machina/face of hot white chick attached to spiky cyborg body with boobs. And arse! On a sort of Asian/Japanese-y sunset-red disc and swirly blue-green background. Plus a couple of Egrets flapping their feathers loose. Definitely in Questionableland. Kinda like it. Still questionable.

<snip>

And then I read The Jugaad Cathedral. This story is up there somewhere with Anne Leckie’s Ancillary Justice in its simplicity and sheer radicality. It has ideas I’ve read before (possibly in other Rajaniemi works, maybe in Charles Stross’ Rule 34 or Halting State), but it’s what he does with these, the outcome, that’s critical and glorious, and I wanted a whole novel of this, not just a mean barely score of pages. I often question the reality or substantiality of the internet, doing things like building websites, it often seems low on meaning or value or realness. It’s a question of perspective. To use what is there to affect physical things, to gain agency and control of one’s self through an abstract chain of seemingly trivial, childish, imaginary things, this makes it as real as any engine or apparatus.

I don’t want to spoil the story, so I’ll just say it made me smile and laugh and filled me with such happiness, and when I blab the fuck on about diversity and representation, it’s this kind of story I mean.

For more info about SLOW BULLETS, visit the Tachyon page.

Cover art by Thomas Canty

Design by Elizabeth Story

For more info about THE GREAT BAZAAR & BRAYAN’S GOLD, visit the Tachyon page.

Cover design by Elizabeth Story.

For more info on HANNU RAJANIEMI: COLLECTED FICTION, visit the Tachyon page.

Cover art by Lius Lasahido

Design by Elizabeth Story

June 25, 2015

SLOW BULLETS is deftly executed

Alec Checkerfield Uncategorized alastair reynolds, elizabeth story, novella, opera spaziale, review, science fiction, slow bullets, space opera, the speculative scotsman, Thomas Canty

The reviews keep rolling in for Alastair Reynolds’ SLOW BULLETS.

THE SPECULATIVE SCOTSMAN:

The plot is punchy, stuffed full of surprises that speak to the text’s deceptive depth, and deftly executed excepting an ending that feels unearned. Even better: the big, bold ideas Alastair Reynolds must be most known for come thick and fast—from the slow bullets themselves to a race of aliens made of mirror glass, there’s more than enough to distract from the undercooked cast.

OPERA SPAZIALE:

(Translated from Italian by Google)

In short, Slow Bullets is a little gem, because it lasts only 200 small pages. But Reynolds, you know, is also a master of short stories and we have become accustomed to its valuable goodies.

If Ann Leckie goes beyond the war to investigate the many facets of the IO, Reynolds goes beyond the war and its consequences for us to reflect on the memory that we carry with us: and if, sometimes, it is better to get rid of it?

For those who want to approach the author for the first time Slow Bullets is an excellent start for those who love him already excellent confirmation with new ideas, perfect for the beach! Only weakness: it ends too soon!

For more info about SLOW BULLETS, visit the Tachyon page.

Cover art by Thomas Canty

Design by Elizabeth Story

June 22, 2015

SLOW BULLETS is an engaging, provocative and touching space opera

Alec Checkerfield Uncategorized alastair reynolds, best science fiction books, don d'ammasa, elizabeth story, fat robot, novella, review, science ficition, slow bullets, space opera, Thomas Canty, worlds in ink

Photo: Barbera Bella

A quartet of reviews for Alastair Reynolds’ very entertaining SLOW BULLETS.

From FAT ROBOT:

I think we should mention his name a lot more often when discussing female characters in hard SF, because he provides them. He brings about these women so matter-of-factly that you barely even take notice, which is of course exactly the way to do it (according to me). When I think about it, I get the distinct idea that here’s an author who goes “Well, does this character arc specifically involve testicles? No? Then it can belong to a woman.” And this is done without automatically bringing ovaries into focus.

It’s so great.

<snip>

Read it if you want to scratch that space opera itch! Or, perhaps, if your interest is piqued by what I’ve said about the treatment of female characters. If you like this novella, and haven’t already read at least the first Revelation space novel and Chasm city, you’ll easily add those to your to-read list.

Don D’Ammassa:

The story moves quickly and fluidly as we discover not only what happened to them but to the universe at large during the interval. Very entertaining.

BEST SCIENCE FICTION BOOKS:

Slow Bullets (2015) is a mystery, the kind where science is used to shed some light on the superbly engrossing puzzle presented and without devolving into technical minutiae. It’s also a character study of a group of humans trying desperately to retain whatever shreds of societal cohesion they find themselves with (already stretched to near breaking point from the outset). At its heart, though, it is a story ultimately about memory and the preservation of knowledge.

The pace moves along very well and interest never wanes. There are moments where one keenly feels the efforts of a community trying not just to survive, but also attempting to stave off a desolate hopelessness, a near-explosive apprehension of an uncertain future, by trying to leave something of themselves in the form of records, even incorporating methods that would have been easily comprehensible to the myth-making primitive man. At first, the records are of a more personal nature; later, information that is pertinent for group survival, not just practicalities but also of culture.

<snip>

If you’re new to Alastair Reynolds, then this short work is an excellent starting point to get a taste. If you liked his Pushing Ice, then likewise this story is for you. It has a similar vibe with scenarios that test the bounds of human perseverance and depict the indomitable spirit that impels us to strive on whatever the odds, because, really, that’s all we can ever do.

Highly recommended.

WORLDS IN INK:

Slow Bullets is an engaging, provocative and touching space opera. It’s a story about sacrifice, redemption and ultimately of hope. It has all the hallmarks of what fans have grown to expect, but also shows that Reynolds is adapt at crafting a far more intimidate tale. With such a rich setting and a myriad of themes at play, this is a story well worth reading!

For more info about SLOW BULLETS, visit the Tachyon page.

Cover art by Thomas Canty

Design by Elizabeth Story

June 19, 2015

SLOW BULLETS rides its way into Android’s Dream

Alec Checkerfield Uncategorized alastair reynolds, android's dream, book club, elizabeth story, science fiction, slow bullets, space opera, the doylestown bookshop, Thomas Canty

Android’s Dream, the Doylestown Bookshop sci-fi/fantasy/horror book club, selected Alastair Reynolds’ acclaimed SLOW BULLETS as their July read. The monthly group meets on Thursday, July 2 to discuss the book.

For details about Android’s Dream, visit The Doylestown Bookshop page.

For more info about SLOW BULLETS, visit the Tachyon page.

Cover art by Thomas Canty

Design by Elizabeth Story

June 18, 2015

With a colorful narrative, Alastair Reynolds’ SLOW BULLETS addresses the big questions

Alec Checkerfield Uncategorized alastair reynolds, elizabeth story, library journal, new york journal of books, novella, review, science fiction, slow bullets, space opera, Thomas Canty, wales art review, xeno swarm

Photo: Barbera Bella

Another quartet of reviews for Alastair Reynolds’ gripping SLOW BULLETS including a starred review from LIBRARY JOURNAL.

While shorter than Reynolds’s usual fare, this is no less ambitious in covering vast scopes of space and time while addressing big questions. Suggest to fans of Ian MacDonald or Kim Stanley Robinson, particularly those who liked Aurora.

NEW YORK JOURNAL OF BOOKS:

Alastair Reynolds weaves a tapestry of dark, dystopian societies in a tense, colorful narrative. His plot is bold and striking, as he elicits the cold, empty death awaiting everyone who cannot find a way to coexist and survive.

From WALES ARTS REVIEW:

In a captivating first-person narrative, Scur recalls waking up, after ‘an interval of darkness, and then I woke somewhere. It was cold and there was no light.’ Scur’s rebirth into an as-yet-undisclosed space vessel (named Caprice), in an unknown time, is the catalyst for what often reads like a report on political experimentation. With Slow Bullets being released barely a month after the UK’s May General Election, it seems almost impossible not to compare our own political climate with that of the chaos that befalls Scur and her fellow internees.

<snip>

Slow Bullets is in effect a fable for moderation. For working together against the odds and compromising to find a way that works. There will inevitably be compromises between beliefs, whether cultural or religious; between technological advancement and the desire to preserve human artistry and individuality, and of course, an ongoing compromise between people’s wants and needs versus the good of the group. This seemingly simple advocation of moderation does indeed appear to be falling more and more within the realms of sf in our world, and as such it has fallen to our speculative fiction to remind us that it is possible, if only we try, and maybe narratives like Slow Bullets can help give us a push in the right direction. In times of struggle, focus often falls to literature in an attempt to find answers for the questions that are plaguing society. As Scur tells us amid internee questionings, ‘[s]torytelling is another word for being interrogated’.

XENO SWARM:

SLOW BULLETS, a new novella by Alastair Reynolds, is a very good piece of “hard” science fiction, without quite being up to the standard of Reynolds’s usually excellent style. The text reads more like a manuscript summary, a submission to the publisher providing the sketch for a future novel, broken up into separate chunks or segments. Despite the fact that each segment is gripping and contains very interesting ideas, there are big gaps in the narrative sequence begging to be filled in, and many segments have gaping plot-holes or contradictions that could have been ironed out in a final novel, that was never written. Still, it was a very enjoyable read.

And in another posting on XENO SWARM:

I would recommend this book to those who would like to get an idea of the range of Reynolds’s speculative imagination, his approach to technology in SF, and his sympathetic treatment of human beings.

For more info about SLOW BULLETS, visit the Tachyon page.

Cover art by Thomas Canty

Design by Elizabeth Story

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