- Paperback: 496 pages
- Publisher: Orbit; paperback / softback edition (5 Mar 2009)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 1841496324
- ISBN-13: 978-1841496320
- Product Dimensions: 23.2 x 15.2 x 3.8 cm
- Average Customer Review: 3.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (30 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 210,460 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
Seeds of Earth: Book One of Humanity's Fire
and over one million other books are available for Amazon Kindle .
Learn more
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Did you know you can trade in your old books for an Amazon.co.uk Gift Card to spend on the things you want? Plus, get an extra £5 Gift Certificate when you trade in books worth £10 or more before June 30, 2012. Visit the Books Trade-In Store for more details. |
Product details |
More About the Author
Product Description
Review
'Proper galaxy-spanning Space Opera ... a worthy addition to the genre' Iain M. Banks, 'A complex, finely detailed thriller-cum-space opera' GUARDIAN, 'The invention is endless' SFX, 'A tightly plotted, action packed epic that leaves you wanting more' SCI FI NOW, 'An inventive and entertaining read' INTERZONE
--This text refers to an alternate
Paperback
edition.
Book Description
A multi-layered, 21st century take on the classic tropes of space opera by a bold new voice in British science fiction.
--This text refers to an alternate
Paperback
edition.
Inside This Book
(Learn More)
Browse and search another edition of this book.
Browse and search another edition of this book.
Tags Customers Associate with This Product(What's this?)Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
|
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
23 of 24 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I picked this up on the basis the blurb on the back said it was 'space opera' and I quite fancied something to get my teeth into. I was hoping for Peter Hamilton but I feel a bit like I got Kevin J Anderson instead.
* Plot: Although the premise is good, I feel the author reveals too much too early. The reader knows all the factions and (seemingly) their agendas quite quickly. I think one of the things I enjoy about epic stories is that the reader cannot tell where it's going to end up, or necessarily even the direction it's going. A lot of hints have been dropped and I rarely felt gripped enough to continue reading (so it lasted longer than a similarly sized small novel).
* Characters: Each chapter follows a different character, about half of whom know each other. However, I don't feel I've really got to know them in the course of this first book, perhaps because the chapters are so short there is not much time for each of them to develop.
* Composition: The author is painting on rather a large canvas. The world of Darien sits centre stage and some effort has gone into developing its background as a frontier world, but more could be done - I don't feel it compares well to contemporary authors' takes on a similar theme (e.g. Alan Steele's Coyote or Peter Hamilton's Lalonde). Its forest moon of Nyvesta is more interesting, but some of its mystery is taken away too early (as above). Meanwhile the political machinations of the wider alien societies - revealed by one of the characters careering across the galaxy to get to Darien - reminded me of the TV show "Babylon 5", which certainly brings in some needed colour.
Overall I think the author is trying to develop a rich tapestry, but the pacing is spoiling the tension. Admittedly that's subjective and some readers might enjoy events progressing quickly, but I don't associate this with 'space opera' which should be more of a slow burn. I'll probably buy the next book, but I'll definitely be keeping my guard up to avoid getting roped in to buying another "Saga of Seven Suns", which is what this most closely reminded me of.
* Plot: Although the premise is good, I feel the author reveals too much too early. The reader knows all the factions and (seemingly) their agendas quite quickly. I think one of the things I enjoy about epic stories is that the reader cannot tell where it's going to end up, or necessarily even the direction it's going. A lot of hints have been dropped and I rarely felt gripped enough to continue reading (so it lasted longer than a similarly sized small novel).
* Characters: Each chapter follows a different character, about half of whom know each other. However, I don't feel I've really got to know them in the course of this first book, perhaps because the chapters are so short there is not much time for each of them to develop.
* Composition: The author is painting on rather a large canvas. The world of Darien sits centre stage and some effort has gone into developing its background as a frontier world, but more could be done - I don't feel it compares well to contemporary authors' takes on a similar theme (e.g. Alan Steele's Coyote or Peter Hamilton's Lalonde). Its forest moon of Nyvesta is more interesting, but some of its mystery is taken away too early (as above). Meanwhile the political machinations of the wider alien societies - revealed by one of the characters careering across the galaxy to get to Darien - reminded me of the TV show "Babylon 5", which certainly brings in some needed colour.
Overall I think the author is trying to develop a rich tapestry, but the pacing is spoiling the tension. Admittedly that's subjective and some readers might enjoy events progressing quickly, but I don't associate this with 'space opera' which should be more of a slow burn. I'll probably buy the next book, but I'll definitely be keeping my guard up to avoid getting roped in to buying another "Saga of Seven Suns", which is what this most closely reminded me of.
14 of 15 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Renowned for his Shadowkings trilogy, its with a completely different tale that he now returns to the fold with this strange blend of sci-fi along with space opera with a touch of star wars built in. Mankind faces extermination from an alien species whose insectoid tendancies focus with their hive mind on the single goal. Interesting in concept, creative in scale however I was left feeling that it didn't quite deliver on the promise of the cover along with allowing me to feel that theres a lot more development that could have gone into the tale. That said, the sheer scope is not only ambitious but will allow the author to continue the tale in such a way that the tale could take any direction which hopefully the author will exploit along with the continual development of characters, I await the second novel with interest but its not going to be top of my reading pile.
9 of 10 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I like Michael Cobley a lot - his Shadowkings trilogy was an interesting deconstruction of the fantasy trilogy, and sadly overlooked IMHO.
Seeds of Earth is more conventional space opera. Gutsy, outnumbered humanity - check. A multitude of vaguely humanoid aliens with all too familiar (ie human) motives and politics - check. AIs running amok - check. Early ancient aliens with forgotten technology left over from the War at the Beginning of Time (TM) - check.
But it reads well, is funny and has some excellent action scenes. It very much reminds me of David Brin's superb Uplift series, right down to the assortment of aliens and client species. All it needs is a bunch of dolphins and a really bad pun about guerilla warfare.... Which is by no means a criticism. If you like Brin, or Hamilton at a pinch, you will like this.
Seeds of Earth is more conventional space opera. Gutsy, outnumbered humanity - check. A multitude of vaguely humanoid aliens with all too familiar (ie human) motives and politics - check. AIs running amok - check. Early ancient aliens with forgotten technology left over from the War at the Beginning of Time (TM) - check.
But it reads well, is funny and has some excellent action scenes. It very much reminds me of David Brin's superb Uplift series, right down to the assortment of aliens and client species. All it needs is a bunch of dolphins and a really bad pun about guerilla warfare.... Which is by no means a criticism. If you like Brin, or Hamilton at a pinch, you will like this.
Would you like to see more reviews about this item?
Were these reviews helpful?
Let us know
Most Recent Customer Reviews
Unacknowledged Plagiarism
I'm refering to the thought's of one character on page 515. "...his own intestines which, out of shame, might one day reach up through his throat and throttle him to death.". Read more
Published 1 month ago by S J J Rowinski
Seeds of excellence, some on barren ground
Right. This book and indeed the series has received some pretty mixed reviews, I come down on the positive side of the fence. Read more
Published 2 months ago by danmightbe
an Immense disappointment
The expression "learn to run before you can walk" has never been so apt. Cobley envisions a wonderful universe full of races, politics technology, with a deep history. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Nik O
In anticipation of a reply from Mr Cobley
I didn't enjoy this book at all, but rather than explain why I've got a message for Mr Cobley.
You need to stop replying to negative reviews. Read more
You need to stop replying to negative reviews. Read more
Published 5 months ago by Andrew Webb
Entertaining and engrossing!
An excellently entertaining read, and I'm looking forward to the next volumes.
It had been a few years since I'd read any SF - it had all become a little ho-humish to... Read more
It had been a few years since I'd read any SF - it had all become a little ho-humish to... Read more
Published 6 months ago by Mr P
Book 1: Almost too much to absorb
This is my first Michael Cobley novel as I'm sure it's the first of many who choose to begin this trilogy of Humanity's Fire. Read more
Published 7 months ago by M-I-K-E 2theD
Doesn't do what it says on the tin...
Whoever described this as "Space Opera" needs to have a word with himself or herself. This turgid, excitement-free exercise in boring the reader to death is not opera in any way,... Read more
Published 10 months ago by E. W. Collier
Destination Darien
First volume in a new series of space opera. It runs for six hundred and twenty pages and is divided into four parts and various shorter chapters. Read more
Published 11 months ago by Paul Tapner
An interesting look at an intriguing universe
Seeds of Earth is Michael Cobley's first foray into space opera after the Shadowkings fantasy series a few years back. Read more
Published 20 months ago by John Middleton
Poorly Executed, Rather a mess...
I picked this up thinking it had all the indicators of a good pick, "space opera" endorsed by Iain M.Banks, but what a disappointment. Read more
Published 21 months ago by Cardboard Spaceship
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
Listmania!
Look for similar items by category
Look for similar items by subject
Feedback
- Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
- I am the Author, and I want to comment on my book.
- I am the Publisher, and I want to comment on this book.
