Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #11135 in Books
• Published on: 2008-08-28
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 432 pages

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

Review
"Brasyl is classic McDonald: a deep thinking, high-paced adventure story, exploring the quantumn universe, combining sassy, believeable characters with a captivating delight in language and storytelling. Mcdonald inhabits the Brazil - or rather, the Brazils - of this world and sweeps you along as no other writer in the field could manage." (Keith Brooke THE GUARDIAN )

"A beautiful story, one that cries out to be read again and again. McDonald's light is still shining brightly, and considering the consistent quality of his titles, we say long may it burn." (James Rundle SCIFI NOW )

"This is a big, sprawling, sexy, complex novel. The writing is energetic and economical, the story riveting, the denouement fascinating. An ambitious and riveting SF epic." (DREAMWATCH TOTAL SCI-FI )

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.