Solution Architect. Aeronautical Engineer. Fascinated by Astronomy & Space. Addicted to SciFi.
A holiday read and my first time reading Sebastian Faulks. I was interested in the main premise of the book around genetic engineering and resurrecting extinct human species. I’m a regular science fiction reader and enjoy speculative explorations about “what if”. However, that needs to coincide with plausible characters who react in a reasonable way. I found some of the plot a bit far-fetched. This book didn’t do it for me.
My first time reading Len Deighton. He is probably most well known for the film adaptation of his book “The Ipcress File” starring Michael Caine. SS-GB is a murder mystery set in an alternative history where Britain lost the war against Nazi Germany and is under occupation. Readers of Robert Harris’ “Fatherland” or Philip K. Dick’s “The Man in the High Castle” will enjoy this book immensely. The atmosphere of tension, fear and claustrophobia Deighton conjures is palpable. It reminded me (in a good way) of John Le Carré’s work.
This is the first in a new spy thriller series from Neal Stephenson. This book covers an interesting period of history during the aftermath of the Russian revolution and the American Great Depression. Hot takes: I did not realise where polo horses were bred in America. I also did not realise that American companies and architects helped design some of the Soviet Union’s blast furnaces for steel manufacturing. Great book and will certainly read the follow-up instalments.
See also Seveneves and Fall or Dodge in Hell.
