Product Description

Revelation Space has sold more than 50,000 copies in massmarket paperback Revelation Space and Chasm City were shortlisted for the Arthur C Clarke Award; Chasm City won the British Science Fiction Award Absolution Gap is shortlisted for the British Science Fiction Award Immense critical acclaim: 'Reynolds's narrative is truly breathtaking in scope and intricate in detail, making him a mastersinger of the space opera' The Times 'One of Britain's hottest young authors' SFRevu.com 'The span here is mind-boggling ... a breathtaking journey' Good Book Guide American sale for REVELATION SPACE and CHASM CITY highest ever for first British SF novels Redemption Ark made SF SITE's reader's poll of the top 10 books of 2002. 'Alastair Reynolds occupies the same frenzied imaginative space as Philip K. Dick or A.E. Van Vogt; that he occupies it as a working scientist is what makes it so exciting' M. John Harrison in the Guardian

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #235251 in Books
• Published on: 2004-11-25
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 506 pages

Review
"Century Rain is a darkly brilliant love story, set in worlds we think we know but don't." -- Jon Courtenay Grimwood GUARDIAN "Further proof that he is shaping up into one of SF's best and most ambitious novelists". -- Jonathan Wright SFX "This is an intelligent space opera" -- Roz Kaveney Time Out "Century Rain is an absolute cracker of a novel. Reynolds has always been a consistently bright star in the firmament of British sci-fi but now he has suddenly, perhaps unexpectedly, gone supernova. -- OUTLAND OTTAKAR'S "Century Rain is an exciting, thought-provoking novel, an audacious synthesis of genre forms. Alastair Reynolds is now in his novelistic prime." -- Nick Gevers LOCUS While science ficiton and mystery have often been combined, no writer has done so with such intelligence or originality as Alastair Reynolds. In a single novel, he steps from the mean streets to the far future." -- Rick Kleffel Interzone "Century Rain demonstrates the growing maturity of his talent" Edge Magazine "Leaves you wishing that more science fiction was this good. A genuinely great book." -- Brigid Cherry Dreamwatch "With Century Rain, Alastair Reynolds continues the coruscating path he has blazed through SF skies. This a whopping 500-pager, brimming with ideas." -- Barry Seddon Manchester Evening News

Review
"Century Rain is a darkly brilliant love story, set in worlds we think we know but don't." (Jon Courtenay Grimwood GUARDIAN )

"Further proof that he is shaping up into one of SF's best and most ambitious novelists". (Jonathan Wright SFX )

"This is an intelligent space opera" (Roz Kaveney Time Out )

"Century Rain is an absolute cracker of a novel. Reynolds has always been a consistently bright star in the firmament of British sci-fi but now he has suddenly, perhaps unexpectedly, gone supernova. (OUTLAND OTTAKAR'S )

"Century Rain is an exciting, thought-provoking novel, an audacious synthesis of genre forms. Alastair Reynolds is now in his novelistic prime." (Nick Gevers LOCUS )

While science ficiton and mystery have often been combined, no writer has done so with such intelligence or originality as Alastair Reynolds. In a single novel, he steps from the mean streets to the far future." (Rick Kleffel Interzone )

"Century Rain demonstrates the growing maturity of his talent" (Edge Magazine )

"Leaves you wishing that more science fiction was this good. A genuinely great book." (Brigid Cherry Dreamwatch )

"With Century Rain, Alastair Reynolds continues the coruscating path he has blazed through SF skies. This a whopping 500-pager, brimming with ideas." (Barry Seddon Manchester Evening News )

Roz Kaveney, Time Out
"This is an intelligent space opera"

Customer Reviews

Interesting concept let down by the plot
From the books I've read by Alastair Reynolds this is the best, However while the premises is interesting, as conflict between two groups trying to save an environmentally damaged earth and then discovering of a copy of the earth is original.

It is let down by the plotting, which at times does not make sense. While the ending is ridiculous in how they leave the hero?

bit daft but still enjoyable
I enjoyed this book but do think that the Revelation Space books are far better. The plot is just a bit, well, daft. The characters are great as always and the ideas regarding nanotechnology are really interesting. So I thought it was a bit of a shame they got a bit wasted on a poorish plot. Still a fun read though.

Century Rain
Alastair Reynolds best book yet, and finally one with a well-thought out ending! A thoroughly odd blend of detective novel and hard-core sci-fi thriller, setting it in the Fifties throws in a pleasantly different twist which he has obviously researched well (jazz lovers read on!). This is also a dark, twisted look at humanity struggling to reclaim Earth, re-introducing genocide, Facism and our sheer inablity to get along with one another. Reynolds has shown again his wide-ranging imagination, although I agree that he perhaps could distil some of the longer pieces of the story (the wormhole chase scene is somewhat protracted). Nevertheless, a very difficult book to put down. Thoroughly looking forward to Pushing Ice next!