Alastair Reynolds

[Charakan]

I just finished Chasm City by Alastair Reynolds and was really impressed, to me he ranks up there with William Gibson and Iain M Banks as a great modern writer of science fiction.

I've got The Prefect by him as well but haven't got round to starting it.

I was wondering if anyone else reads Reynolds and if they do what would they recommend I read next.

 

[apoc527]

He's great. I started with the core Revelation Space trilogy and I'm reading The Prefect now. I have Chasm City and Galactic North as well.

 

[Blix]

I was wondering if anyone else reads Reynolds and if they do what would they recommend I read next.

I would suggest reading everything he's done . The Revelation Space books are really good (I actually thought Chasm City was the weakest), and his short story collections are quite fantastic ("Turquoise Days, Diamond Dogs", "Galactic North" and "Zima Blue"). "House of Suns" and "Pushing Ice" are standalone books that are really good too.

Pick any of them and go from there .

 

[BP]

Yep - a great author!

Personally, I'd go with Revelation Space, Redemption Ark, and Absolution Gap next... even though The Prefect, Diamond Dogs, Turquoise Days, and Monkey Suit(?) precede the trilogy.

However, I haven't read his Galactic North short stories collection, which apparently has some good pre-content and some definite post content (see here for a non-spoiling listing - but wouldn't read the comments in case they have spoilers...).

His none Revelation Space books are a good read too - Century Rain and Pushing Ice, and House of Suns, though I don't think I've read Terminal World, or Zima Blue...

 

[Sturn]

By pure coincidence, reading Revelation Space now (about 30 pages to go) and love it. It was called "space opera" on one of the reviews on the book itself, but I don't agree at all. It seems hard science to me, just very far future (nanotech and AI brought to extreme levels). Makes me think of Transhuman Space.

 

[Charakan]

I have to agree with you Sturn, I didn't see a lot of space opera elements just a lot of realistic technologies taken to a very high level.

 

[HorusZA]

"House of Suns" is my favourite Reynolds novel. Transcendental far future at it's very best. Hist short stories are also pretty good, especially Galactic North.
If there's one thing that he doesn't do well it's endings: Revelation Space & Pushing Ice being notable examples.

 

[Blix]

I don't think "Space Opera" means what it used to mean anymore; it has less to do with lack of realism and more to do with events transpiring on an epic scale (e.g. threats that can affect all of galactic civilization).

 

[rinku]

It's actually a return to the original Space Opera of the likes of Doc Smith. Asimov's Foundation series and Anderson's Flandry one also fit into this genre - things are happening on a galactic scale, with heroic deeds and mighty battles.

Traveller is normally a step or two back from this sort of stuff - it's happening in the background but the players aren't usually saving the galaxy. More like Anderson's Trader Team stories or Bujold's Vorkosigan series.

Having said that, there's no actual bar to playing a campaign at the level of Lensmen etc - you just need to tweak the character generation a little to make the players supermen, and/or give them a lot of military/political power (and responsibility) for a slightly less OTT galactic struggle campaign.

 

[Lorcan Nagle]

I run hot and cold on Reynold's books - though I've read everything he's done bar Zima Blue. I agree with Horus that his endings often leave a lot to be desired - I felt all the initial Revelation Space books bar Chasm city ended far too abruptly or inconclusively, and House of Suns fell into the same trap as well.

He also relies a bit too much on the same core plot: The characters go on a a very long journey, reach the end, then something happens. it works better in some books than others.

That said, the ideas on display and the prose are often phenomenal, and he's well worth reading despite his flaws. and his shorter fiction is often excellent. My personal picks are : Terminal World; Pushing Ice; The Prefect; Chasm City; Diamond Dogs, Turquoise days; and Galactic North.

 

[srogerscat]

I have a problem with his landing parties. When going into the unknown They typically equip them selves with little more than ship clothes and laser pistols, whereas my old (and new) traveller groups typically geared up enough to trade shots with early WWII tanks and win.

 

[kafka]

I have a problem with his landing parties. When going into the unknown They typically equip them selves with little more than ship clothes and laser pistols, whereas my old (and new) traveller groups typically geared up enough to trade shots with early WWII tanks and win.

Dude, then you really have to address the balance of firearms in your campaign. Law Level is one way to do it. Another way, is seriously augment the skill levels of their opponents. Learning to run away and fight another day...is an essential part of Traveller.

Failing that even having the Imperial Navy arrest them for firing upon the frigate that was thought to be a pirate ship or even better...having a corrupt Empire...that friend or foe is equally confusing, as the underpaid armed services help themselves every so-often fortified by the clout of the nobility... the players could find them being rebels or outlaws very quickly...yet confronting the Officers just following orders would wind them up in equally scalding water.

 

[Perturabo]

The Prefect is reynolds best book. I liked pushing ice and house of suns.

Revelation space is a little off, I'm nott oo crazy about it, but the prefect is an awesome book, read it.

 

[rustorod]

Has anyone used any of his books for inspiration for a campaign or adventure?

 

[rustorod]

Has anyone used any of his books for inspiration for a campaign or adventure?

 

[Vile]

Has anyone used any of his books for inspiration for a campaign or adventure?

Ottomancer and Newt (they of Cthulhu Rising and OpenQuest fame) were working on a game very much inspired by his books. I was involved in the early stages, and I hope it gets to see the light of day at some point - it had a lot of cool ideas going for it. Not for the Traveller rules though (although it came quite close to going down that route at one point).