The Collapsium

Queendom of Sol, Book 1

By: Wil McCarthy

Narrated by: Matt Godfrey

Length: 13 hrs and 10 mins

Publisher's summary

A modern science fiction classic from Wil Mccarthy

In the eighth decade of the Queendom of Sol, three commodities rule the day. The first is wellstone, a form of programmable matter capable of emulating almost any substance. The second is collapsium, a deadly crystal composed of miniature black holes, vital for the transmission of information and matter - including humans - throughout the Solar System. The third is the bitter rivalry between Her Majesty's top scientists.

Bruno de Towaji, famed lover and statesman, dreams of building an arc de fin, an almost mythical device capable of probing the farthest reaches of spacetime. Marlon Sykes, de Towaji's rival in both love and science, is meanwhile hard at work on a vast telecommunications project whose first step is the construction of a ring of collapsium around the Sun. But when a ruthless saboteur attacks the Ring Collapsiter and sends it falling into the Sun, the two scientists must put aside personal animosity and combine their prodigious intellects to prevent the destruction of the Solar System - and every living thing within it.

©2020 Wil McCarthy (P)2021 Recorded Books Inc.

Throwback sci-fi that tries to be hard

Wil McCarthy’s The Collapsium is a bit of a throwback sci-fi tale that while it tries to offer hard science fiction, but mostly reads as a detective thriller. Collapsium is some sort of special material invented by a rich genius who now spends his time in a cored out asteroid that he uses as a lab for inventing more stuff. His material has gone to alter society in many ways. He is called back to assist with a problem with his material being applied to enhance communication managed by his chief scientific rival. While he fixes the issue, the problem eventually recurs threatening the entire solar system. He mounts several thrilling rescues and then apprehends the perpetrator behind the crimes.

McCarthy’s tale, while certainly not juveniles, is rather less sophisticated than most fare at the turn of the century. The story sounds more like something more likely from the 60’s or 70’s. The monarchy running things was never fleshed out or rationalized for such a technologically advanced society. At the same time, the notion of a lone wolf rich scientist tinkering away is mostly cinematic. There’s a good mix of action and deductive reasoning.

The narration is well done with good character distinction. Pacing is smooth.

Loved it

Tamera's voicing wasn't what I would have expected it to be, but it grows on you.