And some of them are in cabinets full of musty files stamped MOST SECRET and given nonsense code names. Stross provides plenty of the intricate detail that is necessary for a story's universe to feel as big and complete as the real world feels, but he also leaves intruiging mysteries lying around. They both take place in the same universe (well, you know what I mean). In fact, the book The Atrocity Archives (plural) contains both the novel 'The Atrocity Archive' (singular) and the novella 'The Concrete Jungle'. This is a pretty neat idea, resembling the rationalization of vampirism as a viral infection.

There is something that advanced civilizations do which attracts monsters - namely, certain kinds of computations. Stross achieves self-consistency in the following manner: monsters exist, just not in our universe. Therefore, in order for a self-consistent horror story to take place, there has to be something that counteracts the monsters. Humans have a hard enough time building technology and societies in the absence of nameless terrors from the murky depths. In order for monsters to destroy civilization, it has to exist in the first place. Stross has invented some very scary things which have convincing motivations and are grounded in a science fiction background. How to cope with galactic communications turbidity, the technological singularity, and transcendent evil. Humanity unleashes an ancient superhuman intelligence upon the galaxy. Humanity makes first contact with a technical alien civilization.Ī novel of limitations and failed dreams that is a lie from beginning to end.

The Eschaton has screwed up somewhere and tries to figure out what is going on.Īn interesting novel that never actually ties up its plot. The survivors take revenge on the wrong people. Under the watchful eye of the superhuman intelligence known as the Eschaton, the colony tries to strike back at the fleet.Ī weak novel that devotes far too little time to its most interesting character. Further details are classified MAGINOT BLUE STARS.Īn enjoyable SF novel with a horror spin and a quirky attitude.Īn interstellar fleet rains self-replicating factories down on a backwards colony.

Summary TitleĮvil from beyond spacetime knocks at Earth's door. I read science fiction because, well, hexapodia is the key insight Site Info:

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