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The January Dancer (January Dancer #1)
"The January Dancer tells the fateful story of an ancient pre-human artifact of great power and the people who pursue it. Starting with Captain Amos January, who quickly loses it, and then the others who fight, scheme, and kill to get it, we travel around the complex, decadent, brawling, mongrelized interstellar human civilization it might save or destroy. Collectors ...more
Compact Disc, 9 pages
Published
October 14th 2008
by Blackstone Audiobooks, Inc.
(first published 2008)
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Terence
rated it
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review of another edition
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review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Space Opera fans
Recommended to Terence by:
Dust jacket blurb
Shelves:
sf-fantasy
I'm torn between giving this 3 or 4 stars (for the moment, I've settled on 3). It's definitely more than 3 but I want a few more days to pass while I digest the book because I've read a few lackluster efforts recently and I want to be sure I'm just not overcompensating for finally finding something worth reading and fun.
As you may have surmised, I very much enjoyed this space opera. It reminded me a bit of Iain Banks' Culture books in the irreverent style of writing and the variety o...more
As you may have surmised, I very much enjoyed this space opera. It reminded me a bit of Iain Banks' Culture books in the irreverent style of writing and the variety o...more
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This is the second book I've read by Michael Flynn, the first being Eifelheim. Both Eifelheim and The January Dancer have beautifully written, well crafted, and practically self-propelling stories taking place in vivid settings at once alien and familiar, with characters you believe and characters you don't, and you're not always sure which is which.
And in both books Flynn feels the need to interrupt those gorgeous main stories multiple times with secondary plotlines. It seems appa...more
And in both books Flynn feels the need to interrupt those gorgeous main stories multiple times with secondary plotlines. It seems appa...more
I'm not going to attribute my enjoyment of this novel to a definite craving for good space opera science fiction, because aside from that fact, it's simply an excellent piece of story-telling set in an intriguing and original far-future universe that could host many more good novels in the future. I hope Flynn will decide to write them.
The novel's framing story is mostly set in an inn. A mysterious harper has tracked down a man for a story. As he tells the story about the Dancer, ...more
The novel's framing story is mostly set in an inn. A mysterious harper has tracked down a man for a story. As he tells the story about the Dancer, ...more
The main story is space opera in a setting where humanity has dispersed from Earth far enough to have lost contact but no so far that there's no continuity of cultures. Bonus space-opera-subversion points are awarded for ships that are hampered by the lack of port facilities. Some points might be subtracted for racism, but it might be legitimate social commentary.
The frame story, however, turns it into almost a mystery, as one character recounts the events to another, subtly telegrap...more
The frame story, however, turns it into almost a mystery, as one character recounts the events to another, subtly telegrap...more
<a href="http://kingofthenerds.wordpress.com/2008/11/26/review-the-january-dancer-by-michael-flynn/"Full review at my blog!</a>
Everything in the universe is older than it seems. Blame Einstein for that. We see what a thing was when the light left it, and that was long ago. Nothing in the night sky is contemporary, not to us, not to one another. Ancient stars exploded into ruin before their sparkle ever caught our eyes; those glimpsed in glowing “nurseries” were...more
Everything in the universe is older than it seems. Blame Einstein for that. We see what a thing was when the light left it, and that was long ago. Nothing in the night sky is contemporary, not to us, not to one another. Ancient stars exploded into ruin before their sparkle ever caught our eyes; those glimpsed in glowing “nurseries” were...more
A fable set in mythical Ireland in the far future, only it's a spy story. I can't make that sound any less ridiculous, but it's played perfectly straight and it works great. Humanity's first interstellar civilization was forcibly diaspora'd; a millennium later, the fragments have rebuilt an uneasy cluster of stellar nations while clinging to their mish-mash of half-remembered Terran history. Result: people with names like Ringbao della Costa think it's perfectly natural to write "Little Hug...more
I'm thinking this is one for the science fiction book club to discuss. The January Dancer is a pre-human artifact that moves slowly and constantly, without being seen to move. It is the Mcguffin that bring all the characters in this sprawling novel together, eventually. The first scene, where the Dancer is found, is a great peek into an alien culture. The idea of Immovable Objects vs. Irresistable Force was eerie and horrifying.
The novel contains several points of view, although ...more
The novel contains several points of view, although ...more
Sometimes a title, as with John Birmingham's “Without Warning”, can tell a potential reader quite a bit about the book; other times, however, as with “The January Dancer” (Tor, $24.95, 350 pages), the title seems to have been chosen at random – though in this case, it may reflect the uncertain direction of Michael Flynn’s novel.
The setting is in the far future, with faster-than-light travel having spawned the spread of humanity among the stars, though the original inhabitants of Earth ...more
The setting is in the far future, with faster-than-light travel having spawned the spread of humanity among the stars, though the original inhabitants of Earth ...more
3.5, actually. This is the most ambivalent I've felt about a book lately. Flynn writes beautifully, but both he and his characters slip in and out of a planetary patois that gets distracting at times. The worlds are so well-developed, using traces of Earth-bound cultures that he imagines as precursors to intergalactic societies, but he also goes so far into explaining the science of landing a jet or cross-spatial communication that parts of the book become burdensome. The plot is exciting, t...more
This review is really 3.5 stars. Some parts of this book felt messy, as if the author wasn't sure where he was going next. But overall it was an enjoyable experience in a very interesting universe. Having set up this vast universe full of barely introduced worlds and tomes of unexplored history, as well as only doing a minimal amount of "tying things up" in the end, I look forward to much more to come.
This book, if written as the average book, would have been mediocre. Thankfully, this book was not written averagely. It was not mediocre. It was rather stunning.
The style of writing displayed by Michael Flynn is a wonderful mixture of Science Fiction and Poetry. The story has a feel of fantasy to it, even though this is not a fantasy novel. When i first started the book, I believed the book was strange, and it took me a chapter or two to get used to the tone and style. But once I did...more
The style of writing displayed by Michael Flynn is a wonderful mixture of Science Fiction and Poetry. The story has a feel of fantasy to it, even though this is not a fantasy novel. When i first started the book, I believed the book was strange, and it took me a chapter or two to get used to the tone and style. But once I did...more
This is definitely a space opera. There are several stories intertwined that form the whole story but you only get them a piece at a time. It means the story runs slow in the beginning and the switching around among stories is a little hard to follow until you see how the stories piece together. It joins up like a puzzle at the end and we see the whole picture but it's hard to get lost in the story when trying to keep up with what's going on in several different places with all the machinatio...more
I wasn't that impressed by Flynn's "Firestar" series and so I've sort of been avoiding him. Mistake. This is a gorgeous book... beautifully written and structured... revealing while concealing and concealing while revealing. There is perhaps a slight weakness in the resolution, but only if there is not a sequel or you don't buy it... but a sequel is apparently already in the publisher's hands (as of 7/09), and how could you not buy a sequel to this book?
There are many wa...more
There are many wa...more
First off, for those looking for a easy-reading space opera romp, look elsewhere. The January Dancer has the basic elements of a juicy space opera--daring space faring characters, slam-bang action, a coveted pre-human artifact, etc.
But the story telling style of Flynn is not fast and easy. The novel is framed by a second story of a minstrel trying to draw forth the tale of the artifact and it's effects from a scarred man in a tavern. The tale is told in fits and starts, adding to t...more
But the story telling style of Flynn is not fast and easy. The novel is framed by a second story of a minstrel trying to draw forth the tale of the artifact and it's effects from a scarred man in a tavern. The tale is told in fits and starts, adding to t...more
Just great. It has been a long time since I've read a space opera so satisfying. Complex, convoluted, multiple world spanning, and given great closure. It is Chaucerian in its construction, but given a different flow in the way it's put together. The characters are exotic, believable, entertaining. The appreciation of the dynamics of history surfaces throughout and yet it is a space opera in the true sense. The Terran diaspora, the influence of "pre-humans," all are here.
...more
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Reasonably good space opera set in a forced human diaspora entangled with alien artifacts. The background has some similarities to Ken MacLeod's Engines of Light universe, particularly as it becomes apparent that it might not have been humans that forced the diaspora. The Irishness still evident throughout the human cultures we see is an annoying affectation. There is some initial tension as to who the narrator really is, though logic dictates that it has to be one of three principle characters ...more
Mike
rated it
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review of another edition
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review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Bill P (and Simon, who already marked it)
Ripping yarn.
I like writing that, but it's even more fun to say. Space opera with the emphasis on the operatic, with prose so purpled that I occasionally reached to twirl my non-existent moustache, settings so divergently and baroquely imagined as to suggest a good thirty or forty novels, and an archetypal plot (a found alien object, and a series of searchers, con artists, pirates, hero types, larcenous corporations, would-be tyrants, rebel leaders) that mashes up any number of ye...more
I like writing that, but it's even more fun to say. Space opera with the emphasis on the operatic, with prose so purpled that I occasionally reached to twirl my non-existent moustache, settings so divergently and baroquely imagined as to suggest a good thirty or forty novels, and an archetypal plot (a found alien object, and a series of searchers, con artists, pirates, hero types, larcenous corporations, would-be tyrants, rebel leaders) that mashes up any number of ye...more
I know I'm going against what most people will probably say about this novel. The writing is excellent, the characters are interesting, and the plot while not entirely new is interesting to say the least. The problem I have is the entire book reads like a literary exercise that takes more joy in the form than the content. I struggled to read it and only found myself interested as I reached the last quarter of the book. It was when he finally seemed to unleash the story, give up on the tricks...more
I just finished "The January Dancer" by Michael Flynn. It was interesting, and written in a very different style than your typical space opera. The story is told by a scarred, old drunk to a harper who is putting it to music. Every other chapter is a meta-chapter in which the two of them discuss the story and the narrative. It's all a little annoying and pretentious.
I enjoyed the book, but it was a bit of a long hard slog to finish it. When I was done I found the someone had ...more
I enjoyed the book, but it was a bit of a long hard slog to finish it. When I was done I found the someone had ...more
I haven't had a piece of science fiction do more than just entertain me since I read Kim Stanley Robinson's Mars Trilogy. In this case, Flynn has written a very futuristic story in one of the ancient story-telling forms--that of the Medieval minstrel set. Each chapter of the story accomplishes a certain mood and force, which are explained and defended by those telling it--a scarred man and a harp player in a Mos-Eisley-style spaceport bar. The extra dimension of revealed narrators gives the s...more
I thought that this was an interesting look at space travel that is not based on what we've seen pvsly in Star Trek. The book did not unravel a lot of its mysteries, though, and the ending was VERY anticlimactic. It left it open for a sequel. The story is being told to a bard who wants to make a song out of it, and in the beginning it is pitched as an increasing tragic tale. At the end, I did not get this sense at all and felt like I missed something. There are lots of characters, and somet...more
I'm a fan of Michael Flynn. I've enjoyed six of his novels and I expect to read many more. This particular book is well-written, and I wouldn't discourage other science fiction fans from giving it a try, but it didn't suit me at all. My one-star rating means "I didn't like it", not "It's a terrible book."
I'll forgive a lot if the writing is good, but with this book there seemed to be more style than substance. At the halfway point I realized that I didn't care abo...more
I'll forgive a lot if the writing is good, but with this book there seemed to be more style than substance. At the halfway point I realized that I didn't care abo...more
Michael Flynn's Eifelheim is one of my favorite science fiction novels. It takes SF in a direction I'd never seen SF go before. So, when I heard about The January Dancer, I was very anxious to read it and delighted when I found it on the shelves at my library. I thought The January Dancer was a beautifully written, very creative story. I really enjoyed the way Flynn created a future that involved humans from different planets talking in different dialects. I like how he brought the differen...more
In the tradition of MJ Harrison Light and told with the detached ironical tone of the author's The Wreck of the River of Stars this is a superb literary space opera novel.
Written in a Celtic-laden language which gives it an archaic feel that complements its far future, space opera setting, The January Dancer tells the story of "how the Universe went insane" once an obscure crew member of a down-on-luck tramp freighter stopping on a nameless world for repairs, shifts a ba...more
Written in a Celtic-laden language which gives it an archaic feel that complements its far future, space opera setting, The January Dancer tells the story of "how the Universe went insane" once an obscure crew member of a down-on-luck tramp freighter stopping on a nameless world for repairs, shifts a ba...more
The story of The January Dancer is actually two stories with the first story being that of a participant of the second story recounting his experiences to another. Both stories are very well written, however, since readers are being interrupted at every chapter to progress the storyline it is very hard for readers to immerse themselves into either story.
Its worth borrowing from a library to read, but I'd recommend spending any money on his other books.
Its worth borrowing from a library to read, but I'd recommend spending any money on his other books.
Amblingbooks.com
marked it as to-read
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review of another edition
Shelves:
available-on-audio,
science-fiction
"[A]n epic tale of adventure, intrigue, suspense and mystery....The plot evokes old-school space opera with its whirlwind pace, immense scope and twist ending, but cutting-edge extrapolation breathes vivid life into this universe of scoundrels, heroes and romantics." - Publishers Weekly (starred review)
Listen to The January Dancer on your smartphone.
Listen to The January Dancer on your smartphone.
I read this first in a series second... something I don't normally do... and I am kinda sorry I didn't wait to read the second one. Both very good stories, and can stand on their own, but to have read this one first would have shown the unfolding of the worlds and the characters much better. I kept grinning because I knew the Fudir more intimately than I should have and knew his ways instead of learning them... however, I am very glad I read them both. Very good stories, wonderful characters ...more
I loved the story. The work was had to read, yet worth it. Nothing is spoon fed to the reader. I agree that it is two stories but I think they are interwoven expectonaly well. This is a spy story set in space, and an epic poem. Spies have multiple lives, poems do not fit a simple narrative form. I think its worth buying. I'm glad my library did. I will read more of this author.
I picked up The January Dancer hoping for a good space opera novel. I got one -- though it's space opera primarily insomuch as it handwaves much of the complexities of FTL and spawns several stellar (if human) civilizations) -- but what the book reminded me most strongly of was Isaac Asimov's work. Like some of Asimov's best books (The Caves of Steel, The Naked Sun) this book is a mystery powered by a set of science fictional rules.
At first glance (and second and third) the Dancer --...more
At first glance (and second and third) the Dancer --...more
A really interesting book, right until the end--then, phooey. I felt cheated. This was very much a puzzle book, not very strong on the characterization. I never really felt much about the various players, but the puzzle was very intriguing. I guess I wanted a solid ending and the author preferred a "is it really?" ending. Bah. I feel like I wasted my time.
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Michael Francis Flynn (born 1947) is an American statistician and science fiction author. Nearly all of Flynn's work falls under the category of hard science fiction, although his treatment of it can be unusual since he has applied the rigor of hard science fict...more
More about Michael Flynn...
Michael Francis Flynn (born 1947) is an American statistician and science fiction author. Nearly all of Flynn's work falls under the category of hard science fiction, although his treatment of it can be unusual since he has applied the rigor of hard science fict...more
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