The Chronoliths

By: Robert Charles Wilson

Narrated by: Oliver Wyman

Scott Warden is a man haunted by the past - and soon to be haunted by the future. In early 21st-century Thailand, Scott is an expatriate slacker. Then, one day, he inadvertently witnesses an impossible event: the violent appearance of a 200-foot stone pillar in the forested interior. Its arrival collapses trees for a quarter mile around its base, freezing ice out of the air and emitting a burst of ionizing radiation. It appears to be composed of an exotic form of matter. And the inscription chiseled into it commemorates a military victory - 16 years in the future.

Shortly afterwards, another, larger pillar arrives in the center of Bangkok - obliterating the city and killing thousands. Over the next several years, human society is transformed by these mysterious arrivals from, seemingly, our own near future. Who is the warlord "Kuin" whose victories they note?

Scott wants only to rebuild his life. But some strange loop of causality keeps drawing him in, to the central mystery and a final battle with the future.

©2002 Robert Charles Wilson (P)2009 Audible, Inc.

Entertaining

The Chronoliths is a story about people, and one mans journey through world changing events more than it is about the objects themselves. RCW's stories have always been more about the characters than the sci-fi, and Chronoliths is no different. Don't expect hard sci-fi, don't expect obvious villains and good guys, instead look forward to an entertaining tale about causality, destiny and time.
I enjoyed the narration, Wyman speaks clearly, although the voice he uses for female characters sometimes sounds a little timid and weak.

Fascinating Look at Possible 21st Century

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes and I have. Robert Charles Wilson gives us a walk through a future world where lives have been shattered by the coming of the Chronoliths. Mr. Wilson is not only able to imagine that reality and the physics surrounding such events, but he shows us his characters growth and change throughout his lifetime and looking into the future from there. This is one journey you don't want to miss.

Unexpectedly Brilliant

I bought this book, only vaguely curious yet I was pleasantly surprised. The book is binding, the story paced well and perfectly balanced between personal history and global events. Thoroughly enjoyable.

Absolutely the best gateway to almost realistic Sci-Fi

Beautiful storytelling. You get connected with all the characters. The main character is a complex human much like most of us and hence easy to identify with. The questions remain in the book and has me craving for this to be made into a full trilogy or at least another book! What a great piece of writing!

Pretty Darn Good.

I love a book that successfully straddles the boundary between the believable and the highly unlikely.