false 0 17 16 true 5701461 read 1 true 2269619 currently-reading 0 true 2269618 to-read http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/63159189 to: The Ringworld Engineers (Ringworld series, Book 2) by Larry Niven
This book returns to the Ringworld, and this time it doesn't skip over the inhabitants - we actually get to meet a lot of them and it feels more like a living world with inhabitants.
It's a vivid portrait of a world like no other. ]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/63159316 Wireless (Hardcover) by Charles Stross
bookshelves: currently-reading
]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/63159041 to: Ringworld (Ringworld series, Book 1) by Larry Niven
The first of Niven's Ringworld series, and what a corker! It's a fascinating portrayal of the discovery of a huge technological artifact. However, one disappointment is that it doesn't go into that much detail about the inhabitants of the Ringworld - for that you have to wait for the later books. Still a classic piece of SF ]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/55279318 to: Cyberabad Days (Paperback) by Ian McDonald
This is a collection of short stories set in the same brilliantly realised future India as River of Gods. I'd already read "The Little Goddess", "The Djinn's Wife" and "Sanjeev and Robotwallah" in other collections and loved them, although I felt the third was weaker than the other two.
My favourite of the stories was "Vishnu and the Cat Circus", which provides an excellent timeline for the other stories and for River of Gods, as well as providing a lot of background information, including a lot more on the genetically engineered Brahmins (of whom the protagonist is one). A word of warning though - it does contain spoilers so read River of Gods first. Otherwise, this is a great collection. Fans of River of Gods will love it, and if anyone reads this who hasn't read River of Gods already, this will hopefully inspire them to get a copy. ]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/51579507 to: River of Gods (Paperback) by Ian McDonald
This book was absolutely astounding! I'd describe it as reminiscent of William Gibson, but in glorious surround sound and technicolour. Setting the book in India makes it very unusual, and McDonald really manages to get under the skin of the culture. It portrays this future India as a huge melting pot of people, cultures and ideas.
One of the very best SF books I have ever read. I'm really looking forward to reading the companion short story collection Cyberabad Days. ]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/48610850 to: The Temporal Void (Void Trilogy, Book 2) by Peter F. Hamilton
A worthy successor to The Dreaming Void, but there was too much set in the Void for my taste. I really hope the final instalment concentrates more on the world outside the Void. ]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/48610404 to: The Dreaming Void (Void Trilogy 1) by Peter F. Hamilton
This is set in the same universe as Hamilton's prior Commonwealth Saga, but is some 1500 years later, and tells the story of a religious group who plan to migrate into the Void, an artificial black hole at the centre of the galaxy, regardless of the potentially catastrophic consequences for the rest of the galaxy.
I'm not hugely keen on the sequences set inside the Void, they're more like fantasy than SF. But the book is a great read, and I can't wait to find out what happens in the next instalment! ]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/45265968 to: Land Of The Headless (Gollancz S.F.) by Adam Roberts
This is an unusual book. The first chapter sees the protagonist decapitated for adultery, and the book follows his life after this. It's set on a fundamentalist planet where the penalty for adultery, blasphemy or murder is decapitation (bizarrely, simply speaking out against this system counts as blasphemy, and any sexual contact outside marriage is considered adultery).
However they use advanced technology to keep the headless alive.
Roberts's work is highly literate and poetic, and Land of the Headless is no exception. It's a work of great literary merit, and proves that SF can be just as capable of literary classics as any other genre.
I highly recommend this book. If you're looking for something that will make you think, this is a great book. If you're not usually a fan of SF, I'd still recommend this. ]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/43715223 to: Nation (Hardcover) by Terry Pratchett
I've not read any Terry Pratchett before, but I decided to try this. I'm very glad I did! It's funny and inventive.
Nation follows two people from entirely different worlds who get thrust together by disaster. It's slightly whimsical, but only a little.
A very enjoyable book, ideal for young adults and older readers alike. ]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/38885410 Matthew's review of House of Suns (Gollancz)
by Alastair Reynolds

Alastair Reynolds is not an author for the faint-hearted - it may be space opera, but it's hard sf all the way. I'm a great admirer of his Revelation Space series.
House of Suns portrays a series of near-immortal "Lines" who stand outside normal human history and travel the galaxy constantly, watching as other human and posthuman civilisations rise and fall. It focuses on Gentian Line, who are nearly wiped out by a brutal attack, and follows two members as they try to discover who did this, and why, in the process uncovering a terrible secret.
House of Suns is a very enjoyable read, with all the action fans of Revelation Space would expect, but I wouldn't recommend it to younger readers who may find it hard going.
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