Air (Gollancz S.F.) [Hardcover]

"Ryman's novel is beautifully tragi-comic and filled with memorable characters. Rarer, it's a science fiction book that looks outside of Europe, North America and the cooler parts of Asia to remind us that the future will be lived by all humanity." (Jonathan Wright SFX )

"None of Geoff Ryman's books is quite like another. His richest and best so far, Air is also perhaps his most mature." (Roz Kaveney TIME OUT )

"Ryman weaves a simply engrossing tale of changing love, friendships and enmities. It's a terrific mix of backbiting, SF and even magic realism." (Anthony Brown STARBURST )

"This is a novel you really have to read." (VECTOR )

" 'Air' manages to be a serious mediation on the effects of technology in a Third World context without being patronising; it's a genial comic masterpiece with moments of real poigancy." (John O'Connell TIME OUT CRITICS CHOICE 2005 )

"An exquisite, beautiful, moving, and perfectly-judged fictional marvel. Ryman gets everything right in the novel. It is an unforgettable piece of fiction." (Adam Roberts INFINITY PLUS )

"Combining classic SF imagineering with Ryman's characteristically idiosyncratic take on magic realism." (NEW STATESMAN )

"Combining classic SF imagineering with Ryman's characteristically idiosyncratic take on magic realism."

"Ryman's novel is beautifully tragi-comic and filled with memorable characters. Rarer, it's a science fiction book that looks outside of Europe, North America and the cooler parts of Asia to remind us that the future will be lived by all humanity."

"None of Geoff Ryman's books is quite like another. His richest and best so far, Air is also perhaps his most mature."

"Ryman weaves a simply engrossing tale of changing love, friendships and enmities. It's a terrific mix of backbiting, SF and even magic realism."

" 'Air' manages to be a serious mediation on the effects of technology in a Third World context without being patronising; it's a genial comic masterpiece with moments of real poigancy."

"An exquisite, beautiful, moving, and perfectly-judged fictional marvel. Ryman gets everything right in the novel. It is an unforgettable piece of fiction."

This remarkable novel is about the effects of a new communications technology, Air, that works without power lines or machines. As pervasive technology ensures the rapid spread of pop culture and information access, few corners of the planet remain untouched. One of those few is Kizuldah, Karzistan, a tiny rice-farming village, predominantly Chinese Buddhist but with a strong Muslim presence, among whom sharply intelligent though illiterate Mae Chung, a self-styled fashion expert guiding the village women in dress, make-up and hairstyling, is an informal leader. When the UN decides to test the radical new technology Air, Mae is boiling laundry and chatting with elderly Mrs Tung. The massive surge of Air energy swamps them, and when the test is finished, Mrs Tung is dead, and Mae has absorbed her 90 years of memories. Rocked by the unexpected deaths and disorientation, the UN delays fully implementing Air, but Mae sees at once that her way of life is ending. Half-mad, struggling with information overload, the resentment of much of the village, and a complex family situation, she works fiercely to learn what she needs to ride the tiger of change.

Geoff Ryman was born in Canada and now lives and works in London.