Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #943 in Books
• Published on: 2008-04-04
• Binding: Paperback
• 560 pages

SFX Magazine
'If there's a more enjoyable and provocative sci-fi action saga this year, we'll be seriously surprised.'

Synopsis
During a war between two planets in the same solar system - each occupied by adapted humans - what is thought to be a cosmic superstring is discovered. After being cut, this object collapses into four cylindrical pieces, each about the size of a tube train. Each is densely packed with either alien technology or some kind of life. They are placed for safety in three ozark cylinders of a massively secure space station. There a female research scientist subsequently falls pregnant, and gives birth to quads. Then she commits suicide - but why? By the end of the war one of the contesting planets has been devastated by the hilldiggers - giant space dreadnoughts employing weapons capable of creating mountain ranges. The quads have meanwhile grown up and are assuming positions of power in the post-war society. One of them will eventually gain control of the awesome hilldiggers.

From the Inside Flap
A terrible war once raged between the two rival planets within
a distant solar system. Over the centuries their human inhabitants had
`adapted' themselves to the extremely different conditions of their new
homes, far outside Polity influence.

In the midst of this merciless conflict, one side encountered a bizarre
object suspected of being a cosmic superstring employed as a new weapon by
the rival side. Their attack on it caused the object to collapse into four
parts, each found to be packed either with alien technology or some unknown
form of life. Pending further study, these were quickly encased inside four
separate Ozark cylinders and stored in a massively secure space station in
orbit.

Sometime later, while conducting research on this alien entity, which they
now call `the Worm', a female scientist falls pregnant and subsequently
gives birth to quads. She then inexplicably commits suicide by walking
directly out into space . . .

The war was finally brought to an end by the use of new weapons arising as
a result of research on the Worm. These weapons were deployed by giant
space dreadnoughts nicknamed `hilldiggers' - and their destructive power
was sufficient to create entire new mountain ranges out of the vanquished
planet's ravaged terrain. Twenty years after the dust has settled, those
four exceptionally talented orphans have grown up to assume varying degrees
of power and influence within a post-war society.

And one of this exceptional breed now seems determined to gain total
control over the deadly hilldiggers. But why?

Customer Reviews

A very boring book
"Hilldiggers" is very much unlike other Asher's books. It is as if it's written by a different person. It's boring.

I love his "Skinner" and still re-read it every now and then; the "Voyage..." is almost just as good. His Cormac books are also finely written. This one, I could barely finish it. The plot is predictable, all characters are flat and the writing style is extremely boring: page after page of monotonous narrative, irrelevant details and dry dialogs. No sense of humor whatsoever, and in fact very little emotions at all.

Despite his obsession with details, Asher doesn't bother to be consistent with his prior Spatterjay books (one example: in both the "Skinner" and the "Voyage..." hoopers occasionally get dunked into the deadly Spatterjay sea and, while being eaten alive by various creatures, they do keep afloat like any normal human would. In "Hilldiggers", the Hooper character McCrooger is for some reason much denser than normal people and would instantly sink to the bottom). Not to mention the idea of sending the Hooper, twice-infected by conflicting viruses, to make first contact with a paranoid and warlike civilization... Not to mention the silly "tiger-on-the-ball" Tigger drone... Or the four obviously suspicious "worm children" so easily allowed to raise to the top of the society...

If you like Asher and don't want to be disappointed, stick to his earlier Spatterjay books and avoid this one.

A great action-packed political space opera
Brumal & Sudoria, two planets in the same system inhabited by adapted humans with a bitter history. A war was fought over many years and 20 years ago Sudoria clenched victory through the use of their massive Hilldiggers, spaceships capable of creating huge disruptions on planetary surfaces. Although this victory led to peace time between the two planets, Sudoria still hold a strong presence and are effectively the dominant planet in the system. Not only do Fleet, Sudoria's space presence in control of the Hilldiggers, protect Sudoria and are used as the main transport links for the planet throughout the system, but Orbital Combine also protect Sudoria through their orbital stations, both industrial, defensive and scientific.

At the end of the war a huge worm like creature was discovered in the system, something completely alien. Fleet immediately attacked the Worm and cut it into four pieces, each of which was quickly imprisoned in individual Ozark containers. Around this the main station of Orbital Combine was built and was used to study the creature. But there is often overflow from these containers and Elsever Strone was unlucky enough to become pregnant during one of these incidents. Her four children are born - Harald, Rhodane, Yishna and Orduval - and grow up with very impressive capabilities, each following a route that is their guiding light and will take them into strong positions within society.

Now with the events of the war a memory, two events bring these back to the surface: a book revealing the truth abut the war written by the secretive Uskaron and the arrival of a Polity probe in the system to establish contact with these distant relatives of humanity. With strict rules in place, David McCrooger, a Hooper, comes to the system as the Polity Consul Assessor to work with the governments to invite the system to join the Polity. But not everyone wants the interference and will go to great lengths to stop the Consul Assessors mission.

This story has everything you need from a good sci-fi book: great in-depth characters, a gripping story, weird and wonderful alien environments and wildlife, big space battles, a Polity drone and one of the best things you can ask for from a book: it's a page turner that will leave you wanting more. Neal has once again used his imagination to conjure up vivid images of alien effects on humanity.

The story really does pick up from the moment you open the book and doesn't let you go until you turn the last page. Neal has structured the book so while you get the events that are happening at present, you also get flashback sections that focus on the four Strone children and shows you just how different they are to the others on their planet. This is a welcome addition to the book and doesn't interfere with the narrative in any way, if anything they add much more depth and give you a very gradual picture of the society in which they grow up. One of the more enjoyable elements were the McCrooger sections, all written in the first person. I've not read many novels with this trait but it works exceptionally well in this context - an outsider coming into a delicate situation. I'd be very interested in reading more like this from Neal.

On the whole, if you like good, fast paced, intelligent space opera, then this is for you, even if you've not read any of Neal's previous works. You may be left wondering over some bits of information, but when an author has spent years building up his universe over 8 novels and many short stories, you will only fully get all references when you've read them all. Very highly recommended!

Hilldiggers = a muddy good read !
Another cracking page turner from Mr Asher! He's rapidly taking over from Ian M Banks and Peter F Hamilton as my favoirite SF author. Don't buy this book as a first from Mr Asher though. Work your way through the Gridlinked/Spatterjay universe first. You won't be dissapointed, Guaranteed!