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What Members Thought
Sooo, I know this is a seminal classic of the Space Opera genre, so the fact I didn't LOVE it as much as everyone said I would makes me feel a bit inadequate in a way, but hey, everyone is entitled to their opinions, eh?
I mean, from an intellectual standpoint, this is brilliant. The world-building is so convincing, I actually was frequently disturbed by it, which is kinda why I can't love it, which is actually a testament to it's brilliance. It's thought provoking and unbelievably well shaped. ...more
I mean, from an intellectual standpoint, this is brilliant. The world-building is so convincing, I actually was frequently disturbed by it, which is kinda why I can't love it, which is actually a testament to it's brilliance. It's thought provoking and unbelievably well shaped. ...more
We made it, preciousss, we finished this book after three weeks!
O real life, why do you have to intervene while I am trying to finish this fantastic novel. The prologue was one of the strangest prologues ever, yet it is very intriguing. Lucky Tor released this for free a while ago for their ebookclub.
I won't say much about the Zones of Thoughts (see below) because I am still digesting the concept. Let me tell you though, it is literally and figuratively mindblowing and thoughtprovoking.
The al ...more
O real life, why do you have to intervene while I am trying to finish this fantastic novel. The prologue was one of the strangest prologues ever, yet it is very intriguing. Lucky Tor released this for free a while ago for their ebookclub.
I won't say much about the Zones of Thoughts (see below) because I am still digesting the concept. Let me tell you though, it is literally and figuratively mindblowing and thoughtprovoking.
The al ...more
This is a book that is very difficult to get into because it presents so many new concepts all at once: a dormant godlike computer virus on the edge of the galaxy; races of humanoids, tree-like beings who move along in motorized planter boxes, and doglike aliens who are sentient only in packs; and a new way of viewing the galaxy as having increasing layers of technological complexity based on distance from the center.
This is "hard" sci-fi at it's hardest (i.e., most difficult to ingest). Yet it ...more
This is "hard" sci-fi at it's hardest (i.e., most difficult to ingest). Yet it ...more
Will likely return to this one day.
3.5 stars. Interesting though a little dated (written in 1992 about the distant future, the chapters open with a galaxy-wide net post to a newsgroup just like in the the pre-www days). Some of the alien races are creative. In the same genre of space opera, I think I preferred Alistair Reynolds's Revelation Space.
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I enjoyed this book. It was one of the best books I read that year (1992).
Jan 19, 2010
Ryan
marked it as to-read
Jun 01, 2010
Jen (NerdifiedJen)
marked it as to-read
Jan 23, 2015
James
marked it as to-read
Mar 23, 2016
Tiffany
marked it as to-read
Oct 23, 2016
Heather
marked it as to-read
Aug 03, 2017
Carrie
marked it as to-read
