In Pushing Ice, one of Saturn’s moons suddenly departs from its orbit and shoots off into deep space. The only nearby ship chases the errant moon and watches as huge chunks of ice fall off its surface to reveal a gigantic machine underneath.
Not everyone on the ship wants to keep chasing this object. The object seems to have some ideas about that, too.
Pushing Ice is a great book, and I lost some sleep because I couldn’t put it down. Even though we follow the same characters throughout the book, so much happens that it has the feel of a big, sprawling, multi-generational epic.
The science is hard, the humans flawed, and the surprises keep coming.
Recommendation: Get it at the library unless you’re building a shelf of all of Alastair Reynolds’ books. Which may be a pretty good idea, actually. Hmm.
Hi Dan, I appreciate the review, as I’ve always been curious about the near-ubiquitousness of Reynolds on the sci-fi bookshelves. But for a book that is great, keeps you up, and is full of surprises, what merits a purchase instead of a library-loan status?
The buy-vs-library decision is based on whether I think I’ll want to look at the book spine on a regular basis. Will it make me happy in some way, or will I stop seeing it after a week? I make the decision based on that.
Pushing Ice is one of my favorite Reynolds’ books, the other being Century Rain which most people don’t like because it’s a noir mystery, romance, sci-fi thriller and to me it is so haunting, it’s my fave so thanks Dan and check out Century Rain.
Thanks! I just put Century Rain on hold at the library.
Hi Dan
Read it, awesome, all so read Blue Remembered Earth earlier this year and its sequels,
Brilliant, curantly reading Revenger.
What’s the verdict on Revenger? After Mr Reynolds started with such a bang, I feel like his books have… lacked the bite of the first 4 books (especially).
Oops,
Hello Dan, I forgotti you are a living breathing guy.