Revelation Space

By: Alastair Reynolds

Narrated by: John Lee

Length: 22 hrs and 12 mins

Publisher's summary

Nine hundred thousand years ago, something annihilated the Amarantin civilization just as it was on the verge of discovering space flight. Now one scientist, Dan Sylveste, will stop at nothing to solve the Amarantin riddle before ancient history repeats itself.

With no other resources at his disposal, Sylveste forges a dangerous alliance with the cyborg crew of the starship Nostalgia for Infinity. But as he closes in on the secret, a killer closes in on him because the Amarantin were destroyed for a reason. And if that reason is uncovered, the universe - and reality itself - could be irrevocably altered.

©2008 Alastair Reynolds (P)2008 Tantor

Critic reviews

"One of the best books of the year." ( Science Fiction Chronicle)
"Ferociously intelligent and imbued with a chilling logic - it may really be like this Out There." (Stephen Baxter, co-author of The Light of Other Days)

Fantastic imagination

I have read Alastair Reynolds before, but I was not expecting all the twists and turns that he offers in Revelation Space. The narration is strong, the plot keeps the tension going, and it stays just within the realm of believability for the world he has created.

Really great story and narration. Can’t wait for the next one.

It was a really good story. I’d been wanting an alternative to Banks who’s over the top descriptions of horrific violence I find disturbing.

If you like Mass Effect, Trek, futurism, get this.

Just excellent, enjoy the build to the climax. It’s worth it. I can see how these books influenced a lot of my favorite sci-fi franchises.

So big and so good.

I loved this book. It was my first from audible.com, and I was not only immediately sucked into the story, but I also really enjoyed the narration. Regardless of what other reviewers have said, I found the accents and dialects to be well done, unlike many contrived and corny variations. John Lee's voice acting is subtle and properly punctuated, without all the histrionics that usually ruin audiobooks. Moreover, although lengthy, Reynolds moved the plot along well while dipping into details that thoroughly paint just the right picture. The description and detail is vivid and expansive, and I frequently felt as though I was wandering the Nostalgia for Infinity spacecraft when some corridor or facility was described. The characters were compelling and interesting, and you really want to know each one's story as the plot thickens. And with no real "good guy," I still empathized with the various protagonists, wanting them each to succeed at their respective goal - even when it meant contradicting or conflicting with other characters' motivations. Really great. I'm suggesting it to all my SF fan friends, and moving on to Chasm City.

A great read, a cerebral scifi

This was a great story with well developed characters and setting. The world itself is a character in this story. I enjoy well fleshed out worlds and this is one I would read more stories in this same setting. Not high on action though danger is always present. But in the best scifi novels the moral dilemma is heart of the story and this does not disappoint on that either. In other words grab it, I liked it and I think I have great taste!

This is an EPIC story... what a ride.

Halfway through this book I thought, is anything ever going to happen. There was a lot of character development and lots of sub-stories all pretty interesting, but I kept asking, where is the action? Then this book comes to life, like a kaleidoscope of colors crashing together, Ka-BOOM! If you're willing to push through some of the character development and superfluous sub-stories, the climactic conclusion is worth the ride. What an outstanding story!
Oh... and John Lee's performance is nothing short of award worthy! Give that man a raise!

Sincerely Remarkable

This is one of my favorite visions of the future I’ve experienced yet, simultaneously optimistic and true to human nature. Beautifully written and read

A Stunning Blend of Hard-Sci and Epic Space Opera

What did you love best about Revelation Space?

When I first began listening to "Revelation Space," I wasn't sure how I'd feel about it. It took off a bit slowly, with the opening scene centered on an archaeological dig. But, much like the work's emblematic lighthuggers, once this book picks up speed, it really flies, and I found myself compelled to keep listening 'til journey's end. What at first seemed a confusing tangle of high-tech terminology and a dense thicket of historical events gradually merged into an understandable and cohesive universe, where man and machine are seldom easy to differentiate. Reynolds' Revelation Space universe is one of dazzlingly advanced but theoretically plausible technology. At no point did I feel that he had introduced the kind of "handwavium-powered" tech that so many science fiction authors are guilty of. The plausibility of Reynolds' technological marvels likely stems from his 12 years as a scientist with the European Space Research and Technology Centre, part of the European Space Agency. His expertise infuses the work and results in the gratifying marriage of mind-boggling technology and plausible physics.While the separate characters and plot threads took some time to gather momentum and to converge, by the end of the book they had entered a helical death spiral toward a stunning and climactic collision. Reynolds weaves thought-provoking tech, character development, dialogue, and plot into a compelling take on the 25th century human condition. Hard-sci and space opera fans alike would do well not to miss Reynolds' "Revelation Space."

A treat for all modern Sci Fi fans.

This book is the first in the "Revelation Space" and once read you'll want to re read it again. Alastdair Reynolds "mostly" uses modern science rules to explain travel and this makes the books enjoyable on many levels

The Reader, John Lee, does an excellent job of these Alastair Reynolds books.

Couldn't listen to it

Is there anything you would change about this book?

Narrator was just too boring for me. I couldn't get into it, and based on the other reviews I really wanted to like it.