The Book Stacks

Above our planet hangs a hollow Stone, vast as the imagination of Man. The inner dimensions are at odds with the outer: there are different chambers to be breached, some containing deserted cities; the furthest chamber contains the greatest mystery ever to confront the Stone’s scientists…

For all the Dr. Who fans out there, I’ll say this so we can move on to the review: It’s bigger on the inside.

Better now?

Greg Bear presents a book that encompasses a lot of what I like best about in sci-fi – one big thing being a possible real future. Okay, so a gigantic Stone stopping in for a visit with Earth does seem a bit out there, but you’ll just have to read the book.

Strong characters are definitely a strong selling point for this book, their psychological changes throughout the progress of the book both interesting and scary (at certain points). While I didn’t have the emotional attachment to Bear’s characters that I have had with other book characters, I found myself attached to their reactions to what they were going through.

I have to admit that I know I’ll read this book again for the primary reason of not understanding everything the first time. However, I would like to state that if it wasn’t a good book, I wouldn’t bother. The science was a bit intimidating in some spots, but it didn’t take a lot away from my enjoyment of the book overall.

If you are a sci-fi fan, I definitely recommend this book. The science involved in creating Greg Bear’s Stone is amazing. However, this is probably not an appropriate book for introducing someone to sci-fi. It might come on a bit strong.