Scan barcode
beukwurm's review against another edition
5.0
I found my copy of Neverness at a church bring-and-buy sale around 1993. I don't remember if it was the cover that caught my eye or if the person selling their books (for mere pennies towards the church roof) persuaded me to buy it. What I do remember it that I LOVED it, I read it and reread it from the age of 15 till the end of my teens. I remember pleading with my friends to read it but they never managed to make it through the 600+ pages. They didn't get the beauty of mathematics and become obsessed with the poetry of Blake. In my whole lifetime I have met only one other who has read and loved this book.
At 16 I wrote a letter to David Zindell (never sent and now lost) crying out my praises. I wrote my own sci-fi stories (terrible, plagiarised and thankfully also lost) inspired by his words and worlds. This was my favourite book, of then but of all time?
It's been over 20 years since I last read Neverness and nearly 25 years since I first read it. I was wary to pick up the old pages and return there, would I still feel as much as I did then (for, like many a teen-ager, I felt too much)? Had I changed too much to fall through the stars with Mallory and return to the Devaki?
I need not have feared. This is still my favourite book. Perhaps I have become cruel and callous as in the past the pages had choked me to tears but over these few days I barely sniffed. But I still felt, I was there among them all yet again, careening across the ice or floating in the belly of their lightships. I understood so much more, words that I had assumed were alien invention suddenly had new meaning when I saw their roots (although I had a dictionary by my bed when I read as a teen it was puny in comparison to Zindell's vocabulary and there was no Google to quickly check a word or fact).
I cannot describe this book, what it meant to me or why I still love it. All I can do is implore you to read it, to give yourselves up to it and let it open your mind to the universe.
"What good is a warrior without a war, a poet without a poem".
At 16 I wrote a letter to David Zindell (never sent and now lost) crying out my praises. I wrote my own sci-fi stories (terrible, plagiarised and thankfully also lost) inspired by his words and worlds. This was my favourite book, of then but of all time?
It's been over 20 years since I last read Neverness and nearly 25 years since I first read it. I was wary to pick up the old pages and return there, would I still feel as much as I did then (for, like many a teen-ager, I felt too much)? Had I changed too much to fall through the stars with Mallory and return to the Devaki?
I need not have feared. This is still my favourite book. Perhaps I have become cruel and callous as in the past the pages had choked me to tears but over these few days I barely sniffed. But I still felt, I was there among them all yet again, careening across the ice or floating in the belly of their lightships. I understood so much more, words that I had assumed were alien invention suddenly had new meaning when I saw their roots (although I had a dictionary by my bed when I read as a teen it was puny in comparison to Zindell's vocabulary and there was no Google to quickly check a word or fact).
I cannot describe this book, what it meant to me or why I still love it. All I can do is implore you to read it, to give yourselves up to it and let it open your mind to the universe.
"What good is a warrior without a war, a poet without a poem".
milkywaycrossing's review against another edition
I made it ΒΌ of the way through, which is amazing given the terrible characters and rampant sexism.
ivygracewild's review against another edition
5.0
I read this book many years ago, but it has stuck with me. At the time I read it, I definitely found it one of the best books I had ever read, and I read a lot. I still feel that it must be great because just thinking about it evokes so many feelings in me, and I can see the characters through word pictures in my mind. Anything that lingers so strongly is important in my opinion.
sergimonsegur's review against another edition
2.0
I love sci-fi books, but this makes me bored like no other... 250 pages read, but no more.
chaumps's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
gabecarva's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
yevolem's review against another edition
4.0
Mallory Ringess's graduation from journeyman to pilot is upon him. He has sworn to discover the secrets of the Solid State Entity. Many of the greatest pilots in the Order's nearly three millennia history have been lost to the nebula where the Solid State Entity resides. Neverness is on the planet Icefall, which is located in the densest thickspace known, as it has billions of connections to the manifold. Faster-than-light travel is made possible through continually solving mathematical equations that allow for a one-to-one mapping between stars. However, there are mysteries far closer as well. The secrets of those who genetically engineered themselves to live a primitive life as Neanderthals may prove equally useful in determining the meaning of life and the secret to immortality.
Thematically, the closest book I've to read to this would be The God Emperor of Dune, though Wolfe's influence is also evident. The vast majority is philosophizing about metaphysics in some way or another. Primarily there are discussions and monologues about existential topics. Why does anything exist at all? Who am I? What is meaning? How ought life be lived? Does free will exist? What is the fate of humanity? Questions abound and most of the events of the book attempt to answer them. Each of the characters have their own answers and change according to them. I found the character development to be peculiar in that they struggle towards insight then have an epiphany or some extraordinary event occurs and they become rather different. This happens multiple times. It's sort of like if Kuhn's paradigm shift was applied to character development. There's also a lot of sex, a whole lot of sex. Quite possibly an absurd amount of sex, including incest, though it's mostly told rather than shown.
Although there eighty-six civilized human planets, a multitude of alien species, a considerable amount of space travel, and even space battles, I don't consider the focus of this to be the space opera. The focus is on experience. The Order wants it to be about quests that allow for a greater understanding of the manifold and the universe in general, but it turns out to be much more about self-discovery and coming into one's own. By the end, Mallory is much more than what he began as, in every way. The climax is detailing the proof to a mathematical theorem, that's the kind of book it is. It serves a functional purpose, but honestly they're more excited about having solved it.
I was amazed by the first quarter of the book and less so by the next quarter as it becomes a very different story, at least in terms of its setting. The third quarter goes the hardest on the metaphysics and the last quarter is the most action oriented, though it still has many digressions. I'm impressed that this was Zindell's debut novel and I will definitely read the rest of this series.
Thematically, the closest book I've to read to this would be The God Emperor of Dune, though Wolfe's influence is also evident. The vast majority is philosophizing about metaphysics in some way or another. Primarily there are discussions and monologues about existential topics. Why does anything exist at all? Who am I? What is meaning? How ought life be lived? Does free will exist? What is the fate of humanity? Questions abound and most of the events of the book attempt to answer them. Each of the characters have their own answers and change according to them. I found the character development to be peculiar in that they struggle towards insight then have an epiphany or some extraordinary event occurs and they become rather different. This happens multiple times. It's sort of like if Kuhn's paradigm shift was applied to character development. There's also a lot of sex, a whole lot of sex. Quite possibly an absurd amount of sex, including incest, though it's mostly told rather than shown.
Although there eighty-six civilized human planets, a multitude of alien species, a considerable amount of space travel, and even space battles, I don't consider the focus of this to be the space opera. The focus is on experience. The Order wants it to be about quests that allow for a greater understanding of the manifold and the universe in general, but it turns out to be much more about self-discovery and coming into one's own. By the end, Mallory is much more than what he began as, in every way. The climax is detailing the proof to a mathematical theorem, that's the kind of book it is. It serves a functional purpose, but honestly they're more excited about having solved it.
I was amazed by the first quarter of the book and less so by the next quarter as it becomes a very different story, at least in terms of its setting. The third quarter goes the hardest on the metaphysics and the last quarter is the most action oriented, though it still has many digressions. I'm impressed that this was Zindell's debut novel and I will definitely read the rest of this series.
pronkbaggins's review against another edition
4.0
4.0/5.0 stars
I feel like I do not understand exactly what I read, both because I may not be smart enough and also because it feels like what I think a drug trip would feel like. There is a lot of philosophy, violence, and vibrant imagery in this. It's an intriguing story and it kept my attention throughout. There is one particular line about the character Katherine which cracked me up immensely, and I am not sure if the author did that on purpose to give us a peek into the main character's character flaws or not.
I may have to come back to this book for a re-read at some point to hopefully understand it better.
I feel like I do not understand exactly what I read, both because I may not be smart enough and also because it feels like what I think a drug trip would feel like. There is a lot of philosophy, violence, and vibrant imagery in this. It's an intriguing story and it kept my attention throughout. There is one particular line about the character Katherine which cracked me up immensely, and I am not sure if the author did that on purpose to give us a peek into the main character's character flaws or not.
I may have to come back to this book for a re-read at some point to hopefully understand it better.
spitzig's review
4.0
Strange convergence of topics. I just read a book that talks about the elimination of free will. Free will was a less pessimistic topic in this book. Also, I just read a collection of short stories involving neanderthals. This novel had a group who'd genetically modified themselves to basically be neanderthals, and lived like them.
I liked the treatment of (basically) hyperspace. Also, the "gods"(technologically based) were interesting, and not just superpowered men.
The city and its society were interesting, too.
I liked the main character, and sympathized with him. A couple of the secondary characters, too.
I liked the treatment of (basically) hyperspace. Also, the "gods"(technologically based) were interesting, and not just superpowered men.
The city and its society were interesting, too.
I liked the main character, and sympathized with him. A couple of the secondary characters, too.
jazzhands35's review
4.0
Really interesting world building. In fact, some of the most intriguing world building I've read since probably Hyperion. I do think some of the world building devolves into listing things a bit too often. Things that don't every really get explained and are just there to make you think the world is complex. Like he will list 14 names of pilots that did important stuff but you only learn about one of them. Or will list 10 different castes/classes/jobs (whatever they are called in universe) with no explanation of what 8 of them are. Some amount of this can be very effective. It adds mystery. But the author overdoes it a bit. Even late in the book you will see lists of heretofore unmentioned things with little bearing on the storing. I really liked the piloting parts. Really unique idea. The main character is often annoying and arrogant, but intentionally so. We are supposed to be frustrated by him. The caveman part was OK, but was a bit too long. Overall, very enjoyable but could do with some editing and maybe 100 fewer pages.