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Gardens of the Sun (Gollancz) Paperback – 26 Aug 2010

by Paul McAuley (Author)
4.3 out of 5 stars 15 customer reviews
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Product details

  • Paperback: 448 pages
  • Publisher: Gollancz (26 Aug. 2010)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0575084480
  • ISBN-13: 978-0575084483
  • Product Dimensions: 20 x 2.9 x 16.2 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 592,049 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Product Description

Review

Few writers conjure futures as convincingly as McAuley; his latest novel deftly combines bold characterization, a thorough understanding of political complexity, and excellent science. --Guardian --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Book Description

'A writer of dazzling range, luminous intelligence and great humanity' Alastair Reynolds

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Top Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 starsThe perfect SF novel
By A. J. Poulter on 29 Oct. 2009
Format: Paperback
This book is the second of a pair. The first was The Quiet War. See its reviews for the background to this one.

After the Quiet War, many of the Outers are rounded up into prison camps. The ones that escape capture, the Free Outers, flee to Miranda, a moon of Uranus, to recover and rebuild. They are forced to flee again to Triton, a moon of Neptune, after Greater Brazil sends ships after them. Again they are moved on, this time by Ghosts, fellow Outers who follow a reclusive leader who in turn follows orders from a future version of himself, who is supposedly on an extra-Solar planet. Orbiting remote Nephele, the Free Outers, now wary of permanent habitats, build the "Gardens of the Sun", detached bubble habitats that are closed eco-systems drawing extra energy from the Sun.

The Gardens of the Sun are but one of many types of long-term closed habitats, ranging from the many scattered emergency self-regenerating survival cabins Outers need in case of suit or major habitat failure to the artistic creations of the Outer 'gene wizard' Avernus, who delights in creating hidden 'gardens', each one following a completely different design in its combinations of 'tweaked' living organisms, based on archetypal animal and plant patterns. A more utilitarian approach is taken by Sri Hong-Owen, who creates 'cut' humans for various purposes, not all pleasant. Both women come to very different ends which signal how their approaches differ.

The Outers draw their strength as a community of individuals working together. The three Earth blocs against them, united under the banner of the Three Powers Alliance, soon start squabbling over the spoils of war.Read more ›
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5.0 out of 5 starstop class...
By Oxfordaspiringwriter on 12 Nov. 2009
Format: Hardcover
Paul McAuley is surely one of our best writers. This is intelligent, world creating, thrilling and optimistic space opera - without the naivety of much American SF. The world building goes on against a back drop of flawed humanity, full of politicking, jealousies and the small cruelties we all love to inflict on each other. So it is, so it will be. The context is biodiversity but this time its human biodiversity and the opportunity to build a post human experience as well as human one, a technological fueled optimism that resonates so much in 2009 . We can build and mitigate anthropogenic climate change. There are no hero's as such, just people muddling on doing there stuff not always well or even nicely .

It really must be read after the Quiet War though as i do not think it stands well alone

As an aspiring writer it makes insanely jealous . Nuff said
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4.0 out of 5 starsModern Classic in the Making
By Gareth Wilson - Falcata Times Blog VINE VOICE on 29 Nov. 2009
Format: Hardcover
What many people have yet to realise about Paul is that his writing it not only gripping but beautifully constructed from the characters he creates to the situations and worlds in which they inhabit. Each word is carefully chosen to fit the situation and whilst it can feel a tad spartan at times it's a novel that really will remain with you long after the final page it turned. In this, the sequel to The Quiet War, the reader is literally thrust into the struggles after the events in the previous novel unfurled and really won't be let go until the dawn breaks with you realising you've been up all night. A master of Hard Sci-Fi and an author who will be as revered as a number of predecessors in years to come, you really have to try him to see the quality. All in all, this is a great offering and one that left me clamouring for the next novel as I turned the final page. Dammit, its going to be a long wait.
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5.0 out of 5 starsGarden of Eden
By Chairman Paulo on 28 Dec. 2009
Format: Paperback Verified Purchase
The brilliant follow up and (I think) conclusion to the The Quiet War (Gollancz). And a true second part of the story at that, no boring padding, no irritating subplots and no silly cliff hangers just quality story telling. Every character is worthy of a book in their own right and each chapter is like reading a mini novel, that's how good this book is. It is a rich, exciting and ironically human tale of post human expansion in the solar system. The politics and interaction between all the different factions are fascinating and the author effortlessly combines achingly sad moments with beautiful optimism. Can't imagine how I will ever read a better book.
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5.0 out of 5 starsAmong the best of the best
By L. Richards on 5 Aug. 2010
Format: Hardcover
This is the sequel to The Quiet War (Gollancz), which is among the best and most thought-provoking science fictions published in recent years. McAuley is a writer of awesome skill, and his books reflect this in their scope, elegance and humanity. This novel captures realism in its characters, bringing to life its fictional universe, and making both its science and its fiction perfectly believable.

McAuley is one of the best science fiction writers at work today. He deserves more attention than he receives, and Gardens of the Sun is one of his best books to date. (Another fine example of his work is Fairyland.) I will spill no beans, and reveal nothing of the plot. I will only add my name to the list of discriminating, hard-to-impress, hard-core science fiction fans who loved this book. This is a great science fiction author at his best, writing for people who love science fiction. Its mass-market paperback edition is coming out on the 26th of August. It's well worth a read.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

3.0 out of 5 starsThree Stars

Doesn't have the scope of book one and didn't make me want to continue the series

Published 13 months ago by Rev. Andy
5.0 out of 5 starsGood

Good

Published 22 months ago by john harris
4.0 out of 5 starsNot up to the test

I've enjoyed some of Paul's previous, but this is tedious, uninteresting and self indulgent. None of the characters have any character, the narrative is interwoven with long... Read more

Published on 19 Aug. 2014 by Amazon Customer
4.0 out of 5 starsA sequel superior to the first volume

I quite enjoyed "The Quiet War" - excellent characterisation and plots - but found the initial premise rather unbelievable. Read more

Published on 16 Jun. 2014 by DB
5.0 out of 5 starsFantastic. Strongest book in the series.

Gardens of the Sun is a great sequel (it relies heavily on your having read The Quiet War, so make sure to do that first), to my mind it's better than The Quiet War, which I felt... Read more

Published on 24 April 2014 by PaddyAlton
4.0 out of 5 starsAnother great story

Loved this book. Often the book 2 of a series can seem to be a shadow of the first book. But not this one. Read more

Published on 8 Nov. 2013 by brian.shanahan@blueyonder.co.uk
5.0 out of 5 starsgood read

An excellent read and well worth the purchase.

Great story and full of action and thrills. Real and gritty that encompasses the reality and horror of war. Read more

Published on 30 Oct. 2013 by matthew adlard
4.0 out of 5 starssequel to equally impressive The Quiet War

This book is the sequel to The Quiet War. Having thoroughly enjoyed that book I expected great things from this novel. And I wasn't disappointed. Read more

Published on 21 Jan. 2012 by David Briddock
4.0 out of 5 starsA fitting finale

I read Gardens of the Sun after reading its companion volume and fore-runner The Quiet War. I would recommend this rather than trying to read either book as a stand-alone novel. Read more

Published on 2 Aug. 2010 by Amit Mozoomdar
3.0 out of 5 starsGood, but lacking the human touch

As a fully realised possible future scifi novel, so something grounded in real or at least possibly real science, Gardens is great - thought-provoking, conversation-starting stuff. Read more

Published on 8 July 2010 by R. Collins-white

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