Revelation Space

After mostly enjoying "clean" science fiction, where everything is nice and shiny, Reynolds' Revelation Space is a great change! Bringing back fond memories of Blade Runner, it took some effort to build the new scene in my mind. But, after a while, reinforced by Reynolds scientific eloquence, this future universe became engaging and plausible.
The plot twists come nicely together in the end and inspires for another read to make sure you didn't miss anything.

I never write reviews, but Revelation Space has forced me to break the trend. As a senior level engineering student, I consider myself moderately well versed in, at the very least, an basic understanding of the scientific world. Therefore, I am highly sceptical when it comes to science fiction. Revelation Space will make you think in new ways, it will have you gripping your chair at key moments, and, most importantly, it will never have your scratching your head thinking the writer may have taken a few too many liberties in his interpretation of possible vs. impossible. Hard science fiction at its finest. Thank you Mr. Reynolds.

Great imagination, Great concepts, Great technology...
...but not so great writing.

Too long, too erratic, too little character development, too many flashbacks, too much information that everyone knows except the reader, too long before revelations, shallow characters.

The biggest offense?
Too many obtuse words that no one uses; too many fabricated words that are never explained. I might be impressed with his vocabulary but certainly not his writing. Glad I didn't buy all three books. I've probably given up on less than 5 books in my 68 years. This one I shut down after 250 tedious pages.

Very enjoyable sci-fi read. Looking forward to the whole series. One quibble was that my kindle version had a number of typesetting errors and even some silly typo's. It was particuarly irritating to realize that the scene had changed but that there had been no tab, break, chapter change, etc.

As the opening salvo for a new SciFi universe, Alistair Reynolds nailed it with this story. He set up my expectations early and continued to deliver one great story after another from book to book. This is hard science fiction, but not overly so; anyone could pick this book up and enjoy reading it. You might even consider this book as an initiation to hard science fiction if you hadn't read the sub-genre before but were interested in finding out more about it. Alistair Reynolds has earned a spot on my bookshelf, and I will be looking forward to reading more of his work.

A very awesome read. It started out slow but part of that was do to the creativity in constructing the context for the book. Persevering was well worth it as the story picks up pace as you gain familiarity with the characters and reality in which they live.

Good space yarn! Reynolds has created a unique universe to place his novels in. I look forward to reading the rest of what he has written. One of the few scifi authors that cans still hold my attention.

The entire Revelation Space series is a space opera of the highest order. Alastair Reynolds has set the new bar by which science fiction of the new millenium should be judged. Unlike many science fiction novels, the characters of the Revelation Space saga are highly developed and full of deep motivations. Everything about this series will stay with you long after you close the final page.

Reynolds is a phenomenal writer, and this is not an easy read. It begins "in medias res" using language that only makes sense if you stick with it. The payoff, however, is worth it. As the action unfolds in circles within circles, the logic is flawless, and the ending is satisfying enough to hook you into the next book in the series.

Good plot and story. Reynolds often uses made up words as adjectives which can be annoying when you're trying to get into the book. The first time I tried to read it I gave up about 15% in. Glad I finished it.

Revelation Space is packed with interesting ideas, some of which were explored to my satisfaction, but some weren't. It did keep me turning pages, and I did buy the next book, so I'd have to call it an entertaining read.

I can't believed I dragged myself through 575 pages of this drivel. It started out well enough, but the plot completely collapsed under the weight of the author's ponderous and convoluted story line. Mid way through the book, I felt like I needed to take notes just to keep track of who was doing what to whom, and where in time and space, and cyber space, the doing was being done.

This was the hardest book to comprehend i have ever read. The story was too complex for my little mind to grasp. I lost track of the characters and what was happening to them. The environment this story is in is just too variable and strange. I am sure some people will love this book and the author, but it was too far out there for me.

This was the hardest book to comprehend i have ever read. The story was too complex for my little mind to grasp. I lost track of the characters and what was happening to them. The environment this story is in is just too variable and strange. I am sure some people will love this book and the author, but it was too far out there for me.

A very enjoyable book. While perhaps not as clever as his later books, it still captures your imagination with rich imagery and intriguing characters. All in all Alastair Reynolds is a credit to the science fiction genre and I eagerly await the next of his space operas.

Revelation Space is the true definition of "space opera." Immense and all-encompassing still does no justice to the time-scale and unimaginable distances tossed around like so many space-faring breadcrumbs. The sheer scope of the plot quickens the heart and is a joy to read. The characters are a bit lean on development--the sole basis for a 4-star rating. I shall be continuing with the trilogy and shorter material (Galactic North) in this fascinating universe!

series reviews are bad but.. I really loved this book and the second (and had the John Lee narration on all three, get that for sure!, kindle / audible peeps). The imagination, language, astronomy, and horror of it all of the first two kept me page turning (and switching to the excellent narration!) and they are exceptional, nothing quite like them. By the third one not so much. wait til the ending where you don't really get one, and i like Robert Charles Wilson.

Well, I finished the book. It was very, very imaginative; the tone was dark, even noir, which sits well with me. And it ends with some hope. So why was it so disappointing?

First: the characters are unappealing. The handful of people whose story unfolds in this book are, with one minor exception in the cast, dislikable. Hmmm. Utterly dislikable, rather. This flaw is fatal. Every story is about people, even science fiction, alas.

Second: too many deus-ex-machina exploits. Gadgets in this story are like magic in a bad fantasy novel: unbounded, limitless in power, always available at each whim or need. Come on. Constraints make the human struggle more interesting. Technology is abused as a convenient excuse to make the impossible happen too many times. Alas, even once is too many. Sorry, my suspension of disbelief has limits.

Third: structure. My goodness! Complexity for complexity sake does not make for engaging storytelling. The chapters are put together haphazardly, without structure or a systematic approach. Even if unusual, I can get used to a method in the madness. But no, here we have change in time, place, plotline, point of view, all without rhyme or reason. Literary? Bleah.

Yet the book is so incredibly imaginative. Science is appealing, but technology is abused, and the story is Byzantine in its narrative complexity. There is enough suspence to (barely) overcome the tedium, and one character I liked enough to allow her to drag me to the end. The closing is mildly satisfying. This is a great idea gone sour, prey to vanity engaging in a solipsistic intellectual exercise: the author is the only one smart enough to conceive such complexity, let the readers catch up as they can. Get off your horse. Real genius turns difficult into understandable. This books makes a great idea just very messy. Maybe there is an exculpatory purpose in this eulogy of arrogance . . ..

I wondered about two or three stars, and settled for two to exact my revenge :) Perhaps you'll like this book better than I did, but I doubt it, if you read for entertainment and are honest about your impressions.

Man I love Alistair Reynolds! I read the Revelation Space series completely out of order (I did I know what I'm getting myself into) and it was good just to say you don't have to read them in order it's still a good read