Absolution Gap

The Inhibitor Sequence #3

by Alastair Reynolds

In the third book of the legendary Revelation Space trilogy, the last remnants of humanity realize that forging an alliance with a greater and even more mysterious alien force may be their only chance for survival. The Inhibitors were designed to eliminate any life form reaching a certain level of intelligence -- and they've targeted Humanity. War veteran Clavain and a ragtag group of refugees have fled into hiding. Their leadership is faltering, and their situation is growing more desperate. But their little colony has just received an unexpected visitor: an avenging angel with the power to lead mankind to safety -- or draw down its darkest enemy. And as she leads them to an apparently insignificant moon light-years away, it begins to dawn on Clavain and his companions that to beat one enemy, it may be necessary to forge an alliance with something much worse . . . "Absolution Gap is a good as it gets, and should solidify Alastair Reynolds' reputation as one of the best hard SF writers in the field." -- SF Site

Genres: Science Fiction, Fiction, Space Opera, Audiobook, Space, Hard Science Fiction, Science Fiction Fantasy

756 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 2003

About the author

I'm Al, I used to be a space scientist, and now I'm a writer, although for a time the two careers ran in parallel. I started off publishing short stories in the British SF magazine Interzone in the early 90s, then eventually branched into novels. I write about a novel a year and try to write a few short stories as well. Some of my books and stories are set in a consistent future named after Revelation Space, the first novel, but I've done a lot of other things as well and I like to keep things fresh between books.

I was born in Wales, but raised in Cornwall, and then spent time in the north of England and Scotland. I moved to the Netherlands to continue my science career and stayed there for a very long time, before eventually returning to Wales.

In my spare time I am a very keen runner, and I also enjoying hill-walking, birdwatching, horse-riding, guitar and model-making. I also dabble with paints now and then. I met my wife in the Netherlands through a mutual interest in climbing and we married back in Wales. We live surrounded by hills, woods and wildlife, and not too much excitement.

Reviews

[reherrma · Rating 4 out of 5]

Im letzten Teil seiner faszinierenden Future-History (auch "Unterdrücker"- oder "Wölfe"-Zyklus genannt) treibt die Auseinandersetzung zwischen der Menschheit und den geheimnisvollen Maschinen, die "Unterdrücker" auf den Höhepunkt zu, nämlich die vollständige Auslöschung der Spezies Mensch.
Diese, selbst reproduzierenden Maschinen, durchkämmen seit Millionen von Jahren den Kosmos um alles Leben zu vernichten, nur die Überlebenden des Raumschiffs "Sehnsucht nach Unendlichkeit" haben sich zu Ziel gesetzt, dies zu verhindern, dabei kommt Ihnen ein geheimnisvolles Mädchen zu Hilfe, hinter der eine Macht steht, die offenbar ein Mittel gegen die "Unterdrücker" hat, aber sind es nur lautere Motive die hinter ihren Motivationen stehen ?..
Das einzige Manko dieses großartigen Zyklus, der mit diesem Band zu Ende geht, ist das, vordergründig, unbefriedigende Ende, die ganze Geschichte wird auf ungewöhnliche Weise zu Ende gebracht, die Reynolds viel Kritik eingebracht hat, aber nichtsdestotrotz wurde damit einer der besten Space Operas der letzten Jahre beendet, Schade...