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Convergent Space
Earth is a faded galactic power in a violent galaxy.Blamed for an event 200 years ago that destroyed thousands of worlds and turned the galaxy upside-down, Earth has been shunned by galactic society ever since.Rone Tintet is a member of Earth’s immense army of spacefaring investigators, dispersed across the galaxy to pursue Earth's obsession with clearing its name. For 200 hundred years they have failed. But Rone discovers an artefact that may finally lead to the truth and resurrect Earth’s fortunes.Meanwhile in the outer fringes of the galaxy, a powerful new force is emerging from the ashes. Ruthless and unstoppable, this colossal army is approaching with one aim – to cleanse the entire galaxy.In Convergent Space these two stories - one in the past, one happening right now - intertwine into a dramatic and unexpected finale.
370 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 4, 2011
16 people are currently reading
159 people want to read
About the author
John-Paul Cleary
5 books12 followersJohn-Paul Cleary lives in a small town called Stonehaven in the North-East of Scotland.
Interested in most fiction genres but specialising in science fiction, his biggest influence is the Culture series by the late Iain M Banks.
John-Paul's first book was Convergent Space which topped the Science Fiction Space Opera charts on Amazon UK.
The second book in the series - The Shadow Ship - was released in October 2014 with more books in the series to follow.
John-Paul is an avid Twitter user and blogger. You can contact him @ConvergentSpace on Twitter or via his blog http://convergentspace.blog.co.uk/.
Interested in most fiction genres but specialising in science fiction, his biggest influence is the Culture series by the late Iain M Banks.
John-Paul's first book was Convergent Space which topped the Science Fiction Space Opera charts on Amazon UK.
The second book in the series - The Shadow Ship - was released in October 2014 with more books in the series to follow.
John-Paul is an avid Twitter user and blogger. You can contact him @ConvergentSpace on Twitter or via his blog http://convergentspace.blog.co.uk/.
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
February 2, 2012
A reasonable story, but a little too much like watching a Star Trek movie for my tastes - all species are essentially just humans with a bump on their head or an extra finger on each hand; aliens and humans speak the same language; and spaceships zip around the Galaxy in just a few hours. The significant number of typos was also somewhat distracting.
May 4, 2012
All I can say is Wow! That has got to be the best first book by an author that I've read in ages. In a lot of ways, the creativity and imagination that went into worldbuilding and creating alien species remind me most of Iain Banks. There were some deeply original aliens and alien personalities in this book. The plot of the book is twofold. The fist part of the plot deals with the Great Wave that happened 200 years ago. The Great Wave left a path of destruction for many tens of light years and nobody knew what caused it - but the Earth got blamed. Since then, all Earth's resources have been put into the Search for the information that will free them from from this terrible claim that they were responsible for the Great Wave. Rone, an Archeosoldier for the Earth has been given a clue that her superiors feel she can't pass up. So, off she goes to uncharted space chasing Phlegars, chasing anything that can shed light on the Search.
Meanwhile, across the universe a new superpower is coming. It's coming across galaxies. It has a huge warfleet. It has an all encompassing vision. It wants to put this vision into action by taking over every single occupied planet. It has the capability to do it. Can anybody stop it?
These two storylines twist and turn around each other like strands of DNA as our tale unfolds. In fact, the plot has more twists and turns than a Formula One track. Who would have thought that the tale of a 200 year old mystery and a plan to take over the known universe could be so compelling? But it is. It is not only compelling it is intriguing, edge of your seat exciting, eyes wide open with wonder, pages fly by thrilling. It is now 3:18 AM and I've finished. I couldn't put it down. Definitely not to sleep, it was too bloody good, besides, you simply get lost in the pages. The next thing you know the book is done and it's the middle of the night. There are not enough books like this.
The characterization in this book was so superior that there were even secondary characters that I wanted to spend more time with, like the Phlegars, Uncle Gil. Each person/species had a full three dimensional personality and each went through personal development especially Rone and Tihn. The characters feel so real, it seems that you could meet them on any street corner or coffee shop (even most of the aliens). Even the secondary and tertiary characters get their moments of development. Nobody is 2D in Mr. Celery's world. The worldbuilding is a character all its own. Each planet, each gas gianet, each home world world has a personality beautifully fleshed out. Each building, technology, topographical feature are all laid out in context with the people who created them,to create a philosophy of a culture that makes vivid sense while painting an artists picture of the world itself. Simply masterful!
The pacing in this book is swift, it grabs you by the throat on page one and doesn't let go until the final page at the ending. The storylines are so expertly woven together that there are all smooth transitions, and while the POV may hops from character to character there is no confusion whatsoever.
The ending of the book wraps up these two storylines while keeping open a third that was introduced in the book. I am praying for a sequel to come out very soon, as I would love to get lost in this universe again. I already miss it.
I would whole heartedly recommend this book to anyony who likes sci-fi, space opera, a good mystery, or simply is a student of human nature. This, Ladies and Gentlemen, is a thumping good read of the first order. I can't believe this is the author's first book. It is so, so good! Just buy it! You won't be sorry.
Meanwhile, across the universe a new superpower is coming. It's coming across galaxies. It has a huge warfleet. It has an all encompassing vision. It wants to put this vision into action by taking over every single occupied planet. It has the capability to do it. Can anybody stop it?
These two storylines twist and turn around each other like strands of DNA as our tale unfolds. In fact, the plot has more twists and turns than a Formula One track. Who would have thought that the tale of a 200 year old mystery and a plan to take over the known universe could be so compelling? But it is. It is not only compelling it is intriguing, edge of your seat exciting, eyes wide open with wonder, pages fly by thrilling. It is now 3:18 AM and I've finished. I couldn't put it down. Definitely not to sleep, it was too bloody good, besides, you simply get lost in the pages. The next thing you know the book is done and it's the middle of the night. There are not enough books like this.
The characterization in this book was so superior that there were even secondary characters that I wanted to spend more time with, like the Phlegars, Uncle Gil. Each person/species had a full three dimensional personality and each went through personal development especially Rone and Tihn. The characters feel so real, it seems that you could meet them on any street corner or coffee shop (even most of the aliens). Even the secondary and tertiary characters get their moments of development. Nobody is 2D in Mr. Celery's world. The worldbuilding is a character all its own. Each planet, each gas gianet, each home world world has a personality beautifully fleshed out. Each building, technology, topographical feature are all laid out in context with the people who created them,to create a philosophy of a culture that makes vivid sense while painting an artists picture of the world itself. Simply masterful!
The pacing in this book is swift, it grabs you by the throat on page one and doesn't let go until the final page at the ending. The storylines are so expertly woven together that there are all smooth transitions, and while the POV may hops from character to character there is no confusion whatsoever.
The ending of the book wraps up these two storylines while keeping open a third that was introduced in the book. I am praying for a sequel to come out very soon, as I would love to get lost in this universe again. I already miss it.
I would whole heartedly recommend this book to anyony who likes sci-fi, space opera, a good mystery, or simply is a student of human nature. This, Ladies and Gentlemen, is a thumping good read of the first order. I can't believe this is the author's first book. It is so, so good! Just buy it! You won't be sorry.
May 5, 2012
Centuries have past since the Great Wave devastated and altered much of the galaxy. Earth has been blamed for producing the Wave, and has spent the intervening years attempting to clear its name by sending out archeosoldiers to discover what happened.
Ronelle Tintet had been one of those investigators before an injury allowed her to sideline herself. Rone's belief in the need for and importance of the Great Search, as Earth's quest is called, has been badly shaken, but a new discovery results in her return to active duty. With the help of her mechanical companion Necessity, and Tinh, a member of the Phlegar race that is somehow connected to the Wave, Rone sets out to learn the truth.
To say much more would give away a lot of the plot of this exciting space epic. Filled with imaginative concepts and imagery, Convergent Space also addresses some lofty questions about right and wrong. The plot has plenty of twists and turns, too, enough to keep me turning pages late into the night. I greatly enjoyed reading it and look forward to more from John-Paul.
Ronelle Tintet had been one of those investigators before an injury allowed her to sideline herself. Rone's belief in the need for and importance of the Great Search, as Earth's quest is called, has been badly shaken, but a new discovery results in her return to active duty. With the help of her mechanical companion Necessity, and Tinh, a member of the Phlegar race that is somehow connected to the Wave, Rone sets out to learn the truth.
To say much more would give away a lot of the plot of this exciting space epic. Filled with imaginative concepts and imagery, Convergent Space also addresses some lofty questions about right and wrong. The plot has plenty of twists and turns, too, enough to keep me turning pages late into the night. I greatly enjoyed reading it and look forward to more from John-Paul.
October 3, 2012
This book is not your normal space opera. For one thing, humanity is generally reviled as the most heinous race in the galaxy for launching a bomb that wiped out civilizations for thousands of light-years in all directions. That was 200 years in the past and the entire human race has transformed all production on the planet Earth to something called archeoresearch. Specially trained agents scour the universe for clues as to who really set the bomb off that the humans are blamed for in an attempt to rewrite history in a more flattering manner. Rone is one of these archeo-agents and the story follows her as she follows clue after clue. The ending is certainly not what you would expect from the outset, but all things considered, it does follow and gets the whole story all tied up in a nice little unsettling bow at the end.
March 31, 2013
I bought the Kindle edition and could not out it down. Very good character development and great sub plots.The reader is transported into different cultures and worlds with ease. Very well written.The basic premise is that there had been a galactic war and humanity was blamed, skip forwards a few centuries and humanity is still attempting to clear its name. The story follows some wonderful characters as they piece together fragments of forgotten information and cultures, visiting long lost places.This leads to the discovery of a new threat that has the potential to destroy everything in its path. resolving the mystery of the past may prevent to destruction of the present.
July 14, 2012
A solid sci-fi novel with a very interesting plot.
The writing was detailed and meandered at the beginning. It took a while to establish the main characters and to get to the good stuff. But once it got good, it was hard to put down.
I loved the overall plot and found myself almost sucked into the mission of the antagonist species. The twists at the end of what Rone learns and what she does was pleasantly unexpected. The last half of the book really hooked me.
If you want a good solid sci-fi, plow through the first half, then settle in for a ride.
The writing was detailed and meandered at the beginning. It took a while to establish the main characters and to get to the good stuff. But once it got good, it was hard to put down.
I loved the overall plot and found myself almost sucked into the mission of the antagonist species. The twists at the end of what Rone learns and what she does was pleasantly unexpected. The last half of the book really hooked me.
If you want a good solid sci-fi, plow through the first half, then settle in for a ride.
June 7, 2015
Shortly before reading Convergent Space I finished Dark Intelligences by one of my favorite authors, Neal Asher. Neal's new book was quite good, but I have to say that Convergent Space (which is the first work I have read by Mr. Cleary) was quite engaging and provided a very descriptive and 'full' narrative even on the heals of one of my favorite authors. I am now preparing to read Mr. Cleary's additional works as I found Convergent Space worthy of *****.
If you are a fan of Neal Asher, Alastair Reynolds or Charles Stross you will likely enjoy this work.
If you are a fan of Neal Asher, Alastair Reynolds or Charles Stross you will likely enjoy this work.
May 16, 2019
Convergent Space by John-Paul Cleary
I love a novel that entertains me and I don't mind having to suspend my disbelief long enough to do that. This novel delivers in that department and I would love to give it really high honors; but I do have some issues, so while I give it high marks I will feel compelled to air some of the issues. Basically I give it a 4 star and it could be a 5 star, but not with the way things are.
The novel starts with a great mystery. Earth has devolved to a planet of artifact hunters sort of the Indiana Jones of outer space. This creates for the reader a feeling that the Artifact hunters care more about the hunt then others lives. Enter into this Ronella Tintet who has had some doubts and has retired from being an Archeosoldier. After having been responsible for the loss of many lives she has retired to a place called Renick that belongs to Renaissance space and is governed by her friend Viggo. Rone is working at a post for the Earth Search Archeosoldiers, but is not actively doing much. She has a history we'll hear about later and a good reason for not wanting to be part of the search, but when a dying Archeosoldier shows up with some important leads to the Search to clear the Human's name in regards to the Great Wave that nearly destroyed many worlds and brought the Guild to an end; she has to once more take to space to follow the lead to its end.
This part is both a good plot and a bit contrived in the sense that it's a solid lead that the Search people should take seriously, but the reader gets the impression they want to press Rone into doing it because they can't spare anyone else. It might be that they mean to force her back into action, but it still seems a bit thin here and either it is a good lead or it isn't and 'the' Rone, that everyone gets to know in the development stage, is not really the person they want on something as important as this seems to be.
Also the race that Viggo belongs to seems to be a mystery. It could be he's human too; but it's not likely, though he must be humanoid because we never gets much description. There are a lot of alien races in the story and most seem humanoid, which I can live with though it seems a bit Star Trekish. The annoying thing is that they all talk like people who come out of some dialect in or around Great Britain.
Certain words almost become annoying; such as crikey and scupper. Scupper might have more than one meaning-I don't know- but it didn't fit in this context at least not while trying to unravel what the plot was calling for. The larger problems in grammar are the construction of sentences that seem a bit unwieldy and difficult to unravel the intended meaning.
The science is not hard science, but that's not a problem for me; except that the plot of the story is reliant upon a lot of the science so that makes it difficult for the reader to digest it all. What I mean by that is the scope of the Great Wave of destruction, as to a later explanation of the device that causes it, makes it difficult to grasp how it manages to do such widespread damage. The real plot of the story seems more centered on an older notion of opening the Pandora's box in this case the search seems to, at each step, open the box more and more until we reveal something that no one really wants. More than that though the Great Wave itself is a mystery that is just as much a Pandora's box. So this is really not a hard science story, which is a relief because the science is not all that well explained or examined. But it is unfortunate that it does dominate the story.
The story itself becomes a sort of quest for the key story, where each step leads to more information about the next step. First we have to catch an impossibly fast ship that might have the key in the form of a pictorial history, a Phlegar artifact; The Wits of Forlihn. Aboard the burn ship she gains a crew-member along with the Wits. And each step they seem to gain things like this-crew members and clues. At one point they run across an invasion force, which ends up being a plot device that looks like the cart before the horse. But a lot of the plot is driven this way, which gives the feel of Deus ex Machina that smacks of a DejaVu feeling. By that I mean that in this case the invasion fleet could have been a good reason for Rone to decide to start on the quest, but since she didn't know about it until later it becomes a reason to continue on the quest. Still even then it's not that clear cut to the reader for quite a while how important it is since Rone keeps trying to ignore it.
The characters in the story are not the strongest of characters. They all have some major flaws and that can be good in many ways. The problem I had with it is when it came time for the big decision it was very difficult to sort out from the development that they were ready to make the decision that they made. And this is a big Pandora box thing and it really is a determinant factory in the whole plot.
But a lot of this can be considered my own subjective opinion and a person really needs to read this to get a real understanding of what I'm saying here.
This is really science heavy and character light, where for my own preferences it would work out better the other way around. Not to mention that the Science is more simple than simon pure.
Great story for lovers of SFF light on the science and might work well for Young Adults though there are some questionable moral dilemma in the story that bear some scrutiny for the younger end of that scale.
J.L. Dobias
I love a novel that entertains me and I don't mind having to suspend my disbelief long enough to do that. This novel delivers in that department and I would love to give it really high honors; but I do have some issues, so while I give it high marks I will feel compelled to air some of the issues. Basically I give it a 4 star and it could be a 5 star, but not with the way things are.
The novel starts with a great mystery. Earth has devolved to a planet of artifact hunters sort of the Indiana Jones of outer space. This creates for the reader a feeling that the Artifact hunters care more about the hunt then others lives. Enter into this Ronella Tintet who has had some doubts and has retired from being an Archeosoldier. After having been responsible for the loss of many lives she has retired to a place called Renick that belongs to Renaissance space and is governed by her friend Viggo. Rone is working at a post for the Earth Search Archeosoldiers, but is not actively doing much. She has a history we'll hear about later and a good reason for not wanting to be part of the search, but when a dying Archeosoldier shows up with some important leads to the Search to clear the Human's name in regards to the Great Wave that nearly destroyed many worlds and brought the Guild to an end; she has to once more take to space to follow the lead to its end.
This part is both a good plot and a bit contrived in the sense that it's a solid lead that the Search people should take seriously, but the reader gets the impression they want to press Rone into doing it because they can't spare anyone else. It might be that they mean to force her back into action, but it still seems a bit thin here and either it is a good lead or it isn't and 'the' Rone, that everyone gets to know in the development stage, is not really the person they want on something as important as this seems to be.
Also the race that Viggo belongs to seems to be a mystery. It could be he's human too; but it's not likely, though he must be humanoid because we never gets much description. There are a lot of alien races in the story and most seem humanoid, which I can live with though it seems a bit Star Trekish. The annoying thing is that they all talk like people who come out of some dialect in or around Great Britain.
Certain words almost become annoying; such as crikey and scupper. Scupper might have more than one meaning-I don't know- but it didn't fit in this context at least not while trying to unravel what the plot was calling for. The larger problems in grammar are the construction of sentences that seem a bit unwieldy and difficult to unravel the intended meaning.
The science is not hard science, but that's not a problem for me; except that the plot of the story is reliant upon a lot of the science so that makes it difficult for the reader to digest it all. What I mean by that is the scope of the Great Wave of destruction, as to a later explanation of the device that causes it, makes it difficult to grasp how it manages to do such widespread damage. The real plot of the story seems more centered on an older notion of opening the Pandora's box in this case the search seems to, at each step, open the box more and more until we reveal something that no one really wants. More than that though the Great Wave itself is a mystery that is just as much a Pandora's box. So this is really not a hard science story, which is a relief because the science is not all that well explained or examined. But it is unfortunate that it does dominate the story.
The story itself becomes a sort of quest for the key story, where each step leads to more information about the next step. First we have to catch an impossibly fast ship that might have the key in the form of a pictorial history, a Phlegar artifact; The Wits of Forlihn. Aboard the burn ship she gains a crew-member along with the Wits. And each step they seem to gain things like this-crew members and clues. At one point they run across an invasion force, which ends up being a plot device that looks like the cart before the horse. But a lot of the plot is driven this way, which gives the feel of Deus ex Machina that smacks of a DejaVu feeling. By that I mean that in this case the invasion fleet could have been a good reason for Rone to decide to start on the quest, but since she didn't know about it until later it becomes a reason to continue on the quest. Still even then it's not that clear cut to the reader for quite a while how important it is since Rone keeps trying to ignore it.
The characters in the story are not the strongest of characters. They all have some major flaws and that can be good in many ways. The problem I had with it is when it came time for the big decision it was very difficult to sort out from the development that they were ready to make the decision that they made. And this is a big Pandora box thing and it really is a determinant factory in the whole plot.
But a lot of this can be considered my own subjective opinion and a person really needs to read this to get a real understanding of what I'm saying here.
This is really science heavy and character light, where for my own preferences it would work out better the other way around. Not to mention that the Science is more simple than simon pure.
Great story for lovers of SFF light on the science and might work well for Young Adults though there are some questionable moral dilemma in the story that bear some scrutiny for the younger end of that scale.
J.L. Dobias
October 12, 2012
I liked this book a lot. Somewhat like Culture novels but not as detailed or complex, still a very good start. I hope to see this become a series. The separate plot lines come together nicely with resolution but somewhat left open for the next book. Highly recommend to anyone liking space opera or just general sci fi.
December 30, 2012
A book very much in the Banks/Hamilton mode. I felt it could have been expanded in places and look forward to the next in the series. The writing is satisfying and paced well. The book is very much plot driven and there is room to develop the main characters in further volumes.
I've just bought Eleven Town by the same author so will add it to my want to read list.
I've just bought Eleven Town by the same author so will add it to my want to read list.
March 14, 2012
I loved this book. Found it through the authors twitter posts, downloaded it, and read it in a couple of days. Couldn't put it down! Great characters, excellent narrative, just a great fun SF story! Read it now!!
September 21, 2012
I did enjoy reading this, and it's always good to get inside the bad guys head, but I couldn't shake the feeling that there was something missing on the details and a little too much Deus Ex Machina about The Wits, entertaining though they were.
March 30, 2012
Thoroughly enjoyed this. Some nice characters and ideas. Didn't see the ending coming.
June 14, 2012
Well written space opera. Kept my interest throughout.
May 30, 2016
Space not a frontier
An interesting take on what could be our future! Is this fantasy or could such a scenario happen. An interesting read.
An interesting take on what could be our future! Is this fantasy or could such a scenario happen. An interesting read.
October 27, 2018
DNF at 35%. This book was interesting to me because it was clearly influenced by Iain Banks. The opening chapter was like a recreation of the first chapter in one of Banks's Culture novels-- though annoyingly I can't remember which one. But the author, for me, is no Iain Banks. The worlds and cultures are not believable, nor is the A.I. Another reviewer compared this book's aliens to Star Trek's: all the races are basically the same except with different bumps on their heads.
I quit this book immediately after reading the chapter where the dude with a network of FTL communication links to space stations all over the galaxy demonstrates his service. He can reconstruct any event "in the past" by maneuvering his space stations light years away into exactly the right spot to record the relevant photons that came from the event. He demonstrated this technique on an arbitrary past event suggested by our protagonist! For me this is so deeply stupid that I cannot continue reading.
I quit this book immediately after reading the chapter where the dude with a network of FTL communication links to space stations all over the galaxy demonstrates his service. He can reconstruct any event "in the past" by maneuvering his space stations light years away into exactly the right spot to record the relevant photons that came from the event. He demonstrated this technique on an arbitrary past event suggested by our protagonist! For me this is so deeply stupid that I cannot continue reading.
November 6, 2017
Tremendous space opera, going straight on to book 2!
August 6, 2019
Very enjoyable but the ending was somewhat different to what I hoped for, surprising but you have to read
May 9, 2015
Convergent Space is a space mystery/adventure based in the far-off future, in which “Earth is a faded galactic power in a violent galaxy.” The reason is a mysterious galactic disruption, known only to the reader as “The Great Wave” through the majority of the book. Earth was blamed, and has spent 200 years to regain their good name, utilizing elite “Indiana Jones” style Archeosoldiers to find out the truth. In the meantime, civilization has been reborn in a Renaissance (actual name), and has mostly forgotten about humanity. The main protagonist, Rone Tintet was a Archeosoldier, but retired to a space station when she became disillusioned with this endless quest. She is pulled back in when a dying human shows up and gives her proof about what happened to the Earth fleet supposedly responsible for the Great Wave. She then flies around the galaxy at breakneck speed to catch up with clue after clue, until her search leads to a surprising end. Along the way, she meets up with several species of alien, and discovers a demented evil bent on the cleansing of the galaxy. The story ends as it begins, and that is all I can reveal about this without major spoilers.
I have been wrangling with this review for some time now. I don’t really want to say what I have to, but here goes: Convergent Space by John-Paul Cleary is not a great book. It has all of the hallmarks, such as an imaginative world, a cool storyline, interesting characters, neat tech, and a menacing evil, but I cannot in good conscience suggest this book to everyone. Despite all of these amazingly awesome ideas, it is very, very, very slow. The book doesn’t start to warm up until two-thirds of the way through. The characters don’t have believable interaction, and the things I wish were explained better, aren’t, such as a large portion of the technology.
The story, while evocative and moving on the grand scale, is slow and boring when you are trying to lose yourself in it. When the story was finally revealed, the depth of the plot shocked me, as much as it does the main character. I want so badly to give this book 4 stars, but it just hasn’t earned that extra star above average. That being said, if you can muscle through the slow and choppy start, you will find a book that should deserve a higher rating. I only hope that this was merely an introduction into a universe so massive that I may never see the fractally-rough edges.
I have been wrangling with this review for some time now. I don’t really want to say what I have to, but here goes: Convergent Space by John-Paul Cleary is not a great book. It has all of the hallmarks, such as an imaginative world, a cool storyline, interesting characters, neat tech, and a menacing evil, but I cannot in good conscience suggest this book to everyone. Despite all of these amazingly awesome ideas, it is very, very, very slow. The book doesn’t start to warm up until two-thirds of the way through. The characters don’t have believable interaction, and the things I wish were explained better, aren’t, such as a large portion of the technology.
The story, while evocative and moving on the grand scale, is slow and boring when you are trying to lose yourself in it. When the story was finally revealed, the depth of the plot shocked me, as much as it does the main character. I want so badly to give this book 4 stars, but it just hasn’t earned that extra star above average. That being said, if you can muscle through the slow and choppy start, you will find a book that should deserve a higher rating. I only hope that this was merely an introduction into a universe so massive that I may never see the fractally-rough edges.
May 26, 2012
Convergent Space is a sweeping sci-fi epic set in the future of our little corner of the galaxy. It centers around Rone, a reluctant heroine on a quest to clear humanity's name of the largest catastrophe in galactic history.
Overall it's an interesting story whose cultures, both alien and far-future human, are well developed. The dialog is also well written and the characters' voices are distinct. One hardly need the speaker attributions to know who is saying what. One can tell that Mr. Cleary put a lot of time into getting the dialog right and it certainly paid off. However, there are a few critical issues that prevented me from giving the work a higher rating.
There is a lot of exposition. Characters seem to lapse into long historical narratives at the drop of a hat and go on for pages before the story returns to the scene. There is also a lot of point of view jumping that disrupts the flow of the scenes. Finally, the main antagonists are a bit too classic for me to really be interested in them. They seem to giggle and wink at the thought of genocide with melodramatic glee. It is disappointing, because if not for this one-dimensionality they would have been truly horrifying antagonists.
Rone on the other hand, is a very interesting and complex character. She is a lot of fun to read about and her scenes are the most riveting. Her interactions with her mechanical companion, Necessity, kept me turning pages for the length of the story, and she makes the whole trip through Mr. Cleary's world worthwhile.
An earlier reviewer mentioned this, and I agree. Fans of science fiction like Star Trek will very much enjoy Convergent Space.
Overall it's an interesting story whose cultures, both alien and far-future human, are well developed. The dialog is also well written and the characters' voices are distinct. One hardly need the speaker attributions to know who is saying what. One can tell that Mr. Cleary put a lot of time into getting the dialog right and it certainly paid off. However, there are a few critical issues that prevented me from giving the work a higher rating.
There is a lot of exposition. Characters seem to lapse into long historical narratives at the drop of a hat and go on for pages before the story returns to the scene. There is also a lot of point of view jumping that disrupts the flow of the scenes. Finally, the main antagonists are a bit too classic for me to really be interested in them. They seem to giggle and wink at the thought of genocide with melodramatic glee. It is disappointing, because if not for this one-dimensionality they would have been truly horrifying antagonists.
Rone on the other hand, is a very interesting and complex character. She is a lot of fun to read about and her scenes are the most riveting. Her interactions with her mechanical companion, Necessity, kept me turning pages for the length of the story, and she makes the whole trip through Mr. Cleary's world worthwhile.
An earlier reviewer mentioned this, and I agree. Fans of science fiction like Star Trek will very much enjoy Convergent Space.
November 20, 2011
I'm giving this book five stars because sci-fi isn't the only thing I read but when I do I want something that transports me to a different world. This book does that in a big way.
The plot takes you on a road trip through strange worlds and unusual spacecraft, and the idea of planet Earth being the hated outcasts of the galaxy is excellent and bring a whole new dimension to things.
In some ways the book is a bit like Iain Banks but if anything it's even more readable.
The plot takes you on a road trip through strange worlds and unusual spacecraft, and the idea of planet Earth being the hated outcasts of the galaxy is excellent and bring a whole new dimension to things.
In some ways the book is a bit like Iain Banks but if anything it's even more readable.
December 9, 2014
This was a solid space-opera effort. I give it four stars on the strength of its ideas and some of its characters; the book's plot is a bit on the episodic side and the pacing is slow at times. Those are mainly quibbles, though. Largely it's a very entertaining read whose visuals I kept envisioning on a big screen. (One planet's destruction would make a hell of a set piece.)
Cleary has already released a sequel which I look forward to exploring!
Cleary has already released a sequel which I look forward to exploring!
February 11, 2016
Convergent Space
Good start but seemed to have lost itself somewhere in the middle. Like others, I found myself pushing through the story hoping that it would regain the confidence and entertainment it started with. I found the editing to be problematic throughout the book, and the style went from a more neutral to colloquial feel with terms such as leant instead of leaned. It was readable with work, so I gave it three stars (2.5 rounded up).
Good start but seemed to have lost itself somewhere in the middle. Like others, I found myself pushing through the story hoping that it would regain the confidence and entertainment it started with. I found the editing to be problematic throughout the book, and the style went from a more neutral to colloquial feel with terms such as leant instead of leaned. It was readable with work, so I gave it three stars (2.5 rounded up).
January 30, 2015
Not bad but obviously a first novel, a little rough around the edges.
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