"Eternal winter set in an alternative history hits with a sledgehammer in this novel of epic proportions as it deep dives into philosophy, relationships, politics, and adventure. "
Step into an alternative history after an asteroid hits Siberia during 1908 and an eternal winter approaches courtesy of the Gleissen as they emerge. A word of, not warning, but of consideration, this is nearly 1200 pages of densely packed wonderment, and it is not to be rushed. It is also very much of its place, in terms of history and setting (Poland and Russia) which may take some getting used to. The world building by author award-winning author Jacek Dukaj is just fabulous, it is both of, and out of this world. A sense of intense recognition hit me as I started to read, and it was powerful to realise that the First World War and following events had not taken place due to the asteroid. I loved the sections on the Trans-Siberian Express, again the sense of place was immense. I found myself lost in the philosophy of truth and logic, fascinated by the balance of play in the main protagonist’s relationships, and quite frankly in awe of the mind that has created the technological and science fiction elements of this novel. I was both aware and unaware of the translation as I read. Unaware in that I was able to submerge myself into the words, but there was a constant appreciation of the skill it would have taken by Ursula Phillips to translate this behemoth of a novel. I was so pleased to see the Translator’s Postscript titled Translating the ‘untranslatable’ at the end, she starts by explaining that: “the author of Ice deemed his novel ‘untranslatable’, since he regarded certain challenges in the transfer from Polish to English impossible to resolve in cultural as well as linguistic terms”. She thanks the author for their many discussions and it was absolutely fascinating to read how the translation was undertaken. Epic in nature, intricate, and full of complexity, Ice is nonetheless one heck of a fascinating and compelling read.
| Primary Genre | Science Fiction |
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A Trans-Siberian odyssey through political, criminal, scientific, philosophical and amorous intrigues, and into an endless winter to confront something utterly alien.
14th July 1924: In a Warsaw buried under feet of snow and Russian rule, Benedykt Gieroslawski, a dissolute young Polish mathematician, is roused from his bed by two officials from the Ministry of Winter and dispatched to Siberia, on the Trans-Siberian Express, to track down his long-exiled father.
The catalyst for this frosty metamorphosis of 20th century history is the impact of the Tunguska asteroid, deep in Siberia, in 1908. From this Ground Zero, emerge the Gleissen, silent harbingers of an eternal winter that follows in their ponderous wake. As they spread across the continent, agriculture collapses and people flock to cities as they seek protection from the deadly cold. As the land freezes, so does history: the Tsar still rules Russia; the Belle Époque endures; and the First World War never happened.
But out there, on the ice, a new world is being forged. The extreme, alien cold has transmuted elements into strange new forms, a 'black physics' that is the catalyst for a new industrial and scientific revolution. At the heart of it lies Siberia - a 'Wild East', a magnet for all the political, religious and scientific fevers shaking the world at the dawn of the 20th century, the crucible where black physics, shamanic lore and the cold logic of winter combine. And Benedykt's final destination.
Will he embrace the ice, or destroy it?
Ice features in the following genres: Books of the Month, Political / Legal Thrillers, Science Fiction, Science Fiction, Fiction, Science Fiction, Science Fiction, Alternative history fiction, Narrative theme: Sense of place, Siberia
Ice is available in Paperback, Hardback
Ice was written by Jacek Dukaj and published by Head of Zeus an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing (UK)
Ice has 1200 pages
£26.99
