or
Sign in to turn on 1-Click ordering.
 
 
More Buying Choices
39 used & new from £0.26
Have one to sell? Sell yours here
 
   
Brasyl (Gollancz S.F.)
 
See larger image 
Share your own customer images
Publisher: learn how customers can search inside this book.

Brasyl (Gollancz S.F.) (Paperback)

by Ian Mcdonald (Author)
3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
RRP: £7.99
Price: £5.99 & this item Delivered FREE in the UK with Super Saver Delivery. See details and conditions
You Save: £2.00 (25%)
o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o
In stock.
Dispatched from and sold by Amazon.co.uk. Gift-wrap available.

Want guaranteed delivery by Thursday, February 11? Choose Express delivery at checkout. See Details
27 new from £0.65 12 used from £0.26
Other Editions: RRP: Our Price: Other Offers:
Hardcover £18.99 £18.99 7 used & new from £0.01
Paperback 7 used & new from £9.48

Frequently Bought Together

Brasyl (Gollancz S.F.) + River of Gods + Cyberabad Days
Total RRP: £24.97
Price For All Three: £18.17

Show availability and delivery details

  • This item: Brasyl (Gollancz S.F.) by Ian Mcdonald

    In stock.
    Dispatched from and sold by Amazon.co.uk.
    This item Delivered FREE in the UK with Super Saver Delivery. See details and conditions

  • River of Gods by Ian Mcdonald

    In stock.
    Dispatched from and sold by Amazon.co.uk.
    This item Delivered FREE in the UK with Super Saver Delivery. See details and conditions

  • Cyberabad Days by Ian Mcdonald

    In stock.
    Dispatched from and sold by Amazon.co.uk.
    This item Delivered FREE in the UK with Super Saver Delivery. See details and conditions

Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

River of Gods

River of Gods

by Ian Mcdonald
4.3 out of 5 stars (15)  £6.60
Cyberabad Days

Cyberabad Days

by Ian Mcdonald
4.2 out of 5 stars (4)  £5.58
Saturn's Children

Saturn's Children

by Charles Stross
3.7 out of 5 stars (6)  £5.46
Desolation Road

Desolation Road

by Ian McDonald
5.0 out of 5 stars (5)  £42.50
The Night Sessions: A Novel

The Night Sessions: A Novel

by Ken MacLeod
4.3 out of 5 stars (10)  £4.97
› Explore similar items

Product details

  • Paperback: 432 pages
  • Publisher: Gollancz; paperback / softback edition (28 Aug 2008)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 0575082887
  • ISBN-13: 978-0575082885
  • Product Dimensions: 19.2 x 12.8 x 3 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 182,410 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    Popular in this category:

    #5 in  Books > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Authors, A-Z > M > McDonald, Ian

    •  Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?

Product Description

Review

"Brasyl is classic McDonald: a deep thinking, high-paced adventure story, exploring the quantumn universe, combining sassy, believeable characters with a captivating delight in language and storytelling. Mcdonald inhabits the Brazil - or rather, the Brazils - of this world and sweeps you along as no other writer in the field could manage." -- Keith Brooke THE GUARDIAN "A beautiful story, one that cries out to be read again and again. McDonald's light is still shining brightly, and considering the consistent quality of his titles, we say long may it burn." -- James Rundle SCIFI NOW "This is a big, sprawling, sexy, complex novel. The writing is energetic and economical, the story riveting, the denouement fascinating. An ambitious and riveting SF epic." DREAMWATCH TOTAL SCI-FI

Review

"Brasyl is classic McDonald: a deep thinking, high-paced adventure story, exploring the quantumn universe, combining sassy, believeable characters with a captivating delight in language and storytelling. Mcdonald inhabits the Brazil - or rather, the Brazils - of this world and sweeps you along as no other writer in the field could manage." (Keith Brooke THE GUARDIAN )

"A beautiful story, one that cries out to be read again and again. McDonald's light is still shining brightly, and considering the consistent quality of his titles, we say long may it burn." (James Rundle SCIFI NOW )

"This is a big, sprawling, sexy, complex novel. The writing is energetic and economical, the story riveting, the denouement fascinating. An ambitious and riveting SF epic." (DREAMWATCH TOTAL SCI-FI )
See all Product Description

Tags Customers Associate with This Product

 (What's this?)
Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
 
(1)

Your tags: Add your first tag
 
See most popular tags

What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

Brasyl (Gollancz S.F.)
83% buy the item featured on this page:
Brasyl (Gollancz S.F.) 3.7 out of 5 stars (9)
£5.99
River of Gods
8% buy
River of Gods 4.3 out of 5 stars (15)
£6.60
Cyberabad Days
5% buy
Cyberabad Days 4.2 out of 5 stars (4)
£5.58
The Yiddish Policemen's Union
2% buy
The Yiddish Policemen's Union 3.4 out of 5 stars (26)
£5.46
Explore similar items
 

Customer Reviews

9 Reviews
5 star:
 (4)
4 star:
 (2)
3 star:
 (1)
2 star:    (0)
1 star:
 (2)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
3.7 out of 5 stars (9 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A superior novel!, 25 Jun 2007
By Patrick St-Denis (Laval, Quebec Canada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
This review is from: Brasyl (Gollancz S.F.) (Hardcover)
Brasyl was one of this year's most anticipated reads for me.

With River of Gods, Ian McDonald raised the bar rather high, and I was wondering if the author could come up with something as good. It never occurred to me that McDonald could write a better novel. And yet, somehow, he did!

Brasyl is a mesmerizing ensemble of three different tales. On takes place in Rio de Janeiro in 2006, as an ambitious reality tv producer finds herself in the middle of a conflict that could unravel reality itself. The second story takes place in Sao Paulo in 2032, as a man is thrust into the dangerous universe of quantum computing and he'll never be the same again. The third storyline occurs in Brazil in 1732, as a Jesuit Father is sent to bring back a rogue priest to face the justice of the religious order.

I was astonished to see the tale unfold, to see how McDonald yet again captures the essence of a country and its people and weaves it in a myriad of ways throughout the novel. The author paints a vivid picture of South America's largest country, depicting the past, the present, and the possible future of Brazil in a manner that makes everything come alive as you read on. Every plotline is tied to the others. Indeed, everything is linked together across time and the fabric of reality, thanks to quantum physics and the multiverse that surrounds our existence.

The worldbuilding is "top notch." Ian McDonald deserves kudos for his brilliant depiction of Brazil during three different epochs. As always, the author's eye for exquisite details adds another dimension to a book that's already head and shoulder above the competition.

Of the three main characters (one for each era), Father Luis Quinn steals the show. Funny how a Jesuit priest from the 18th century should become the star of a thought-provoking scifi masterpiece! The supporting cast consists of a few interesting characters, chief among those Dr. Robert Falcon.

You'll be amazed to see how the various plotlines come together to form a dazzling whole. This book blew my mind even more than River of Gods. Seriously, I didn't want it to end!

Brasyl deserves the highest possible recommendation. It will surely be one of the best -- if not the best -- science fiction novels of 2007.

Without the shadow of a doubt, Brasyl is one of the books to read this year!

Check out my blog: www.fantasyhotlist.blogspot.com
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews  
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No


 
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Vibrant and original, 16 Oct 2007
By Daniel Hargreaves "Danny Hargreaves" (London, UK) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
This review is from: Brasyl (Gollancz S.F.) (Paperback)
MacDonald once again chooses a distinctive cultural backdrop for this tale of quantum computing, parallel universes and mysterious organisations attempting to control reality. We are presented with three 'eras' of Brazil, anicent, contemporary and near-future, and within these three narrative strands is packed a phenomenal amount of historical, scientific and cultural knowledge. MacDonald has clearly done his research, and if at times the science is shoe-horned in via clunky 'infodumps', the never-ending stream of vivid characters, visceral action and cliffhanger plot-twists keeps the reader very much engaged. At times bewildering, and perhaps a little rushed towards the end, this is nevertheless a feast of alternative sci-fi that betrays a deep-love for its setting and its people.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews  
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No


 
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars real sci-fi, real storytelling, 2 Feb 2009
By F. M. Muse "headspace traveller" (Leicester, Leics United Kingdom) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
This is one of the most original and inventive novels in this genre that I've read for some time. One can only conclude from the protests re the use of Brazilian-Portuguese in the text, that the complaints originate from those who holiday in foreign climes and insist on the full English breakfast. If one seeks the exotic, it's pretty much a given that things will be somewhat different. And this book certainly is different. This is the first book I've read by this author, but it is unlikely to be the last. Mr McDonald appears to be the sort of author who sets out to flatter his readers by assuming that they are either well-read, curious or both, whilst managing to entertain them at the same time. If you've found Wm Gibson, Neal Stephenson et al rewarding then this book is for you, tho' Mr McDonald is, on the basis of this outing, entirely his own man.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews  
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No

Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
 
 
 
Most Recent Customer Reviews

1.0 out of 5 stars Terrible - badly written, confusing and dull
I bought this book yesterday and read the first 50 pages, then gave up. It's terrible. Too many characters are introduced from the start, making it difficult to follow who's who... Read more
Published 2 months ago by Nick Kapresci

3.0 out of 5 stars In another universe this is a better book
As other reviewers have remarked the high count of Portuguese words, real and invented, makes this tough to read, but the real problem is that story is just not as gripping as it... Read more
Published 14 months ago by M. G. Wilson

1.0 out of 5 stars Aweful
The consistent and unecessary refrence to Brazilian dialect made it hard going. The Author does not write well and there is no sense of flow when reading the book. Read more
Published 15 months ago by Paul Dawson

5.0 out of 5 stars True brilliance
Brasyl is a work of true brilliance! If William Gibson will still penning mainstream science fiction works than this is what he would have evolved into. Read more
Published 19 months ago by thesci-figuy

4.0 out of 5 stars A hell of a struggle but one worth the time.
A highly original novel that, to be frank, was a hell of a struggle to make it though. Looking back its clear the time and love that was placed within its pages but when you're... Read more
Published on 18 Sep 2007 by Gareth Wilson

5.0 out of 5 stars Top notch
Absolutely first class read from Ian McDonald. A three handed narrative, in the now almost compulsory Sci-Fi multi narrative, multi timeline format but none the worse for it... Read more
Published on 29 Aug 2007 by Ed F

Only search this product's reviews


Customer Discussions

This product's forum
Discussion Replies Latest Post
No discussions yet

Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight
Start a new discussion
Topic:
First post:
Prompts for sign-in
 


Active discussions in related forums
   
Related forums

Listmania!

Create a Listmania! list

Look for similar items by category

Look for similar items by subject







i.e., each product must be in subject 1 AND subject 2 AND ...

Feedback


Your Recent History

 (What's this?)

After viewing product detail pages or search results, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in.