Questions About Revelation Space (Revelation Space, #1)

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Answered Questions (6)

?This isn't a question, but it's my recommendation to everyone considering reading this book: Read Chasm City first. It's a much better entry point into the world, and you'll understand more of what you encounter in Revelation Space. They're both good books.

Sandy And this is not an answer. But I agree. The main sequence -- Space, Ark, and Gap -- you should read in order. But Chasm City does a nice job of settin…moreAnd this is not an answer. But I agree. The main sequence -- Space, Ark, and Gap -- you should read in order. But Chasm City does a nice job of setting the stage for that trilogy.(less)

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Jewmex

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What’s the age recommendation for this book? As in what age would you have to be to understand the novel?

Dan Arbello There is a sex scene, though Reynolds does not linger on it. There is bodily mutilation and transformation. Moreover, like in many of Reynolds other b…moreThere is a sex scene, though Reynolds does not linger on it. There is bodily mutilation and transformation. Moreover, like in many of Reynolds other books, there is the uncanny valley and psychologically-mind-bending concepts of the extremities of self and humanness: a man becoming a ship and losing his self, a protagonist who has two consciousnesses nested in her mind, a protagonist with his father/self's consciousness that is both his mind and not at the same time… Add to this Reynold's common theme of a story that spans centuries and more.

So, beyond the science and tech content that requires an elementary understanding of physics (to get anything meaningful from the content), I'd suggest late teens at minimum. That's for being able to consume the content but to truly understand how all of that science, philosophy, and psychology fits into romance and the main protagonists' desires/longings/habits, you'd need to be much older: experiencing the meatier parts of life (love and love lost, passion vs desire, desire vs drive, etc.).

If you're looking for a younger version of this content, I would highly suggest Reynold's Revenger series.(less)

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Does it ever pick up? I've tried reading it and I really want to be interested in it but so far it just seems like one exciting or interesting moment every fifty pages and in between is just sludge. I want to be able to read it but it just keeps moving forward at a much too slow a pace for me.

Boy Blue That's the pace for the whole length of the novel. It's more of an archaeological thriller than a intergalactic battle. The battle has already been, a…moreThat's the pace for the whole length of the novel. It's more of an archaeological thriller than a intergalactic battle. The battle has already been, and they're trying to find out what happened.(less)

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What age is this (and the rest of the series) appropriate for?

Boy Blue 14.

It's so arbitrary. I think it's one of those books a smart teenager could read and enjoy but you could also read again ten years later and probably…more14.

It's so arbitrary. I think it's one of those books a smart teenager could read and enjoy but you could also read again ten years later and probably get even more out of it.(less)

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