House of Suns by Alastair Reynolds is a big, beautiful space opera, spanning the entire galaxy and six million years of human history. The stakes are high, the technology feels real, and the world building is top-notch!
Published in 2008
Brent: 3 stars. A very fun romp across the galaxy in a hard scifi shell that respects the laws of physics. My only gripes are that the characters don’t feel well differentiated and it drags in the middle.
Cody: 4 stars. A thrilling and near-perfect execution of action prose. Some fun characters, a satisfying mystery, and a deep analysis of artificial consciousness and its possibilities.
Shane: 4 stars. This book has a lot going on and it builds out a really interesting universe, which I think is why everyone I’ve talked to about it is shocked that it’s not just the first entry in a series. The book wraps up pretty well, but it feels like there’s so much more to explore.
Here's the setup:
Gentian line is one of the most powerful forces in the galaxy - one of the 'lines' of clones (called shatterlings) who have been traveling the galaxy since the start of the star-faring era six million years ago. The shatterlings of Gentian line travel alone, but they come together for a reunion every 200,000 years to compare what they have seen on their latest circuit around the galaxy.
Campian and Purslane are two shatterlings who have fallen in love and are traveling together against the rules of the line. They are running late to the upcoming reunion when they get a terrifying message - someone has attacked the reunion and killed almost all of the Gentians. Now it is up to them to determine who, or what, their enemy is before the entire line is wiped out.
Hugonauts' Thoughts:
We are so happy to have found this big sci-fi adventure by Alastair Reynolds. It slowly but steadily introduced new mind-bending concepts and mysteries in a way that is totally addictive, and learning the answers to those big questions over the course of the book is a real pleasure. The scientific concepts and technologies that underpin that world (and which are all grounded in real science) are also incredibly fun to explore, and are one of Reynolds strong suits - which maybe shouldn't be surprising given he's got a PhD in astrophysics.
In addition to exploring the implications of all kinds of far-future technologies, the book also explores memory and identity in a really interesting way. What is our identity beyond the sum of our memories? And what does that mean if technology allows us to extend our lifetimes long enough that we can't remember all the things we've done? If you've forgotten something you did that seems abhorrent, are you still that same person?
This said, if you are looking for dialogue-driven writing or unforgettable characters, this might not be the book for your current moment. It also slows down a bit in the middle, but the final quarter picks up the pace again, and is propulsive, gripping, and answers all the big questions in very satisfying ways.
It's also a stand-alone novel, which is somewhat rare for space operas. If you want to enjoy a big, galactic adventure without the commitment of a long series, this is definitely up your alley.
Related Books
If you loved this one, you might also like:
A Fire Upon the Deep - Vernor Vinge
Another satisfying space opera, with fascinating speculative speciation and ideas about artificial intelligence wrapped up in an absolute blast of a plot.
Hyperion - Dan Simmons
Like Dune, this is a series centered on a family who are part of the feudal leadership of a space-faring civilization. The main characters are also incredibly likeable and fun to spend time with.
The Culture Series - Iain M. Banks
An episodic series of action-packed space operas set in and around The Culture - a civilization where humanity and AI have all but fused their cultures into a techno-utopia. We recommend skipping the first and starting with the 2nd book, Player of Games.
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