Pushing Ice

By: Alastair Reynolds

Narrated by: John Lee

Length: 19 hrs and 43 mins

Publisher's summary

2057. Humanity has raised exploiting the solar system to an art form. Bella Lind and the crew of her nuclear-powered ship, the Rockhopper, push ice. They mine comets. And they're good at it.

The Rockhopper is nearing the end of its current mission cycle, and everyone is desperate for some much-needed R & R, when startling news arrives from Saturn: Janus, one of Saturn's ice moons, has inexplicably left its natural orbit and is now heading out of the solar system at high speed. As layers of camouflage fall away, it becomes clear that Janus was never a moon in the first place. It's some kind of machine - and it is now headed toward a fuzzily glimpsed artifact 260 light-years away. The Rockhopper is the only ship anywhere near Janus, and Bella Lind is ordered to shadow it for the few vital days before it falls forever out of reach. In accepting this mission, she sets her ship and her crew on a collision course with destiny - for Janus has more surprises in store, and not all of them are welcome.

©2008 Alastair Reynolds (P)2010 Tantor

Critic reviews

"[Reynolds is] a genius for big-concept SF and fans of Arthur C. Clarke's Rendezvous with Rama and Larry Niven's Ringworld will love this novel." ( Publishers Weekly

Up and down good and bad

I almost returned this book. Very slow in the beginning then picks up to be a good story, until it all comes crashing down. The idea of the story is awesome and if it had a differentending would have be a 5 star. 1 character (Svetlana) ruined this book for me. I can't understand why the author wrote her this way. She never got it, how aweful she screwed up and in the end she gets away ugh. This will not be a repeat listen for me

Good story, meh characters.

I wanted this to be interesting, so continued to listen. Story hints at being interesting and that kept me going. I'm pretty patient with long build ups, but this was very long and the characters couldn't really keep me interested along the way. At best I felt mildly sympathetic to one character(Bella) and either had no respect for or felt totally indifferent to the rest. The ending is fun. Took me like a month on and off to finally get there though. Like I said, very long build up with meh in-between.

pretty good sci-fi yarn

Interesting story components but the two main characters have a baffling and irrational set of conflicts and interactions that really make them both unlikable and annoyingly predictable once the pattern or irrationality is established. Otherwise, there is the nugget of an interesting story concept.

A race of a book

My 1st Alastair Reynolds book and wow is his writing style a race.

Fast paced and jumps from timeline to timeline like a screenplay for an epic movie. Took some getting used to follow his writing with the big jumps in story with no transitions.

The story itself has you on your edge of the seat whilst reading with continuous plot twists and changes that you end up having to go wow but the ending is totally flat and boring as if it an opening for another book that was not written.

Great Concept, decent execution

Great Concept, Decent Execution. The world building is fantastic but character work isn't always the best

Bad narration; great story

The narrator… phew. All his voices sound the same, his pace and tone are identical throughout, no matter what’s happening in the text. I almost quit listening and returned the book.

But the story was awesome! Something totally different. I wish there was a sequel.

Not up to author's promise

Pulpish and sloppy compared to House of Suns, which I loved. It seems almost written by AI in terms of its repetitive, monotonous, yet inconsistent style. For example, mid story shifts to an omniscient point of view briefly in order to give alien's perspective, but never returns, increasing the myopic claustrophobic perspective from the main protagonists. Some of the ideas are interesting, but unlike House of Suns generate no wonder in either characters, who seem like out of a 90s TV show about the difficulties of women challenging/adopting male power structures, or this reader. Pacing extremely uneven. Generally felt like an indulgent rambly second draft that should have been cut to a novella, instead came off as an attempt to create a made for tv mini series. At least it was free on Audible.

Making Tough Decisions in Tough Times

I truly enjoyed the story and emotional pull. Definitely enjoyed the initial chase and the way the author makes you choose which side you side with. I have hardly liked a character that much in the beginning, then I grew to the point that I loathed her until the last moment, then near the end I came to peace with the same character. That wasn't even the main character. I will read another book by this author.

Fantastic Book!

Nothing quite like tucking into some Reynolds when narrated by John Lee. They are both excellent! I was easily drawn into this really great story. Many thanks to those who made this treat possible.

bloody good

have heard just about every alastair reynolds book. thought i might be getting bored with them, but no, pushing ice was great. lots of cool new ideas for me to savor even tho i thought i'd heard them all. no annoying characters or recording gaffs. exceeded expectations. thank you.