Stephen King was shilling for him in the latest EW and I was thinking about getting some of his stuff. Any thoughts? Is he good? What is your favorite of his books?
Any series or can I read them in any order.
I am always on the look out for GOOD scifi.
He’s terrific. One of the best novelists in the field.
No series that I’m aware of. Each book is one of a kind.
Be aware that he is on the literary end of the sf spectrum. No space battles. Real people, real characterization, real problems. Some fantastic imagination as well. This is why he is practically unknown.
I’ve only read two of his novels, but both are truly outstanding. I’ll definitely be reading more of his work!
I can’t add too much to the Amazon reviews, so I’ll just point you to the two that I’ve read: The Chronoliths, which evocatively explores the enormous socio-political impact of vast monuments which suddenly appear proclaiming the overwhelming world-wide victories of a near future human conqueror. People and governments struggle painfully with the damning evidence that they have lost the war before they’ve even begun, which is almost certainly the reason this future conqueror sent the chronoliths in the first place. The story revolves around trying to identify, locate, and stop this subjugator, both socially and technologically, yet it’s a deep and thoughtful story. Don’t listen to those few who don’t like the ending; it’s a subtle and very fitting conclusion.
The second book is Wilson’s newest novel, Spin, which in many ways I liked even more. It has an epic timeline (and I mean epic!)Three adolescent friends are laying on their backs watching the sky when the stars suddenly go out. The sun comes up the following morning, and in a turn I very much appreciated, few panic about the apparent loss of the visible moon and stars. The world eventually learns that some kind of temporal field in which time proceeds far slower within it relative to the outside universe has been set up around the Earth (and certain optical properties come with it). Who did it, and why? What does it signify? Can, and should, anything be done?
These questions are explored while the relationships of the three main characters – a reclusive genius, his religion-addled sister, and the son of their family’s housekeeper – collide and repel in fascinating ways. Amazingly, with all these astonishing things going on, this is still a character-centered story. And an excellent one. But that is not to diminish in any way the extraordinary scientific ideas in Spin. What possible motive could an ET civilization have for wanting humanity to essentially travel through time to the horrendously distant future? What can mankind do about the encroaching expansion of the Sun, which is still maturing at the rate of the outside universe? And can we employ evolution in such a way as to generate another civilization to help us?
I agree with the extremely brief review on Amazon which baldly states: “Simply the best SF novel since Vinge’s ‘A Deepness in the Sky.’” If you haven’t read that, then I very strongly commend you to read it, too!
These are utterly compelling novels, which all science fiction lovers must read (and any number of readers who don’t like science fiction, too).
Thanks for reminding me about this author - I read a couple of his books years ago and really liked them. It’s about time I checked out his more recent stuff. The ones I read were Mysterium, an alternative reality story in which America is a theocratic state run by Puritans, The Harvest (Earth’s first contact with aliens, who offer humans the chance of immortality) and A Bridge of Years, a time-travel novel which I can’t remember much about except that it wasn’t quite as good.
I ordered “Spin” but after reading ambushed’s post, I really like the idea of **Chronoliths[.b].
While I have some scifi fans here, anyone ever read Marrow by Robert Reed?
It was recommended by Amazon for people who liked Spin. I like the Generation ship genre. Any opinions?
Thanks for all the thoughts so far.