Mammoth Books presents Merlin's Gun

Merlin #4

by Alastair Reynolds

When Sora's swallowship is taken out by a swarm during the war she is rescued by Merlin, a legendary man who has allegedly discovered a super-weapon built by the Way creators; a gun so powerful it I said to have stopped the previous war. Sora is sceptical, though, for Merlin has been missing for ten thousand years, yet he has not aged a day. As the current war between aliens and humans intensifies, the need to find this weapon becomes unquestionably urgent. They must find the gun before the enemy does and incinerates them. Can their quest to save humanity and end the war be achieved with Merlin's gun?

Genres: Science Fiction, Space Opera, Short Stories, Fiction, Audiobook, Speculative Fiction, Novella

42 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 1, 2000

About the author

I'm Al, I used to be a space scientist, and now I'm a writer, although for a time the two careers ran in parallel. I started off publishing short stories in the British SF magazine Interzone in the early 90s, then eventually branched into novels. I write about a novel a year and try to write a few short stories as well. Some of my books and stories are set in a consistent future named after Revelation Space, the first novel, but I've done a lot of other things as well and I like to keep things fresh between books.

I was born in Wales, but raised in Cornwall, and then spent time in the north of England and Scotland. I moved to the Netherlands to continue my science career and stayed there for a very long time, before eventually returning to Wales.

In my spare time I am a very keen runner, and I also enjoying hill-walking, birdwatching, horse-riding, guitar and model-making. I also dabble with paints now and then. I met my wife in the Netherlands through a mutual interest in climbing and we married back in Wales. We live surrounded by hills, woods and wildlife, and not too much excitement.

Reviews

[Claudia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Merlin's Gun (Merlin #4)
by Alastair Reynolds

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LE: there are four now, here in chronological order: https://www.goodreads.com/series/2131...
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A short story, set in a different universe than Revelation Space, but with the same potential to become another vast space opera.

However, I felt that something was missing and with a bit of research I found out that this one is the last of three stories featuring Merlin and his quest during the tens of kiloyears war with the Huskers.

The other two can be found, among others, in the collection of stories Zima Blue, the 2009 UK edition from Gollancz. The chronological order is: Hideaway, Minla’s Flowers and Merlin’s Gun.

Though, one good thing, by reading this as a standalone, was having the chance to read the introduction done by editor Mike Ashley, in which he said about Reynolds: "He writes as if that technology already exists." . Couldn’t have been said better.

And here I go, starting Zima Blue…

[Ian Payton · Rating 3 out of 5]

The fourth and final story in the Merlin chronology, this short story was actually written first. This sees Merlin at the end of his quest for a weapon that will be capable of defeating the Huskers - an enemy that would destroy the entirety of humankind.

The story is told from the perspective of Sora, a young woman that Merlin saves after she is left alone in suspended animation after a Husker attack. Due to time dilation of relativistic travel, and the existence of suspended animation technology, Merlin has become a millennia-old legend in Sora’s time. A legend who has now appeared as potential saviour, at a time when the long-standing war with the Huskers has been going very badly.

Oh, how I wish this was at least the size of a novella. There is the barest of setup, followed by an extended reveal, that hints at Merlin’s extended lifetime, the nature and purpose of the weapon, and even a surprising revelation about the Huskers themselves. This left too much unexplored for my liking - and, while the ending of the story, and the saga, was satisfying, it left me frustrated that there is a rich vein of material that could have been mined for a much meatier experience.

It’s been an enjoyable series, though, and Merlin’s Gun rounds it off nicely. It gives me a good feeling about Alastair Reynolds’ other work.

[Paul Ataua · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sora is rescued in deep space by Merlin, a legendary character who, it is alleged, has discovered an all powerful weapon that can end wars. Merlin went missing over ten thousand years earlier but mysteriously seems not to have aged a day. I like science fiction for its ideas rather than its hard science, and although Alistair Reynolds is more on the hard science side of the divide, his ideas somehow shine through . It is a fairly solid short story, but not among his best.

[Micah Sisk · Rating 5 out of 5]

A perfect short story that blends all the great aspects of Reynolds's deep space sagas: well-drawn characters, imaginative setting, compelling story, a bit of action and intrigue, all topped off with a satisfactory conclusion. It's a New Space Opera micro-burst that manages to feel much longer than it is. Great quick read, especially for those already familiar w/Reynolds.

[Florin Purluca · Rating 5 out of 5]

O lectură care este, dincolo de o poveste science fiction plăcută, o lecție despre existență cu un efect psihologic notabil. Te face să te gândești cât suntem de mici și lipsiți de importanță. Cum bine spune autorul, suntem colonii de furnici care se războiesc pentru un petec de pământ la baza unui vulcan. Alastair Reynolds este cu siguranță un autor care nu trebuie ratat de un fan al genului. Este de 4,5 stele, dar nicidecum de 4. Fapt pentru care îi ofer cu inima deschisă 5 stele.
Evident că imediat trec la următoarea carte a autorului pe care o am la îndemână - Câinii de diamant. Apoi am în vizor Albastru de Zima, tot o colecție de povestiri.

[Jamie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This third installment in Reynolds' Merlin sequence of stories is a wonderful conclusion of sorts to this mini trilogy. The stories essentially follow one man, i.e. Merlin, but encompass an enormous span of time and space, giving them an epic space opera feel. As always, Reynolds not only delivers great stories, but packs in some mind blowing hard science, astronomy and astrophysics in particular, to give them the grit of stories that feel as if they *could be* real, despite how over the top much of it really is.

[Pablo Padilla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a delightful read. Holy molly it was a slap-in-the face read: quick, engaging, and utterly valiant. I loved it and would absolutely recommend it. The imagery is stellar, quite obvious this author excels in his craft. One of my favorites of this month. In terms of the story being longer.... weeeeeell. Yes, maybe I would've enjoyed to know more about Sora, the main character. Merlin appearance and the lack thereof was just enough, but perhaps I could've enjoyed more about the main character and her quest to... oh, sorry, I do want to avoid spoilers. Never mind. Any way, if the story would've been longer then perhaps knowing more about the Huskers and the weapon... crap there I go again. Just read it. I can't avoid spoilers while writing this review. You'll enjoy it, even if you hate the author for having given you such a small dose of brilliance.

More reviews at http://pawunderlich.com

[Andre · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alastair Reynolds just does not stop to amaze me.

Merlin's Gun is a very short novella, but it's premise is huge.

It's like the author casually opens a tiny door to allow you a small glimpse into a universe so big you could fill ten books with their stories. He opens the door a crack and you can just see enough to know you want more. Much more! I believe there are some 'follow-ups' to Merlin's Gun, so will definitely check them out.

"Any fan of hard scifi should be reading Reynolds!"

[Paul Bard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Possibly the best introduction to Reynolds’ writing, this story features the high drama and cosmic conflict of all the later space operas in a shorter form. The ending is powerful and beautiful: Sora is herself Merlin’s Gun, primed to act by the nature of her character.

What wins Sora over to Merlin’s cause then? It cannot be love of him, nor emotional maturity on Sora’s part. She goes mad and destroys the whole solar system from grief.

The theme here seems to be, finally, that evolutionary concerns trump civilisational goals. Sora sheds her familiar and becomes more than human by taking the ring, and thereby takes on a transhuman role for preservation.

[Durval Menezes · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is the worst of the trio (#1, #2 and #4) that got published in Zima Blue and Other Stories, which I've just re-read individually, in large part because of its bad and unsatisfying ending. Definitely 1-star stuff.

Only redeeming feature is it's size, small enough not to take nice than 2 days to get through, of the one week of the complete re-read.

For more details, see my review for the first one: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Robert Spencer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty much fulfilled my expectations - a short sharp shot of Reynolds, which is what I felt the need for after reading so few "hard SF" novels over the last couple of years. Good fun, the ending felt a little pat and anticlimactic, but that was probably inevitable in such a short story dealing in this kind of scope.

[Ian Bull · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wishing there was more

A fairly simple story with a mild twist, but nonetheless enjoyable. Left me wishing there was more to the story.

[Alan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A few years ago I was in my favorite science fiction bookstore (plug for Borderlands Books here), and I asked who was new in space opera that I might be interested in trying. Upon their recommendation I bought and read Revelation Space, and well I was underwhelmed to be polite.

But, I had meant to try Reynolds again. I thought part of the issue might be that Revelation Space was his first book.

After Merlin's Gun I believe the above might be right. Billed as a novella, but really a short story, this is classic space opera with modern sensibility. The flaw is lack of characterization, but there isn't sufficient room to do characterization, or well a lot of it.

I enjoyed both Sora and Merlin. The hints that are given into their respective personalities along with the small bits of world building (cohort, and Huskers, the Way, and Waymakers). All much better executed than in Revelation Space (where some exposition drops would have greatly helped out the, for me, failed world building).

Also, in Merlin's Gun-E.E> Smith level destruction.

Looking forward to more Merlin, and maybe more recent Reynolds novels.

[Bradley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whenever I see the name Merlin in conjunction with some kind non-Camelot fantasy or SF, I cringe a little, knowing that I'm about to be given some kind of homage, be it good or bad.

And sometimes, we get stories like this, so mild and lost to distant future history that the name is almost meaningless. Sometimes, a new quest, far from being hokey, drives a man nearly mad ... but all for a very good reason.

Reynolds is pretty masterful here. In such a short story, he evokes an ancient, nearly meaningless war waged through time dilation, a weapon that could win -- or otherwise end it -- and we're treated to a couple of fascinating people in their own rights, carrying out the conclusions to their individual obsessions.

The worldbuilding is fascinating as hell. The storytelling tight. The multiple revelations and implications, truly staggering. I love how awesomely big it is.

This story just sparks my imagination like few SF really can. I love it.

[5t4n5 Dot Com · Rating 5 out of 5]

The fourth book in Alastair's Merlin Series , and should be read immediately after The Iron Tactician .

Leaving his previous hitch-hiker behind, Merlin then finds another to join him on his quest to find the ultimate weapon against the Huskers.   Will they find it?   Will Merlin finally get to use it?   Will there be some ultimate act of betrayal?

You'll have to read it yourself to find out.

Great ending though.

Sadly, for now at least, this is the fourth and final book in this short but very enjoyable tetralogy.

You'll find this in the collection, Zima Blue and Other Stories .

[Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reynolds, Alastair. Merlin’s Gun. 1988. Merlin No. 4. Robinson, 2016. Also published in Zima Blue and Other Stories. Gollancz, 2009.
Alastair Reynolds has said he likes to compose the ending of stories first and then fill in the plot to get to it. The Merlin series illustrates the process well. Written when he was beginning to think about Revelation space, it is the last novella in the Merlin chronology. It answers all the scientific questions you might have had reading the rest of the series, but it does leave a few of the human issues hanging. So, there is some room to expand the series, heaven help us.

[Konstantinos Georgokitsos · Rating 5 out of 5]

Classic Reynolds, written in his "Revelation Space" period, which I only now managed to read. Deep Time, Deep Space, a never ending sense of wonder, and short story plot twists make this a quick and enjoyable read. If you've never read Reynolds, this is an excellent and not very time consuming opportunity to get to know the side of him that made his work famous.

[Groucho42 · Rating 2 out of 5]

Novella that doesn't work, it's just too derivative and cutesy. A woman is, handily, the only survivor of her starship and is somehow frozen for thousands of years (well powered life boat…). Looking for a weapon in a war. The war isn't what we'd expect (supposedly, though the surprise isn't really a surprise) and she's left to do what is the logical thing to do. Gasp! Forget it.

[Mike Franklin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really only a slightly long short story rather than the claimed novella and whilst it is the last in the Merlin stories, I’m not sure that it wasn’t one of the first actually written! Regardless, it does finish the sequence off but not very satisfactorily. It has a couple of nice twists, but it wasn’t really enough to justify Reynold's various other stories written about the eponymous Merlin.

[lee d woolsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short and sweet

Classic Reynolds, I disagree that it is derivative, I enjoyed the storyline and the characters. I will definitely search out the rest. If it is over 5$ then I would agree too expensive for a short.

[R. Andrew Lamonica · Rating 4 out of 5]

A solid Alastair Reynolds short-story. I'm kind of annoyed that it is "#4" in a series that I have missed most of the other episodes of. But, that's what I get for buying "recommended books" on Google Play Books without consulting GoodReads first.

[Sam Schneider · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ok. Not nearly as complex or twisted as some of his other work. Not reading the sequel.

[Jan Kroken · Rating 3 out of 5]

Since I had it, I read it, but out of all available literature in the world (including the authors other works), there's no reason to spend ones time on this

[Alex · Rating 5 out of 5]

beautiful beginning to end

[Ross · Rating 3 out of 5]

Merlin’s Gun by Alastair Reynolds

Good book, worth the Read.
Start of something longer with different authors for the subsequent books.

[C · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great short story, I read it without reading other parts of the series.

Alastair Reynolds conveys a new technological world easily and fleshes out the characters well.

Excellent as usual!

[Nigel · Rating 5 out of 5]

The quest for a supqerweapon to end a war. Goes across vast spaces of sea and time. Good stuff.

[Brent · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding - I will read anything Reynolds writes.

[“Gideon” Dave Newell · Rating 4 out of 5]

This early novella of Reynolds has some of the world elements later seen in his ‘Revelation Space’ series, although it is a distinctly separate universe. Like that series, there is internecine war being waged over long centuries (‘kiloyears’ is thrown around here). As in Reynold’s later novella ‘Beyond the Aquilla Rift”, a long-vanished advanced civilization has paved the road for humankind to travel the stars via an unapproachably complex technology which the bravest exploit. Another familiar element seen here is a traveler, far removed from their own era and locale, skipping across vast distances and sleeping away the centuries between adventures, something necessitated by Reynolds familiar refusal to write anything that utilizes FTL travel. While it allows for terrific drama and perspective robbed from stories that do use it, here it mainly provides a McGuffin. There are some terrific mysteries introduced that beg for additional stories in this world, and there is plenty of room both before and after this story in the narrative timeline ripe for setting them, should Reynolds ever opt to take on the challenge.

[Timothy Finucane · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a short e-book story that I believe may also be published in a larger collection of science fiction stories. Overall it has everything you can expect from Alastair Reynolds: Ramscoops, relativistic space flight, fascinating future physics, awesome weapons, incredible biotech, big open universe, and a story line that won't let you stop reading. If you are unfamiliar with any of Reynold's writing this is the kind of e-book that can give you a taste of what his larger novels are like. For those already familiar with Alastair Reynolds, this e-book has a House of Suns, Revelation Space kind of feel to it.