An Arthur C Clark shortlisted author for his first novel Salt continues, nay even betters, his blend of hard-core science fiction with great storytelling. He is definitely an author worth watching.
Reviewed by Sarah Broadhurst Sarah Broadhurst spent her early working life in the book trade in both retail and wholesale until the arrival of children forced her to look for freelance work she could do from… More reviews by Sarah Broadhurst
‘Rich, snobbish and none too bright, Polystom is Steward of Enting and ruler of a vast estate of woods, fishing villages and wild forest. His land seems almost empty, until one realises that this is because it is peopled with serfs who barely register on Polystom's radar, and can be flogged or hanged at will. Polystom is an exquisite: a lover of opera, moonlight and fine feelings. Such is his self-absorption, though, that on the rare occasions when he realises the blindingly obvious, he decides that his understanding reveals rare levels of insight found only in poets. He is a cypher for doomed youth heading to the trenches, an anti-hero escaped from Turgenev or Chekhov to a solar system where spoilt young nobles fly between worlds in open-top biplanes, swaddled in flying jacket and scarf. As ever with Roberts, the writing is sharp and the characters suitably nasty; but the ghost of Bob Shaw's 1986 novel Ragged Astronauts, which also used the concept of breathable space, looms large...As ever with Roberts, the writing is sharp and the characters suitably nasty Waterstone's - Roberts has created a true marvel' Guardian Review
Author
About Adam Roberts
Adam Roberts is commonly described as one of the UK's most important writers of SF. He is the author of numerous novels and literary parodies. He is Professor of 19th Century Literature at Royal Holloway, London University and has written a number of critical works on both SF and 19th Century poetry. He is a contributor to the SF ENCYCLOPEDIA.
