Poseidon's Wake

by Alastair Reynolds Narrated by Adjoa Andoh

Overview

"Few SF writers merge rousing adventure with advanced futuristic technology as skillfully as Alastair Reynolds" (Toronto Star), the award-winning author of On the Steel Breeze. In the conclusion of his Poseidon's Children saga, the Akinya family receives an invitation from across the stars-and a last opportunity to redeem their name... Send Ndege. The cryptic message originated seventy light-years away from the planet Crucible, where Ndege Akinya lives under permanent house arrest for her role in the catastrophe that killed 417,000 people. Could it be from her mother, Chiku, who vanished during a space expedition decades earlier? Ndege's daughter Goma, a biologist, joins the crew of the Travertine dispatched to Gliese 163 to uncover the source behind the enigmatic message. Goma's odyssey will take her not only into the farthest reaches of space, but centuries into her family's past where the answers to the universe's greatest mysteries await...

Editorial Reviews

Publishers Weekly

02/29/2016
The conclusion of Reynolds's Poseidon's Children trilogy (after On the Steel Breeze), set in the 27th century, effectively resolves the major story lines while leaving room open for a return to this complex universe. Ndege Akinya carries the guilt of having caused the death of over 400,000 people as the result of a single miscalculation, but her brother, Mposi, offers her a path toward at least partial redemption. A communication from over 70 light years away has reached the planet of Crucible, where they both live, and all it says is "Send Ndege." Mposi believes that her acceptance of that cryptic request from an unknown source could be viewed as a selfless act on behalf of her fellow citizens. The repercussions of her decision form one of the major plot threads; another deals with another family member, Kanu, who died in a terrorist strike on Mars but was returned to life. Reynolds tosses a whodunit into the mix. In the classic speculative fiction tradition, he grounds his vision of the future in timeless discussions about the meaning of existence. (Feb.)

From the Publisher

Praise for Poseidon’s Wake

“Reynolds’ scientific education is on full display, as the novel permeates a sense of realism throughout, from the scientific ideas—even the most far-flung ones—to the nature of the characters and their relationships, which eschew the normal ‘dark,’ Hollywood-like trend of action hero's in literature, with a sense of optimism and discovery...It’s grand, involving and full of light and wonder. Poseidon’s Wake is one of the best sci-fi novels of the year.”—SciFi Now
 
“Reynolds blends AIs, mysterious aliens, intelligent elephants and philosophical ruminations on our place in the universe in a well-paced, complex story replete with intrigue, invention and an optimism uncommon in contemporary SF.”—The Guardian (UK)
 
“If you are a fan of widescreen, hard SF, such as Iain Banks’ Culture stories or Charles Stross’ space opera novels, but have not yet tried Alastair Reynolds, then you genuinely are in for a real treat. This is the definition of early 21st century, cutting-edge space opera!”—Concatenation
 
“Concluding in a tense rescue mission reminiscent of writers like Arthur C. Clarke, Poseidon’s Wake is a novel unafraid to ask big questions about human nature and, for that matter, about the ‘truth of life’s fate in the cosmos.’”—Irish Examiner

“In the classic speculative fiction tradition, [Reynolds] grounds his vision of the future in timeless discussions about the meaning of existence.”—Publishers Weekly

Library Journal

02/15/2016
While Ndege Akinya remains under house arrest, her daughter, Goma, joins a mission to track the source of a message sent across the galaxies in this final installment (after On the Steel Breeze) of Reynolds's hard sf epic featuring the Akinya clan.—MM

Product Details

BN ID:	2940171285524
Publisher:	Recorded Books, LLC
Publication date:	02/02/2016
Series:	Poseidon's Children , #3
Edition description:	Unabridged

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