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Amazon.co.uk Review
Set on an ancient starship as big as Jupiter, Marrow is epic hard science fiction with a millennia spanning plot. A near immortal, genetically re-engineered humanity is the first to reach the derelict ship, approaching from the emptiness of intergalactic space. Taking command, the captains set the ship on a half-million year long galactic cruise, opening the vessel to thousands of races and playing host as in Babylon 5. The ship itself demands parallels with Arthur C Clarke's Rama from Rendezvous with Rama though Reed offers literally bigger surprises...
"Just tell us please... what in hell is down there?"Disaster strikes and a group of captains become trapped on the world they name "Marrow". Factions develop, leading to civil war and insurrection, coupled with labyrinthine personal intrigues played out across thousands of years. Given the immortal captains' willingness to decapitate one another, Highlander comes to mind, but while Reed's ideas are interesting he never develops his characters sufficiently to convincingly explain how they cope with the potential tedium of immortality. There are plenty of "big ideas" but it becomes increasingly hard to care about any of Reed's alienated post-humans, while the partially satisfactory ending offers as many possibilities for a sequel as it provides answers.--Gary S Dalkin --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.
"A spherical object," she replied. And with a slow wink she added, "It's the size of Mars, about. But considerably more massive." Washen's heart began to gallop. The audience let out a low, wounded groan.
"Show them," the Master said to her AI. "Show them what we found."
Review
It's an exhilarating ride, in the hands of an author whose aspiration literally knows no bounds (THE NEW YORK TIMES )
MARROW is relentless, taking on vast reaches of space and time with a giant ship like none you've ever seen. A bold work by a visionary writer (DAVID BRIN )
Set on an ancient starship as big as Jupiter, Marrow is epic hard science fiction with a millennia spanning plot. A near immortal, genetically re-engineered humanity is the first to reach the derelict ship, approaching from the emptiness of intergalactic space. Taking command, the captains set the ship on a half-million year long galactic cruise, opening the vessel to thousands of races and playing host as in Babylon 5. The ship itself demands parallels with Arthur C Clarke's Rama from Rendezvous with Rama though Reed offers literally bigger surprises... "Just tell us please... what in hell is down there?" "A spherical object," she replied. And with a slow wink she added, "It's the size of Mars, about. But considerably more massive." Washen's heart began to gallop. The audience let out a low, wounded groan. "Show them," the Master said to her AI. "Show them what we found." Disaster strikes and a group of captains become trapped on the world they name "Marrow". Factions develop, leading to civil war and insurrection, coupled with labyrinthine personal intrigues played out across thousands of years. Given the immortal captain s' willingness to decapitate one another, Highlander comes to mind, but while Reed's ideas are interesting he never develops his characters sufficiently to convincingly explain how they cope with the potential tedium of immortality. There are plenty of "big ideas" but it becomes increasingly hard to care about any of Reed's alienated post-humans, while the partially satisfactory ending offers as many possibilities for a sequel as it provides answers. (Gary S Dalkin, AMAZON.CO.UK REVIEW ) --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.
MARROW is relentless, taking on vast reaches of space and time with a giant ship like none you've ever seen. A bold work by a visionary writer (DAVID BRIN )
Set on an ancient starship as big as Jupiter, Marrow is epic hard science fiction with a millennia spanning plot. A near immortal, genetically re-engineered humanity is the first to reach the derelict ship, approaching from the emptiness of intergalactic space. Taking command, the captains set the ship on a half-million year long galactic cruise, opening the vessel to thousands of races and playing host as in Babylon 5. The ship itself demands parallels with Arthur C Clarke's Rama from Rendezvous with Rama though Reed offers literally bigger surprises... "Just tell us please... what in hell is down there?" "A spherical object," she replied. And with a slow wink she added, "It's the size of Mars, about. But considerably more massive." Washen's heart began to gallop. The audience let out a low, wounded groan. "Show them," the Master said to her AI. "Show them what we found." Disaster strikes and a group of captains become trapped on the world they name "Marrow". Factions develop, leading to civil war and insurrection, coupled with labyrinthine personal intrigues played out across thousands of years. Given the immortal captain s' willingness to decapitate one another, Highlander comes to mind, but while Reed's ideas are interesting he never develops his characters sufficiently to convincingly explain how they cope with the potential tedium of immortality. There are plenty of "big ideas" but it becomes increasingly hard to care about any of Reed's alienated post-humans, while the partially satisfactory ending offers as many possibilities for a sequel as it provides answers. (Gary S Dalkin, AMAZON.CO.UK REVIEW ) --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Although Robert Reed has thought of an original idea he has not really done anything very satisfactory with it. The plot lacks direction and the characterisation is weak and implausible - yes, sci-fi needs plausibility too. Plausibility of characterisation and plot are the strength of good sci-fi. The reader expects some kind of outcome or discovery but Reed merely cobbles together a hurried and unsatisfactory theory in the last few pages of the book in what amounts to a cop-out. Perhaps he started writing the book with the conviction that it would 'come to him' by the time he had finished, but it never did.
7 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Marrow seems to provoke a love/hate relationship. Its not that bad, and has some good concepts thrown together in an interesting format. Like almost all "What's the big secret?" SciFi the final revelations are something of a disappointment, but my main quibble was with the rushed and incomplete resolution, the king when a writer seems to get bored or hits a publishing deadline and wraps it all up in a few pages.
So, the first 4/5 ot the book get 4 stars, the final 1/5 gets 2. Alexander Reynolds is doing the same sort of thing but better. On the big mystery ship front I would also recommend Darwinia by Rober Charles Wilson.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Marrow is set on 'The Ship', a massive (and I mean massive) starship/space station discovered and inhabited by millions of immortal humanoid, alien and artificial (AI) lifeforms. No one knows who built The Ship or why it was built but everyone lives on it in relative harmony. The tale centres around the 'Captains' - the ship's police force / crew. Originally, everyone thought that The Ship had been fully mapped but when a tunnel leading to the centre of The Ship is discovered, a team of the best Captains are sent to investigate and they find something that totally changes their lives and those of the billions of inhabitants of The Ship. The story spans millennia as people live for centuries and The Ship travels through the Galaxy and beyond. It is well written and the characters have the depth to make you care about them. Fans of Iain M. Bank's Culture novels will enjoy Marrow as both writers use hedonistic societies based on high technology. Excellent.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
A terrible let-down after getting off to a great start
There's definitely a fantastic story in here, and for the first three quarters of the book, that's exactly what you expect to get. Read more
Published on 28 Mar 2010 by D. R. Cantrell
This is Rumour Control - Here are the Facts
Contrary to the belief of another reviewer the point of this story is an old theme but the journey to that point lasts over 100,000 years and the arrival is almost secondary to the... Read more
Published on 20 Nov 2005 by Julian D. Warner
DREADFUL
This is one to avoid, the idea itself is interesting but the charecterisation was terrible and contradictory at times, which did destroy all interest in what happens to them
Published on 26 Jan 2005 by Alan J. Kennedy
Robert Reed: Marrow
This, quite simply is the best book i have ever read. The emphasis of size in both time and the ship itself is immense. Read more
Published on 28 April 2003 by T BLACKBURN
Flawed but compelling and exciting
No one knew where the gigantic ship came from or how old it was or who built it. It sailed the galaxies for untold eons before intelligent life forms discovered it. Read more
Published on 15 Feb 2003 by Daniel Jolley
Great idea.....badly done
I was really taken with the idea suggested by the cover......and really wish I had'nt. I found the whole book an awful waste, the characters are shallow.... Read more
Published on 24 Sep 2001
Huge imagination, but no eye for detail. (Sub-Banks.)
This book is a puzzle.
The central idea of the ship, and what it might contain in its core is a good one, but unfortunately not one that is fully realised. Read more
Published on 2 Sep 2001 by janderson1@btinternet.com
I don't understand how you can give it less than 5 stars.
A fascinating novel. You could criticise it for not being terribly original but it's a great read. Characterization is good, regardless of what other readers may think. Read more
Published on 16 Aug 2001 by Jean-paul Kneip
Good, hard sci-fi, excellent premise, somewhat rushed ending
A full novel based round a short story previously published in an anthology. Some text shared but different ending. Read more
Published on 31 July 2001 by MR C M Dancer
Gaaah! I don't believe it!
I don't think I've been this frustrated with a book in a long time. The premise is fascinating, the setup awe-inspiring, the timespan staggering. Read more
Published on 26 July 2001 by Callum MacAlister
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