"Splendid fun, brimming with heroes, villains, chicanery, neat
imaginative details, some seriously cool space battles, and one of the most
mind-twisting alien artifacts ever imagined."
(Alastair
Reynolds)
The last scheduled collaboration between Williams
& Dix, Geodesica is as vast as Evergence and as complex as Orphans, falling
somewhere between the two (if they did form a coherent timeline between them)
and touching on many familiar themes, such as post-humanity, the vastness of
the galaxy, and big explosions.
A love story between two people separated for 150 years--and
much more, as the plot unfolds--it depicts the discovery of a vast, non-human artefact and the changes it wreaks on the society around
it.
Comparisons came to Stephen Baxter, Charles Stross and
Cordwainer Smith from Paul di
Filippo. Locus name-checks Robert Silverberg, E.
E. Doc Smith Olaf Stapledon, and concludes:
"These are not writers who are content to let us
curl up with a cozy tale of exploding suns or galactic empire-busters. They
know that the winds between the stars probably blow cold and that the
significant half of "post-human" comes in front of the hyphen. It
makes for an astringent kind of entertainment, but one that sticks in the head
after the bubbles of lesser brands have evaporated."
The year is
2388. Humanity has spread to the stars,
but the far-flung Arc Systems chafe under the tight control of the Exarchs,
post-human AIs whose domination of faster-than-light technology7
gives them unsurpassed power. Then the discover of an alien artefact--dubbed Geodesica--changes
everything. Promising rapid transfer
between systems, it could give humans the advantage they need to bring down the
Exarchs.
Now, a handful of
men and women--including the VOIDship pilot Palmer Eogan, who is no longer
quite human, and the revolutionary leader, Melilah Awad--are about to risk
everything to unlock the secrets of Geodesica.
And what they find will be far more dangerous than anyone--human or
AI--could imagine...
"Splendid fun, brimming with heroes, villains, chicanery, neat
imaginative details, some seriously cool space battles, and one of the most
mind-twisting alien artifacts ever imagined." (Alastair Reynolds)
"Like their last trilogy,
'The Orphans of Earth', the authors are venturing firmly into Vernor Vinge territory, but
luckily seem to have the ability to write faster. You won't have to wait ten years between
books from this pair, but if you enjoy this 'hard' space opera as much as I
did, it might feel like it. Bring on
book two." (Phillip Knowles, Good
Reading)
"Geodesica: Ascent is the sort of cutting-edge, grand-scale science fiction that dazzles
and entertains even as it threatens to overwhelm us with its implications of a
post-human tomorrow." (Terry Dowling, The Weekend Australian)
"I never thought I'd be grateful to be stuck for over
two hours in a doctor's waiting room, but I was as it enabled me to read
uninterrupted. The story has many elements: relationships, intrigue, space
battles, what should be sacrificed for 'peace and order', nanotechnology and
even the nature of privacy... I can't wait for the next installment." (Australian Science Fiction Foundation)
Rebellion comes at a price.
The system of Bedlam has been devoured by
a surge of nanotech. Believing that an artificial intelligence from Sol, the
Archon, was behind the destruction, three unlikely allies begin plotting their
revenge.
Human rebel Melilah Awad has fled deeper
into the ancient labyrinth of Geodesica than anyone has ever dared, searching
for its secrets. Isaac Forge Deangelis-former Exarch of Bedlam and guardian of
Geodesica-will betray everything he believes in to see the Archon defeated. And
pilot Palmer Horsfall, inhabited by another rogue Exarch, will risk her
not-so-human life to avenge her sister's death.
Three Davids, against one Goliath.
And whoever controls Geodesica controls the universe.
"[Geodesica] falls into the genre of speculative human evolution,
as the reader takes an intriguing journey into what we might become." (Colin Steele, Sunday
"If you're going to write decent sci-fi, the first
thing you need is convincing technobabble. Sean
Williams and Shane Dix - two
"Sean Williams and Shane Dix...are great world
builders, their prose lush, visual and so descriptive that the audience can
actually picture it, especially Geodesica. There are many surprise twists so
that the audience never becomes bored as they peruse this enthralling space
opera."
(Harriet Klausner)
"Williams and Dix have a flair for combining slam-bang
adventures, intriguing characters and cutting-edge scientific and philosophical
speculations, resulting in books that elevate your adrenaline and your
intellect. This latest series is no exception to their reign." (Paul di Filippo,
scifi.com)
"These are not writers who are content to let us curl
up with a cozy tale of exploding suns or galactic empire-busters. They know
that the winds between the stars probably blow cold and that the significant
half of "post-human" comes in front of the hyphen. It makes for an
astringent kind of entertainment, but one that sticks in the head after the
bubbles of lesser brands have evaporated." (Russell Letson, Locus)
"...energetic and concise. The plot rollicks along, propelling the reader into
the action. Plush with imaginative detail..." (Cosmos)