Galactic North

By: Alastair Reynolds

Narrated by: John Lee

Length: 12 hrs and 55 mins

Publisher's summary

Centuries from now, the basic right to expand human intelligence beyond its natural limits has become a war-worthy cause for the Demarchists and Conjoiners. Only vast lighthugger starships bind these squabbling colonies together, manned by the panicky and paranoid Ultras. And the hyperpigs just try to keep their heads down.

The rich get richer. And everyone tries not to think about the worrying number of extinct alien civilizations turning up on the outer reaches of settled space...because who's to say that humanity won't be next?

Set in the Revelation Space universe, this is the first short story collection by the author who has been called "one of SF's best and most ambitious novelists". The eight stories included in Galactic North are "Great Wall of Mars", "Glacial", "A Spy in Europa", "Weather", "Dilation Sleep", "Grafenwalder's Bestiary", "Nightingale", and "Galactic North".

©2008 Alastair Reynolds (P)2009 Tantor Media

Critic reviews

"Reynolds is one of sci-fi's brightest stars. [He] writes Big Science Fiction. Enormous spaceships travel though space that feels galactic in scale, a feat of depiction that is still noteworthy in the genre." ( The Guardian, London)

Glimpses into the future

This book succinctly captures well the type of story telling I fell in love with from Alastair Raynolds.

It also puts into context the branches of human evolutionary directions that are possible in a post human society or societies that the author had set out to describe.

I almost wish I had listened to this prior to Revelation Space. But then again, one of the great wonders of Science Fiction is the suspension of disbelief.

Deep Space, Long Time Span

If you like to travel far in time and space you will like these stories. The hive mind concept and humanities reaction to it are intriguingly expored in a hard SF envoirnment with space pirates and interstellar travel.

The narator gives you no warning of the end of one story and the beginning of the next. Don't get lost during these transitions.

Great compliment to the series

Any additional comments?

I am a HUGE Alastair Reynolds fan - the Revelation Space universe is genius. Usually short stories don't interest me much - I prefer long arcs ... the more books in a series the better. Galactic North though nicely fills in some gaps and wraps a few loose ends that irritated me in the series. Just wish it was 10 times as long! As always, John Lee crushes it.

Alastair Reynolds Can Do No Wrong

This collection of stories fill in a number of gaps in the Revelation Space universe. If you love hard sci fi and space operas, you'll dig it. A lot of future histories, too...which I found superbly entertaining and well assembled. Even though there are huge concepts and large jumps in time, it's still cohesive and assembled in an easy-to-follow way. You just have to be attentive. These aren't "put it on and do other stuff" kinds of stories.

interesting collection of short stories

I can hardly wait to start listening Revelațion space series. I would sau that the collection brings forth some interesting ideas on how our future could shape to.

Increadible exploration

The variety of character setting and story exhibited in this work makes for a truly engaging listen. Every story maintains a good pace, pulling you onward and deeper into the universe. Though vast Alastair Reynolds universe remains bound together by fine threads of character experience, and those are the stories he tells with such increadible fidelity. The narration brings these stories to life and keeps them humming with tension. Fantastic listen.

Fantastic Tie-In

I'm used to Alastair Reynolds' books being LONG. I'm used to following his Characters non-stop for 20+ hours at a time. But this series of shorter stories, set in the same Universe, is AWESOME! Reynolds seems to assume that readers will have already read his other books, and therefore doesn't go into nearly the set-up of the characters that he does in his other books... If you already know the Universe, you'll love how this series of stories expands upon events and places alluded to in the Main Series. Since you already know the characters, Reynolds is able to get straight to the action in each of the stories!
Loved It!

A must for Revelation Space fans.

Fantastic, more Ultras, more Conjoiners, more fun at near light speed. Several unrelated stories and each offers its own surprises.

A beautiful set of stories from the RS universe

This collection of short stories will bring you to many places in many eras of the Revelation Space universe, from the First System to the distant parts of the galaxy. They are rather varied, and you will likely have your own favourites.
Do beware of minor spoilers for the main Revelation Space storyline.

Appetizers for RS Series fans

This collection of short stories from Reynolds' RS universe adds some terrific background color to the other novels. Uncharacteristically, only one of the stories has quite the scale or galactic import of his usual work, though.