Chasm City Audiobook By Alastair Reynolds cover art

Chasm City

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Chasm City

By: Alastair Reynolds
Narrated by: John Lee
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Named one of the best novels of the year by both Locus and Science Fiction Chronicle, Alastair Reynolds's debut Revelation Space redefined the space opera. With Chasm City, Reynolds invites you to reenter the bizarre universe of his imagination as he redefines Hell.

The once-utopian Chasm City - a domed human settlement on an otherwise inhospitable planet - has been overrun by a virus known as the Melding Plague, capable of infecting any body, organic or computerized. Now, with the entire city corrupted---from the people to the very buildings they inhabit---only the most wretched sort of existence remains. For security operative Tanner Mirabel, it is the landscape of nightmares through which he searches for a lowlife postmortal killer. But the stakes are raised when his search brings him face to face with a centuries-old atrocity that history would rather forget.

©2008 Alastair Reynolds (P)2009 Tantor Adventure Fantasy Fiction First Contact Science Fiction Space Opera Technothrillers Thriller & Suspense Technology Thriller Funny Mind-Bending

Critic reviews

"Consistently startling.... Reynolds remains one of the hottest...SF writers around." ( Publishers Weekly)
Intricate Worldbuilding • Complex Characters • Twisting Plotlines • Evocative Language • Imaginative Technology

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It has been a while since I took iPod out of my car into home to listen to a book. Chasm City was the book which gripped me so much that I did that.

This was my first "read" of Reynolds and quite a pleasant one! I am great fan of darker, atmospheric and realistic (as far as we can imagine it today) science fiction which covers not only science and technology but also human aspect of future. This book has it all! Story is very atmospheric and surrounding, settings and tech are not completely whacked out like in some sf fantasy books and there is a lot of human aspect and emotions, unlike some dry classics like Rama or Ringworld.

The Narrator is very adequate. In Revelation Space - which I listen to now - John Lee has the annoying habit to start a sentence with much intonation and trail out from there, becoming silenter and silenter - this was complained about by some in reviews to RS. Well, it is not present here! John Lee is really much better in this one IMHO.

Very atmospheric

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The best Alastair Reynolds book I have heard at Audible. Human colonized worlds, futuristic space travel and the twists – turns in the plot left me feeling like a pretzel. Just add salt and I’m ready to be dropped in a bag of Rolled Gold.

Rolled Gold

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This book is fantastic. for anyone that loves science fiction particularly hard science fiction this book is amazing. I couldn't recommend more. it's a great follow-up to Revelation space. excellent prequel explains a little bit more about the world. the universe this author has created is amazing in its depth. I love it. will continue reading.

A sci-fi must-read

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So coming here after Revelation Space, this book offers achingly little evidence of being part of the same series and when it finally does, only vague implications. That being said, it was a great story and enjoyable experience. Reynolds has a habit of providing the reader bits of information and evidence here and there to implicate certain things, and never actually specifying end conclusions. This can be frustrating, but in this book there is enough evidence eventually to form credible theory on what the author was trying to say.
On the narration - there is no chapter announcements, and literally zero pause from one scene on this side of the galaxy to another hundreds of light years distant. I became very familiar with the 30-second rewind trying to figure out what just happened with the perceived story skipage.

Unexpectedly different

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I enjoyed the convoluted plot but didn't like any of the characters. Overall it's a quite dark story.

Interesting plot, terrible characters

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Generally a good story. There is at least one unusual character plot twist that, until it is ultimately revealed, tended to confuse me, but not so much so as to detract from the story. I think the author really requires the reader to stretch their imagination with this story - making things almost unbelievable to me.

Good. Stretches the imagination pretty far.

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If you are living with Covid 19 in your midst this will definitely send a shiver up your spine. It is way too cloose to home to take lightly.

Earily prescient

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I've enjoyed other books by this author but this was a real struggle to finish. Plot was weak and the characters were one dimensional. Dialogue was the worst I've read in recent memory. Skip this one and sleep easy at night knowing you aren't missing a thing.

Very little substance

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This book takes the form of a classic hard boiled thriller and sets it in Reynolds amazing universe ripe with his imaginative worlds and characters. Of you're a fan of either hard Sci fi or thrillers, or better yet both, don't miss it!

A Sci fi thriller

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This story definitely belongs in the small group of audiobooks that are thoroughly entertaining and original. I can't wait to listen to the rest of the series.

Read this one first

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