Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #555745 in Books
• Published on: 2007-06-21
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 416 pages

Roz Kaveney, TIME OUT
"Probably the most intriguing and stylish SF novel of the year. Gloriously lush."

Review
"Ian McDonald is one of the more politically engaged science-fiction writers working today. Brasyl is a unique thriller of ideas." (Yo Zushi NEW STATESMAN )

"A dazzling, bold, fast-moving rush through three different worlds. I'm still thinking about it days after I finished reading it, a sure sign of a worthwhile book." (DEATHRAY )

'An extraordinary thematic narrative that I have no doubt will be featuring on many an award shortlist in the coming year. A genre novel right on the cutting edge of the quantum blades wielded as weapons within its pages, a book that loudly proclaims the arrival of the future' (SF REVU )

'A major novel from a major talent' (SF REVIEWS )

'McDonald conveys quite brilliantly the prodigious energy and fecundity of Brazil as it is and could be. ...Brasyl is a feast of fine prose, an able political novel, and an intriguing experiment in cross-temporal storytelling and implication. ...it is without doubt one of the major SF books of 2007' (LOCUS )

'A mesmerizing ensemble of three different tales. I was astonished... to see how McDonald yet again captures the essence of a country and its people and weaves it in a myriad of ways throughout the novel... Brasyl deserves the highest possible recommendation. It will surely be one of the best - if not the best - science fiction novels of 2007' (FANTASY HOTLIST )

I predict Brasyl will grace multiple shortlists come 2008. It's easily the best SF novel I've read this year. McDonald is a superb writer . . . much more often than not McDonald's prose is a wonder, from a hundred vivid and witty details, to sustained passages of perfectly judged atmosphere' (STRANGE HORIZONS )

'A triptych tale of humanity and all its passions and indignities. McDonald is not for the weak of heart. But oh, the ideas! Having learned and wondered and considered, I am better for having read this novel' (SPECULATIVE REVIEWS )

"It's a great story, wonderfully written, packed with neo-lit images and nifty phrases. A triple stranded SF narrative that glows with stronger colours and throbs to a more compulsive samba beat than mere reality can offer." (David Langford SFX )

"A bold, triple stranded novel - a sort of mutant chick lit horror, a historical adventure and a reeling cyberpunk thriller." (THE BIG ISSUE )

"Scintillating. Put this on your must-read list." (Dave Langford BBC FOCUS )

"A brilliant, kaleidoscopic novel that's both a portrait of a country and an exploration of the wider shores of theoretical physics. Brasyl is McDonald's best book yet." (Lisa Tuttle THE TIMES )

"A big, sprawling, sexy, complex novel. The writing is energetic and economical, the story riveting, the denouement fascinating. Enjoy!" (DREAMWATCH )

"A distinct and convincingly detailed world, full of the horrors of slavery, the Orwellian potential of the surveillance society currently developing, and the casual cruelty of our own celebrity driven culture. An impressive work." (STARBURST )

Brasyl is an accomplished work, a complex, multi-layered narrative which questions the notions of determinism and free will in a universe of illimitable possibilities. McDonald not only paints a stunning portrait of Brazil, which in all its chaos mirrors the quantum uncertainties of the multiverse, but presents a set of characters who come over as real people: multi-faceted, flawed, but ultimately sympathetic." (Eric Brown THE GUARDIAN )

Brasyl's worth a look: whenever McDonald's imagination slips free of its narrative constraints it leaves many of his contemporaries standing. A flawed technicolour storm of a book by one of Britain's most consistently interesting SF writers." (Tim Martin THE INDEPENDENT )

"Part Blade Runner, part Fast and Furious, part Philip K Dick, part Neuromancer. One of my favourite reads of 2007 so far." (SFFWORLD.COM )

"Brasyl is the best new novel I've read this year: a load of fun and an inventive politico-philosophical story, making it both "entertaining" and "important." Read it now so that when it starts popping up on several short lists later this year you'll know why." (SFFWORLD.COM )

"Probably the most intriguing and stylish SF novel of the year. Gloriously lush." (Roz Kaveney TIME OUT )

LOCUS
'McDonald conveys quite brilliantly the prodigious energy and fecundity of Brazil as it is and could be. ...Brasyl is a feast of fine prose, an able political novel, and an intriguing experiment in cross-temporal storytelling and implication. ...it is without doubt one of the major SF books of 2007'

Customer Reviews

A superior novel!
Brasyl was one of this year's most anticipated reads for me.

With River of Gods, Ian McDonald raised the bar rather high, and I was wondering if the author could come up with something as good. It never occurred to me that McDonald could write a better novel. And yet, somehow, he did!

Brasyl is a mesmerizing ensemble of three different tales. On takes place in Rio de Janeiro in 2006, as an ambitious reality tv producer finds herself in the middle of a conflict that could unravel reality itself. The second story takes place in Sao Paulo in 2032, as a man is thrust into the dangerous universe of quantum computing and he'll never be the same again. The third storyline occurs in Brazil in 1732, as a Jesuit Father is sent to bring back a rogue priest to face the justice of the religious order.

I was astonished to see the tale unfold, to see how McDonald yet again captures the essence of a country and its people and weaves it in a myriad of ways throughout the novel. The author paints a vivid picture of South America's largest country, depicting the past, the present, and the possible future of Brazil in a manner that makes everything come alive as you read on. Every plotline is tied to the others. Indeed, everything is linked together across time and the fabric of reality, thanks to quantum physics and the multiverse that surrounds our existence.

The worldbuilding is "top notch." Ian McDonald deserves kudos for his brilliant depiction of Brazil during three different epochs. As always, the author's eye for exquisite details adds another dimension to a book that's already head and shoulder above the competition.

Of the three main characters (one for each era), Father Luis Quinn steals the show. Funny how a Jesuit priest from the 18th century should become the star of a thought-provoking scifi masterpiece! The supporting cast consists of a few interesting characters, chief among those Dr. Robert Falcon.

You'll be amazed to see how the various plotlines come together to form a dazzling whole. This book blew my mind even more than River of Gods. Seriously, I didn't want it to end!

Brasyl deserves the highest possible recommendation. It will surely be one of the best -- if not the best -- science fiction novels of 2007.

Without the shadow of a doubt, Brasyl is one of the books to read this year!

Check out my blog: www.fantasyhotlist.blogspot.com

Vibrant and original
MacDonald once again chooses a distinctive cultural backdrop for this tale of quantum computing, parallel universes and mysterious organisations attempting to control reality. We are presented with three 'eras' of Brazil, anicent, contemporary and near-future, and within these three narrative strands is packed a phenomenal amount of historical, scientific and cultural knowledge. MacDonald has clearly done his research, and if at times the science is shoe-horned in via clunky 'infodumps', the never-ending stream of vivid characters, visceral action and cliffhanger plot-twists keeps the reader very much engaged. At times bewildering, and perhaps a little rushed towards the end, this is nevertheless a feast of alternative sci-fi that betrays a deep-love for its setting and its people.

real sci-fi, real storytelling
This is one of the most original and inventive novels in this genre that I've read for some time. One can only conclude from the protests re the use of Brazilian-Portuguese in the text, that the complaints originate from those who holiday in foreign climes and insist on the full English breakfast. If one seeks the exotic, it's pretty much a given that things will be somewhat different. And this book certainly is different. This is the first book I've read by this author, but it is unlikely to be the last. Mr McDonald appears to be the sort of author who sets out to flatter his readers by assuming that they are either well-read, curious or both, whilst managing to entertain them at the same time. If you've found Wm Gibson, Neal Stephenson et al rewarding then this book is for you, tho' Mr McDonald is, on the basis of this outing, entirely his own man.