Amazon.com: Customer reviews: House of Suns by Alastair Reynolds (2010-05-25)
Skip to main content
.us
Hello Select your address
All
Select the department you want to search in
Hello, Sign in
Account & Lists
Returns & Orders
Cart
All
Back to School Disability Customer Support Off to College Best Sellers Amazon Basics Today's Deals New Releases Customer Service Prime Music Books Kindle Books Amazon Home Registry Fashion Gift Cards Toys & Games Sell Handmade Amazon Explore Coupons Automotive Pharmacy Pet Supplies Home Improvement Computers Beauty & Personal Care Luxury Stores Video Games Shopper Toolkit

  • House of Suns by Alastair Reynolds (2010-05-25)
  • ›
  • Customer reviews

Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
4.6 out of 5
1,487 global ratings
5 star
70%
4 star
24%
3 star
4%
2 star
1%
1 star
1%
House of Suns by Alastair Reynolds (2010-05-25)

House of Suns by Alastair Reynolds (2010-05-25)

Write a review
How customer reviews and ratings work

Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.

To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness.

Learn more how customers reviews work on Amazon
See All Buying Options

Top positive review

All positive reviews›
James Walker
5.0 out of 5 starsA Gripping Sci Opera
Reviewed in the United States on February 17, 2022
I have never read a story like this before. I am new to Sci-Fi, having only read one series before this one. I read the story that generated this first, “Thousandth Night”. That was pleasing enough, but this is simply order of magnitudes greater

I desperately hope that we will one day get a sequel. There is certainly room for one, as there tends to be when looking at galactic scales

I person I very much admire (Isaac Arthur - Science and Futurism) listed this book as his favourite all time within the Sci Fi genre. All I can say is that reading this is one of the most satisfying choices I’ve made in years

I look forward to reading more books by the author
Read more

Top critical review

All critical reviews›
Peter Sealy
3.0 out of 5 starsSome good ideas, but ultimately unsatisfying
Reviewed in the United States on January 3, 2021
The story rigidly adheres to the speed of light, except, you know, wormholes. The protagonists have access to six million years' worth of technology, except, you know, lack the common sense to take reasonable precautions after a disastrous ambush. Advanced AI features at the start and end of the story, but somehow, you know, isn't in use all over the galaxy.

Some interesting, even provocative ideas, but ultimately not enough to match the daunting scope of a six million year timeline. All that fuss, and it all boils down to people just not being able to get along?!
Read more
10 people found this helpful

Search
Sort by
Top reviews
Filter by
All reviewers
3 star only
Text, image, video
Filtered by
3 starClear filter
89 total ratings, 29 with reviews

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

From the United States

Peter Sealy
3.0 out of 5 stars Some good ideas, but ultimately unsatisfying
Reviewed in the United States on January 3, 2021
Verified Purchase
The story rigidly adheres to the speed of light, except, you know, wormholes. The protagonists have access to six million years' worth of technology, except, you know, lack the common sense to take reasonable precautions after a disastrous ambush. Advanced AI features at the start and end of the story, but somehow, you know, isn't in use all over the galaxy.

Some interesting, even provocative ideas, but ultimately not enough to match the daunting scope of a six million year timeline. All that fuss, and it all boils down to people just not being able to get along?!
10 people found this helpful
Helpful
Report abuse
    Showing 0 comments

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.


John M. Ford
3.0 out of 5 stars A Grand Scale in Both Space and Time
Reviewed in the United States on July 2, 2010
Verified Purchase
Alastair Reynolds has written the best galaxy-spanning, big-idea space opera since Vernor Vinge's  A Fire Upon The Deep . It has a fascinating universe with characters operating from truly deep-time, cross-galaxy perspectives. Among them are:

Campion and Purslane, two non-identical clones from an original set of a thousand "shatterlings." They and their siblings were created to repeatedly make exploratory circuits of the galaxy and meet every 200,000 years or so to share memories and plan their next circuits. Risking official censure, Campion and Purslane consort during their circuits rather than exploring independently.

Hesperus, a robot of the Machine People who has lost much of his memory, but strives to discover and complete his mission. His actions demonstrate repeated loyalty to Campion and Purslane.

The Spirit of the Air who was once a man, became a machine intelligence, and finally evolved into a distributed machine intelligence. It controls the climate of the planet Neume and is regarded by the population as a capricious and inscrutable god. Asking the Spirit for favors is dangerous to everyone.

The Vigilance, a civilization of immortal archivists, collects information about the entire galaxy, continually sifting and prioritizing it. Some of this information is shared with other civilizations--with unforeseen consequences.

The novel is also rich with highly-imaginative Big Ideas. Stardams are containment devices of only partially understood technology that can contain entire solar systems. Aspic of Machines is a high-tech paste that can perform any number of miraculous tasks--just smear it on the problem surface. "Whisking" from place to place using dynamic transporters seems the least of the marvels available in the far-distant future.

The book has two characterization flaws worth mentioning. First, many of the long-lived characters--particularly Campion and Purslane's fellow shatterlings--lack the experience and insight one would expect from human beings who have lived for tens of thousands of years. The author might learn a lesson or two from the age-weary wisdom of Poul Anderson's characters in 
The Boat of A Million Years . Second, many of the shatterlings are difficult to tell apart given what little we learn about them. This is particularly frustrating when readers are trying to figure out which one is a traitor to the Gentian Line. The author could have extracted key episodes from each shatterling's history and presented a Tom Clancy-like one-page profile that left readers with a feel for the shatterling's personality and motives.

There are also two story weaknesses. I won't summarize the plot, as it is best experienced without advance cueing. I will say that it drags in places. I am tempted to conclude that the author does this deliberately to help us short-lifers understand the book's timescale, but it happens too often in dialogue for this to be entirely true. While there are interesting and surprising resolutions to many of the questions raised in the story, there are some left unresolved. For me this felt more like unpolished storytelling than cliff-hanging for a possible sequel. Your mileage may vary.

Despite having grumbled over its flaws, I recommend the book to my fellow SF fans as enjoyable and thought-provoking. After reading it I continue to regard Alastair Reynolds as one of my favorite SF authors. Pick up this book and enjoy the long journey he has mapped out for us.
4 people found this helpful
Helpful
Report abuse
    Showing 0 comments

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.


mobiusklien
3.0 out of 5 stars Plot overwhelmed by the scope
Reviewed in the United States on March 14, 2011
Verified Purchase
I am a fan of Alistair Reynolds. Pushing Ice deserved a 5 star rating, and it spanned billions of years. This book did not do as well in spanning 7 million years. Reyonolds created some confusing perspectives since the first person POV was used interchangably among 2 of the protatgonists (clones) of Abigail, the seed personality.
The thread for Abigail, the originator of the journey across space and timne, was intervwoven throughput the book, but it did not feel that the struggles during Abigail's narrative were relevant to themain story.
What the story did expose was the fact that many families created these clone explorers to visit the galaxy and rendevous every 200k years. It respects the fact that there is no "faster than light" technology. These families of explorers were painted as a decadent lot, travelling dilletants. it seemed that their ability to create and invent took a back seat to the endless wandering. So in this sense it reprents a view of stagnation on a huger galactic scale. The reasons I rated this book a three, as opposed ot Pushing Ice which got a 5:
1- it was not uplifiting at all
2- the entire society seemed aimless

In Pushing Ice the protagonists, as flawed as they were invigorated our species to explore the stars
One person found this helpful
Helpful
Report abuse
    Showing 0 comments

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.


JOHN P BACK
3.0 out of 5 stars Great sci-fi in a difficult-to-read Package
Reviewed in the United States on October 9, 2019
Verified Purchase
One of those needlessly padded-out novels and Reynolds barely manages meaningful characters. Despite the ponderous writing, a marvellous sci-fi adventurer awaits the (very) patient reader. Half-way between the abhorrently low norm of post-millennial sci-fi and the truly great writing of Banks, Vance, et.al.
One person found this helpful
Helpful
Report abuse
    Showing 0 comments

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.


Jon Reichle
3.0 out of 5 stars Great...until the end.
Reviewed in the United States on May 1, 2012
Verified Purchase
I have enjoyed all of Reynolds books, but this one fell short for me. I felt 99% of the book to be engaging and captivating, but then I reached the end and felt cheated. There did not seem to be any actual resolution, or even a decent opening for a further book. It was as if Reynolds became tired and decided to stop writing. I am hoping there is another book so I can find out where this creative and suspensive novel leads, but for now it hits a wall.
One person found this helpful
Helpful
Report abuse
    Showing 0 comments

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.


Tyler Elliott
3.0 out of 5 stars Meandering but good.
Reviewed in the United States on May 16, 2019
Verified Purchase
Interesting premise. With a lot of time jumping and a somewhat meandering story. But overall a pretty good sci fi story.
Helpful
Report abuse
    Showing 0 comments

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.


Eric W
3.0 out of 5 stars Great start
Reviewed in the United States on December 27, 2017
Verified Purchase
Space opera with a great sci fi start, but more soap opera toward the middle and end. For a story at such an epic scale there were only a few developed characters.
One person found this helpful
Helpful
Report abuse
    Showing 0 comments

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.


A Reviewer
3.0 out of 5 stars Okay, not his best work
Reviewed in the United States on September 8, 2014
Verified Purchase
I prefer his other books. Alastair Reynolds is a decent writer, and great at incorporating science into his work. His past work as an astrophysicist adds a huge sense of realism to his work. This book, however, wasn't his strongest offering.
Helpful
Report abuse
    Showing 0 comments

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.


S. Smith
3.0 out of 5 stars Reasonable story, terrible characters
Reviewed in the United States on April 15, 2011
Verified Purchase
This is my first and possibly last Alastair Reynolds book. Previously I had been reading a bunch of Iain M Banks and Greg Egans.

The story itself was fine (probably good, even), but the characters were not. They frequently acted in unbelievably irrational ways that seemed like blatant mechanisms to push the plot forward. This might have been explained away with sufficient character development, the latter didn't exist.
2 people found this helpful
Helpful
Report abuse
    Showing 0 comments

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.


Spacemariner
3.0 out of 5 stars A good space opera
Reviewed in the United States on June 2, 2014
Verified Purchase
An enjoyable read of the far future post-human vs machine intelligence genre. Enough of a good story to make it a page turner, but for me it lacked the element that would have earned another star.
Helpful
Report abuse
    Showing 0 comments

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.


  • ←Previous page
  • Next page→

Need customer service? Click here
‹ See all details for House of Suns by Alastair Reynolds (2010-05-25)

Your recently viewed items and featured recommendations
›
View or edit your browsing history
After viewing product detail pages, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in.

Back to top
Get to Know Us
  • Careers
  • Amazon Newsletter
  • About Amazon
  • Sustainability
  • Press Center
  • Investor Relations
  • Amazon Devices
  • Amazon Science
Make Money with Us
  • Sell products on Amazon
  • Sell apps on Amazon
  • Supply to Amazon
  • Become an Affiliate
  • Become a Delivery Driver
  • Start a package delivery business
  • Advertise Your Products
  • Self-Publish with Us
  • Host an Amazon Hub
  • ›See More Ways to Make Money
Amazon Payment Products
  • Amazon Rewards Visa Signature Cards
  • Amazon Store Card
  • Amazon Secured Card
  • Amazon Business Card
  • Shop with Points
  • Credit Card Marketplace
  • Reload Your Balance
  • Amazon Currency Converter
Let Us Help You
  • Amazon and COVID-19
  • Your Account
  • Your Orders
  • Shipping Rates & Policies
  • Amazon Prime
  • Returns & Replacements
  • Manage Your Content and Devices
  • Your Recalls and Product Safety Alerts
  • Amazon Assistant
  • Help
EnglishChoose a language for shopping.
United StatesChoose a country/region for shopping.
Amazon Music
Stream millions
of songs
Amazon Advertising
Find, attract, and
engage customers
Amazon Drive
Cloud storage
from Amazon
6pm
Score deals
on fashion brands
AbeBooks
Books, art
& collectibles
ACX
Audiobook Publishing
Made Easy
Alexa
Actionable Analytics
for the Web
 
Sell on Amazon
Start a Selling Account
Amazon Business
Everything For
Your Business
Amazon Fresh
Groceries & More
Right To Your Door
AmazonGlobal
Ship Orders
Internationally
Home Services
Experienced Pros
Happiness Guarantee
Amazon Ignite
Sell your original
Digital Educational
Resources
Amazon Web Services
Scalable Cloud
Computing Services
 
Audible
Listen to Books & Original
Audio Performances
Book Depository
Books With Free
Delivery Worldwide
Box Office Mojo
Find Movie
Box Office Data
ComiXology
Thousands of
Digital Comics
DPReview
Digital
Photography
Fabric
Sewing, Quilting
& Knitting
Goodreads
Book reviews
& recommendations
 
IMDb
Movies, TV
& Celebrities
IMDbPro
Get Info Entertainment
Professionals Need
Kindle Direct Publishing
Indie Digital & Print Publishing
Made Easy
Amazon Photos
Unlimited Photo Storage
Free With Prime
Prime Video Direct
Video Distribution
Made Easy
Shopbop
Designer
Fashion Brands
Amazon Warehouse
Great Deals on
Quality Used Products
 
Whole Foods Market
America’s Healthiest
Grocery Store
Woot!
Deals and
Shenanigans
Zappos
Shoes &
Clothing
Ring
Smart Home
Security Systems
eero WiFi
Stream 4K Video
in Every Room
Blink
Smart Security
for Every Home
Neighbors App
Real-Time Crime
& Safety Alerts
 
    Amazon Subscription Boxes
Top subscription boxes – right to your door
PillPack
Pharmacy Simplified
Amazon Renewed
Like-new products
you can trust
   
  • Conditions of Use
  • Privacy Notice
  • Interest-Based Ads
© 1996-2022, Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates