Revelation Space, by Alastair Reynolds

A science fiction novel set in a complicated space and time. The intricate and sometimes convoluted history of the species that populate the universe and how humans interrelate is the backdrop for a fast-paced adventure/mystery novel. There are so many “new” terms to describe things that are purely of the author’s imagination that I had difficulty, at times, envisioning them. The author makes the effort but falls short too often in describing/explaining both physical objects and events that happened prior to the story. These objects and events are important but not critical to appreciating the storyline, which, in the end, is really all that the book has to offer. A synopsis of the plot is impossible due to its complexity. As an example, a deep subterranean cavern is exposed as a result of an archeological dig. It encloses a “miniature” city built by a species hundreds of thousands of years ago. There is a tower adorned with a flying figure that is evidence to the characters that the creatures that built the city and the tower had a “new” god. The line of reasoning is not well developed, nor is the description of the tower/city detailed enough for me to fully envision it during my reading. Perhaps this is my failure. I wrestled with the book and its convoluted narrative at other times as well – especially the end which reminded me of some surreal homage to science fiction movies like 2001: A Space Odyssey and Contact. If you aren’t as picky as I and you like fast-paced wacky science fiction with some legitimately interesting ideas, then it’s probably worth a go.