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Terminal World

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Terminal World

By: Alastair Reynolds
Narrated by: John Lee
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About this listen

Spearpoint, the last human city, is an atmosphere-piercing spire of vast size. Clinging to its skin are the zones, a series of semi-autonomous city-states, each of which enjoys a different - and rigidly enforced - level of technology. Following an infiltration mission that went tragically wrong, Quillon has been living incognito, working as a pathologist in the district morgue.

But when a near-dead angel drops onto his dissecting table, Quillon's world is wrenched apart one more time. If Quillon is to save his life, he must leave his home and journey into the cold and hostile lands beyond Spearpoint's base, starting an exile that will take him further than he could ever imagine. But there is far more at stake than just Quillon's own survival, for the limiting technologies of the zones are determined not by governments or police but by the very nature of reality---and reality itself is showing worrying signs of instability.

©2010 Alastair Reynolds (P)2010 Tantor Fiction Science Fiction Space Opera Space Steampunk City

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Critic reviews

"A rousing adventure in a widly original setting." ( Guardian, UK)
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This book captures the imagination and the author moulds the very diverse characters seamlessly. By the time I reached the end I felt like the characters were family and found myself rooting for a great ending, which it delivered. I also felt I knew every inch of the extremely foreign landscapes and zones. Best read I have had in ages

Terminal World

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I am new to Alistair Reynolds' books, in fact I have only started listening to them since having audible.

I really enjoyed this title. Great story, with a thoroughly steam punk edge, air ships and all.

Clever concept and way of moving through different locations. Good protagonist and some endearing supporting characters.

Overall a good science fiction / steam punk read!

A compelling read

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he builds a world within this book that is so interesting, and he does it without too much exposition, just follows with the story.

Great world building

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Alastair Reynolds has written some top-notch sci-fi - 'Revelation space', 'Chasm City',and 'The Prefect' being my particular favourites. but he produces duds as well and 'Terminal World' is, in my view, nowhere near his best work.

The sci-fi backdrop is just not convincingly plausible and lacks an imaginative sense of wonder, the plot is confused, narrative momentum is choppy, and I just didn't find the characters engaging.

To cap it all, the narrator Stepehen Lee, who is normally very good, has an off day on this book. His narration lacks variation in pace and tone, and his characterisation and handling of dialogue is very stiff and wooden. Maybe the book defeated him.

So disappointing.

disappointing

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Fast paced story set in a very different future world. I liked the idea of a wholly airborne community (The Swarm). Characters a bit two dimensional. Fairly well narrated..

Dirigible Adventure

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After reading this author's Revelation Space series of books I was hooked on this author's style & approach to space opera SciFi. Whilst not as free roaming as his space operas, this novel contains the same rich plot element ideas & earthy character development. Always digging deeper into lost Alien & technological mysteries, you discover more layers of the onion being peeled away through the journey the main characters take. Never shown the full picture from the start, but rewarded enough as you read through, so as not to be frustrated & ending in ultimate climactic knowledge of the true nature of terminal world.

Terminal World

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as always, enjoyed the deep time aspects, but too often there was very pat "this character just happens to know the answer" dialogue

enjoyed, but not Reynolds best

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Would you try another book written by Alastair Reynolds or narrated by John Lee?

Definitely, the Revelation Space series is superb! John Lee has a great voice that adds power and importance to anything he reads.

Would you be willing to try another book from Alastair Reynolds? Why or why not?

Yes.

Have you listened to any of John Lee’s other performances? How does this one compare?

John is one of my favorite narrators and this is first class. Would recommend Pandora's Star by Peter F Hamilton and read by John Lee as the Cream of the Sci Fi Crop!

Did Terminal World inspire you to do anything?

Not really.

Interesting Concept

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Although this book is had a slow start I found myself keen to hear more. As the story progressed the action kept building. As a standalone novel, not set in the common universes of Absolution Gap, or the pirate sisters, this works quite well. A mixture of post apocalyptic steampunk and high tech puzzles.

Narration was pretty good too.

Slow start that just kept speeding up

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Having read a number of Alastair Reynolds books, I took this as a new series. Unfortunately although the book would be a great start it has not been carried on and has been left open at the end. Well worth a listen or read though

Enjoyable

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