Revelation Space

Word of mouth is not always a reliable guide to the most challenging and arresting entries in the genre, but when that word of mouth builds up the head of steam that Reynolds' massive SF epic has created, attention needs to be paid. And this interest isn't just from those lucky enough to have got hold of the massive pre-publication manuscript - various luminaries of the SF field have been more than happy to lend their monikers to the jacket, risking their own sales in a rush to get readers to shell out for this tome. It's unarguable that the author's ambition is considerable, with a powerful narrative featuring alien conflicts in the distant past, malign intelligences and an awe-inspiring alien artefact. The latter is one of the big traps of the genre: since Clarke's Rendezvous with Rama, SF readers demand something pretty special in this department: it's not enough that we have a few pages of attempts to conjures up some breathtaking product of alien technology: The details have to be colourful and many - a test Reynolds is more than up to. Like many of the best novels in the hard SF genre, the span here is mind-boggling, with a comprehensively realised protagonist in the ruthless scientist Dan Sylveste. Sylveste is a nicely conflicted hero, with his inner turmoil always at work beneath the focused surface, and his interaction with a massive cast is adroitly handled. But it's Reynolds way with his cosmos-spanning concepts that does the trick: and if this isn't quite the Second Coming Reynolds' admirers would have us believe, few will regret getting on board for this breathtaking journey. It's also good news that Reynolds' use of science is always plausible and solid - an increasing rarity these days, so it's refreshing to welcome him Reynolds to that band of SF scribes who clearly care about such things. (Kirkus UK)