Rhetoric and Logic

Redemption Ark (The Inhibitor Sequence, #2) by Alastair Reynolds,

May 17, 2022

This is the third book of Reynolds' I've read, and each one follows a similar pattern:

1. I struggle to finish the darn thing. Reynold's compulsion to restate details drags the book down and mired me in a struggle to get to the finish line. (For instance: Yes, I am aware the Wolves are dangerous. Yes, I am aware that the conjoiners are at war with humanity. Yes, I remember who the Inhibitors are.) Amazingly, in spite of this redundant repetition of major plot points, there were still moments I was confused -- and this was mostly because the actual characters, though incredibly different on paper, seem to all act and speak in a similar way. They're all tough and quippy with a chip on their shoulders, in spite of the fact that they range from technologically superior hive-mind denizens to scrappy opportunists.

2. I finish the darn thing, and, basking in its afterglow, the awesomeness of his plot hits me. Reynolds' ideas are revelatory. He spins together interesting threads of possibilities from our current understanding of science. Were you aware that the Milky Way and Andromeda galaxies were on an (incredibly slow) collision course? I am now!