A Darker Geometry

Rating:
Summary: Known Space by those who Know Space but not Known Space?
Review: A pretty decent Known Space story with some decent characters and an initially exciting premise leading to a letdown. Weak ending. Shine it on

Rating:
Summary: A horrible, incomprehensible novel
Review: As I picked this book up off the shelf without prior knowledge to whatever fiction universe it belongs to, I must base my review solely on this book. In other words, other books in the "Known Space" series may very well be better, but I couldn't stand "A Darker Geometry".

The first three or four chapters are intriguing, and kept me reading. I must say I enjoyed the way life in space and the kzinti perspective were handled -- you really got into the minds of the characters for a while. However, incomprehensible nonsense such as the conversations between the "Outsiders" added absolutely nothing to the book, and probably took a lot away. Physics and philosophy bogged the story down rather than giving it flight. I barely made it through the book. The ending was also poor.

All in all, I think the only people I could recommend this book to are fans of the Known Space novels, or people with lots of free time to try and figure out the philosophical aspects of this book.

Rating:
Summary: A horrible, incomprehensible novel
Review: As I picked this book up off the shelf without prior knowledge to whatever fiction universe it belongs to, I must base my review solely on this book. In other words, other books in the "Known Space" series may very well be better, but I couldn't stand "A Darker Geometry".

The first three or four chapters are intriguing, and kept me reading. I must say I enjoyed the way life in space and the kzinti perspective were handled -- you really got into the minds of the characters for a while. However, incomprehensible nonsense such as the conversations between the "Outsiders" added absolutely nothing to the book, and probably took a lot away. Physics and philosophy bogged the story down rather than giving it flight. I barely made it through the book. The ending was also poor.

All in all, I think the only people I could recommend this book to are fans of the Known Space novels, or people with lots of free time to try and figure out the philosophical aspects of this book.

Rating:
Summary: Fine for Bedford fans.
Review: Though fairly new to SF I've read a lot of Benford over the last year. This book though enjoyable is not up to the standard of works like Timescape or Across the Sea of Suns. The plot is somewhat confused beginning with the sort 'War In Space' I associate with the chessy SF I knew in my teen years. Then it branches off into broader notions of cosmology first explored in the Galactic Centre series and mixes in a love triangle in which 2 of the parties are different representations of the same person A good read. If you enjoy Benford as I do, I think it's worthwhile