The first novel in an exciting new trilogy. In the 43rd millennium of human history, Imre Bergamasc awakens after 200 years to the realization that he has been the victim of an elaborate murder plot--a plot that also destroyed the intergalactic transport milieu known as the Continuum. Original.
Industry Reviews
"In SATURN RETURNS, Sean Williams has created a compelling story of personal bravery and loyalty set against a huge backdrop of galactic disaster and the very end of civilization" -- Kevin J. Anderson, New York Times bestselling author of HUNTERS OF DUNE 'Imre Bergamasc wakes to find himself aboard a starship belonging to the Jinc, independent components of a human hive-mind which is searching for God on the edge of the Milky Way. Bergamasc has little recollection of his previous life, other than that he was a man. He's now a woman, rebuilt from DNA and memory downloads the Jinc salvaged from his partially destroyed life-raft. On learning that he was a soldier of fortune before his death, and fearing the Jinc's motives, he escapes and locates his former colleagues-in-arms and his lover. Only then can he piece together his former identity and work out what happened to the human race while he was dead. In the first book of the Astropolis trilogy, Williams renders the passage of aeons, and the rise and fall of civilisations, with cosmic poignancy.' GUARDIAN 'Adelaide author, Sean Williams writes exceedingly good space opera. He's a master storyteller, carefully crafting tales that keep readers on the edge of their seats. Saturn Returns, his latest and the first in an exhilarating trilogy, is scientifically credible, ambitious, adventurous and thrilling. Williams' characters reside within complexly ornate social structures and in societies as elaborately elegant as a computer chip. The passion shows. The characters are wonderfully realised including one who speaks only in Gary Numan's song lyrics. With darkly brooding suspense and stylish plot twists, Williams shows his talent for placing his protagonist in impossible situations, where his worst enemy may be a portion of his own missing memory. Was Imre Bergamasc responsible for the fall of civilisation? Why did they resurrect him from information stored in a time capsule only to try and kill him again? Determined to learn the truth, Bergamasc puts his life - and the lives of his friends- in jeopardy. Saturn Returns is a wildly original, totally convincing, all-round wonderful novel.' THE INDEPENDENT 'Well-written, exciting and surprisingly smart despite being very accessible, it is genuinely difficult to find fault with Sean Williams' Saturn Returns but I think that maintaining the perfectly balanced lightness of touch will become increasingly difficult as the series goes on. The fact that the book's plot relies so much on conspiracies wrapped up in concepts of personal identity means that Williams faces a real challenge in trying to keep the series both intelligent and fun without either fudging the plot or bogging the whole thing down in endless exposition. This concern aside, Saturn Returns is a great little book and I honestly look forward to the rest of the series.' SF DIPLOMAT 'Sean has produced some good work in the past; he's had the opportunity to flex his writing muscles in a wide variety of projects. In Saturn Returns, I felt a new assuredness, a strength of voice that was compellingly entertaining and thought-provoking. Saturn Returns is Sean's best yet--go out and buy it.' AUREALIS
