Pushing Ice
by Alastair Reynolds
Pushing Ice has to be one of the vastest novels I've encountered, covering literally thousands of years. The basic
premise of the story is interesting: one of Saturn's ice moons suddenly leaves orbit and begins racing out of our solar
system. A mining ship is the closest vessel capable of intercepting the moon and studying it. From the moment the miners
agree to the assignment to become a science vessel - things get infinitely difficult. The technological information is
well integrated with the story and for the non-geek, there is none of the headache-inducing "huh?" of some science
fiction - it all moves smoothly. Although slow-going in the prologue, the pace picks up quickly once the novel begins.
Much of the story pivots on a relational dispute between two women and that's one of the weaknesses of the novel. As
a reader, I simply didn't believe the women would behave as they did, given the characters created. Also, some of the
aliens felt a bit convenient and were never explored as I would have liked. Still, the process of human ingenuity in
the face of catastrophic circumstances was fascinating. For the science fiction fan, this will be a sure winner, and
for the science fiction novice, this is a great introduction to the genre. |
The Book |
ACE |
May 2006 |
Hardcover |
0441014011 |
Science Fiction |
More
at Amazon.com |
Excerpt |
NOTE: |
The Reviewer |
Jan Fields |
Reviewed 2006 |
NOTE: Reviewer Jan
Fields is the editor of Kid Magazine Writers emagazine and has written dozens of
stories and articles for the children's magazine market. |
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