Revelation Space

3.4 stars.

This is an important book in Science Fiction. More specifically, hard-SF. Overall, the story is quite interesting with somewhat interesting characters. The events within the story are also interesting.

So why only 3.4 stars?

Revelation Space was slow. Plodding. Really didn't even start to get going until about 3/4 of the way through the book. Stuff happens, but you have no way of knowing the significance. The characters are... not likable. Not a group of individuals I could find myself identifying with. They're all clearly driven, but mostly their drive doesn't make a lot of sense. And later, you find out that their motivation is almost universally driven by factors you don't learn until the final pages of the book, and those external motivations are essentially alien, hence the reason that little of it seems to make sense.

So, while I'm glad I've read this one, I don't find myself eager to get on to the sequel Redempton Ark (or prequel Chasm City). As I get older, I find that there are tons of books out there that are incredibly awesome. All the way through. That are both deep and fun. Or fast and fun. Cryptonomicon, Seveneves, The Martian, Ender's Game, the Bobiverse, etc. Do you have time for plodding? I wish the originality of ideas and the universe descripted here were presented... better.

If you've read them, please let me know what you think about other Revelation Space books. More of the same, or does it get better?