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setteno's review against another edition
challenging
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
squigglysounds's review against another edition
4.0
Once I got used to the fact that there's no character development at all because it all went into developing the backstories behind imaginary technology I started to really get into it. One of the best scifi books I've read in a while!
giant_crab's review against another edition
5.0
Absolutely stunning concepts are fired at you every couple of pages, coupled with a writing style which makes hard science-fiction just about comprehensible. The feeling of the vertigo of extreme knowledge reminds me of Arthur C Clarke and Olaf Stapledon at their unsettlingly cognizant best.
Importantly, it's worth noting that this is a narrative leap forward from it's spiritual predecessor, Permutation City, which tended towards being quite dry, despite it's philosophical enormity. In Diaspora, Egan manages to create a compelling narrative despite the ludicrous timescales and scope existential scope.
This is an affecting, thought provoking and energetic treatment of the meaning of life taken to many absolute extremes. Both complete solipsism and limitless personal expansion are investigated, as are the seemingly infinite and arbitrary positions in between. Not since reading Star Maker or The City and the Stars have I been so energised by the possibilities of scope for a narrative.
Spectacular.
Importantly, it's worth noting that this is a narrative leap forward from it's spiritual predecessor, Permutation City, which tended towards being quite dry, despite it's philosophical enormity. In Diaspora, Egan manages to create a compelling narrative despite the ludicrous timescales and scope existential scope.
This is an affecting, thought provoking and energetic treatment of the meaning of life taken to many absolute extremes. Both complete solipsism and limitless personal expansion are investigated, as are the seemingly infinite and arbitrary positions in between. Not since reading Star Maker or The City and the Stars have I been so energised by the possibilities of scope for a narrative.
Spectacular.
supermdguy's review against another edition
challenging
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Overall loved it, very unique style, and fascinating philosophical ideas
Didn't like the suicide ending
pacmanyo's review against another edition
challenging
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
meedamian's review against another edition
4.0
The story in itself was quite interesting, but I have a few issues with this book that were quite frustrating.
I've tried writing below without revealing anything of any importance, but there are still some vouge comments on the structure, so if you really don't want to know absolutely anything, this is where you should stop reading my review.
The first one is just the sheer amount of technobabble. And that comes from a person who actually enjoys detailed explainations. And I can appreciate when books start with accurate known science, but then extrapolate it into fiction. Here it was just too much, and too nonsensical.
Second is very similar to 1st, but I feel it deserve its own point. Some things are really goofy - particles encoding first letters of English words using binary asci codes - really?
Third, this one is less of an issue, just a peculiarity. This book seems to have two endings. I was listening to an audio version, and after a few chapters it seems like all threads are closed, goodbyes are said and it's a decent end. But then the book goes on for many more chapters. Can't complain, just weird
I've tried writing below without revealing anything of any importance, but there are still some vouge comments on the structure, so if you really don't want to know absolutely anything, this is where you should stop reading my review.
The first one is just the sheer amount of technobabble. And that comes from a person who actually enjoys detailed explainations. And I can appreciate when books start with accurate known science, but then extrapolate it into fiction. Here it was just too much, and too nonsensical.
Second is very similar to 1st, but I feel it deserve its own point. Some things are really goofy - particles encoding first letters of English words using binary asci codes - really?
Third, this one is less of an issue, just a peculiarity. This book seems to have two endings. I was listening to an audio version, and after a few chapters it seems like all threads are closed, goodbyes are said and it's a decent end. But then the book goes on for many more chapters. Can't complain, just weird
timinbc's review against another edition
4.0
Wow! Don't even THINK of reading this book unless you consider yourself a solid fan of HARD sf. Some high-school or college physics or astrophysics and a LOT of reading since then would be good too. This is chewy stuff.
Sub-atomic physics (as of 1997), virtual bodies, wormholes, cloning, a time-scale that is mostly in hundreds then thousands of years and then just gets silly .... multiple universes, deaths of galaxies ... this makes Olaf Stapledon look like a sissy.
And yet there are some reasonably believable characters tying all this together.
I enjoyed it, but perhaps I won't rush to read all of Egan's other novels. I have a bunch of his short stories queued up, and I understand he's very, very good at that, so I'll go there next.
Sub-atomic physics (as of 1997), virtual bodies, wormholes, cloning, a time-scale that is mostly in hundreds then thousands of years and then just gets silly .... multiple universes, deaths of galaxies ... this makes Olaf Stapledon look like a sissy.
And yet there are some reasonably believable characters tying all this together.
I enjoyed it, but perhaps I won't rush to read all of Egan's other novels. I have a bunch of his short stories queued up, and I understand he's very, very good at that, so I'll go there next.
timinbc's review
2.0
Sorry, mate, I've been able to get a bit of a grip on some of your hard-hard-hard-SF stuff, but you lost me on this one. I was OK with Miéville's The City and the City, but this is the same only sixfold with a wild card. It's good to posit a scenario and then examine how we might research a problem in that scenario, but your reader has to have some clue.
If you've played the "Disco Elysium" game maybe you'll see a similarity -- you spend more than half your time trying to work out what the hell is going on here.
If you've played the "Disco Elysium" game maybe you'll see a similarity -- you spend more than half your time trying to work out what the hell is going on here.
poiv8's review against another edition
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.25
It was a painful read. The story is not engaging, most characters have no depth.
Programs floating in space are not relatable characters. There is a chapter about new species of humans that was quite interesting, I would have loved to read more about it.
Only hypothetical science seems to matter. This one is not for me.
I did like Ceres and Vesta of Greg Egan, so I'll try another book of his next time.
Only hypothetical science seems to matter. This one is not for me.
I did like Ceres and Vesta of Greg Egan, so I'll try another book of his next time.