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The Spin Trilogy #3
Stone Clock
It is a hundred millennia after Iron Gods. The Spin is nearing the end of its life.
Its inhabitants are divided between those who live unknowingly in the relative paradise of one of hundreds of Virtual Realities – vrealities – and those who scrape a living in what remains of the real world.
The massive servers needed to maintain the vrealities are draining the resources of the Spin. And an escalating, desperate and seemingly futile war has begun between those who tend the servers and those who believe they should be shut down, killing millions. But one amongst these unwitting combatants will discover the real nature of the vrealities – and his role in their fate.
From a remote star system, a being has been observing the Spin for several lifetimes. He is Skarbo the Horologist and he is about to die for the very last time. He has come to accept that he will never visit the object of his studies but is coerced into making one last journey. His final destination lies across a war-torn galaxy. And there he will learn of the Spin’s past – and its astonishing future . . .
Returning to the extraordinarily envisioned artificial planetary cluster called the Spin, Stone Clock is the dazzling new space opera from the acclaimed author of Creation Machine and Iron Gods.
Its inhabitants are divided between those who live unknowingly in the relative paradise of one of hundreds of Virtual Realities – vrealities – and those who scrape a living in what remains of the real world.
The massive servers needed to maintain the vrealities are draining the resources of the Spin. And an escalating, desperate and seemingly futile war has begun between those who tend the servers and those who believe they should be shut down, killing millions. But one amongst these unwitting combatants will discover the real nature of the vrealities – and his role in their fate.
From a remote star system, a being has been observing the Spin for several lifetimes. He is Skarbo the Horologist and he is about to die for the very last time. He has come to accept that he will never visit the object of his studies but is coerced into making one last journey. His final destination lies across a war-torn galaxy. And there he will learn of the Spin’s past – and its astonishing future . . .
Returning to the extraordinarily envisioned artificial planetary cluster called the Spin, Stone Clock is the dazzling new space opera from the acclaimed author of Creation Machine and Iron Gods.
336 pages, Paperback
First published July 15, 2018
15 people are currently reading
127 people want to read
About the author
Andrew Bannister
5 books38 followersBorn in 1965, Andrew Bannister grew up in Cornwall. He studied Geology at Imperial College and went to work in the North Sea before becoming an Environmental Consultant. For the day job, he specialises in green transport and corporate sustainability, but he has always written - initially for student newspapers and fanzines before moving on, encouraged by creative writing courses, to fiction. He's always been a reader and has loved science fiction since childhood. From the classics of the 50s and 60s to the present day, he's wanted it all: space, stars, astonishment and adventure - and now he's discovered that writing it is even better. Andrew lives in Leicestershire.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
December 29, 2018
Extrem merkwürdiges Buch. Vier Sterne weil es mich überrascht, auch wenn der Plot kaum nachvollziehbar ist und sich die Auflösung nicht so auflösend angefühlt hat (weil ich sie nicht verstehe). Man merkt, dass der Autor Geologe ist. Angenehm war, dass die zwei Hauptfiguren zwar Typen waren, es durchaus aber zB auch ein geschlechtsloses Wesen gab plus zwei queere Frauen. Unangenehm war der WELTRAUMKAPITALISMUS. Und dass mit den Maschinen die Bewusstsein haben, ging mir über den Kopf. Und wieso lebten alle so lang???
January 16, 2019
I've enjoyed this trilogy (I'm assuming it's a trilogy) and each part of it has been different than the others. This novel takes us to the end of the Spin's life and explores how this affects two characters, one (a man) who lives inside the Spin, and the other (more insect than man) who lives outside but is obsessed with it. It's a fascinating depiction of a region of space so far removed from our own, where reality and the virtual are confused and where war has become a way of life. The ships are great! Review to follow shortly on For Winter Nights.
March 18, 2019
I wish these books were longer.
November 18, 2019
I received a copy of Stone Clock in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Stone Clock is the third and final novel in Andrew Bannister's The Spin series. And it is a novel that packs one heck of a punch. The series is a prime example of Space Opera, full of fascinating characters and dynamic plots. And it's one that's going to stick with me for quite some time.
The whole series has been a deep dive into virtual reality, and all of the wonders and chaos that can come along with a world full of different realities and timelines. And yet, the series is one that is perfect for fans that are new to Space Operas. It's light and fun, and a bit quirky at times even.
The whole series has been focused on Spin, a planet with a lot going on. Or at least, it used to have a lot going on. Now the planet is nearing the end of its lifetime, and we're going to see it all happen. And we'll see it right alongside those that dedicated their lives to watching it as well.
“A warning buzzes hoarsely. He sighed. Much earlier than he would have liked, the pod orbit was beginning to decay. He closed his eyes, focused his attention on a distant part of his mind and did the thing that bailed him out of the vreality.”
Stone Clock was everything I had hoped it would be, and that's saying something. It's been a while since I read a series that was so immersed in the concept of virtual realities. And thus it was very refreshing to read. I'm sad that Stone Clock marks the end of the series. But I'm also kind of looking forward to seeing what Andrew Bannister can come up with next.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading Stone Clock. It was its own being, all while having hints of something familiar. I'm not going to say that it was similar to anything else out there, more like it had the same feeling as other plots (specifically the Matrix). And I'm not complaining about that fact either.
There were characters and elements that I liked more than others, but that's probably a given in any series. And I imagine anybody who will read this book will enjoy the Bird, and for good reasons.
Once again, I'm finding myself a bit sad that this series is over. But I'm also okay with the way it ended if that makes any sense. And I'm looking forward to seeing what Bannister will think up next, so that is some consolation.
For more reviews check out Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks
Stone Clock is the third and final novel in Andrew Bannister's The Spin series. And it is a novel that packs one heck of a punch. The series is a prime example of Space Opera, full of fascinating characters and dynamic plots. And it's one that's going to stick with me for quite some time.
The whole series has been a deep dive into virtual reality, and all of the wonders and chaos that can come along with a world full of different realities and timelines. And yet, the series is one that is perfect for fans that are new to Space Operas. It's light and fun, and a bit quirky at times even.
The whole series has been focused on Spin, a planet with a lot going on. Or at least, it used to have a lot going on. Now the planet is nearing the end of its lifetime, and we're going to see it all happen. And we'll see it right alongside those that dedicated their lives to watching it as well.
“A warning buzzes hoarsely. He sighed. Much earlier than he would have liked, the pod orbit was beginning to decay. He closed his eyes, focused his attention on a distant part of his mind and did the thing that bailed him out of the vreality.”
Stone Clock was everything I had hoped it would be, and that's saying something. It's been a while since I read a series that was so immersed in the concept of virtual realities. And thus it was very refreshing to read. I'm sad that Stone Clock marks the end of the series. But I'm also kind of looking forward to seeing what Andrew Bannister can come up with next.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading Stone Clock. It was its own being, all while having hints of something familiar. I'm not going to say that it was similar to anything else out there, more like it had the same feeling as other plots (specifically the Matrix). And I'm not complaining about that fact either.
There were characters and elements that I liked more than others, but that's probably a given in any series. And I imagine anybody who will read this book will enjoy the Bird, and for good reasons.
Once again, I'm finding myself a bit sad that this series is over. But I'm also okay with the way it ended if that makes any sense. And I'm looking forward to seeing what Bannister will think up next, so that is some consolation.
For more reviews check out Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks
March 30, 2021
Just outside the Spin, an artificial collection of suns and planets that's existed for hundreds of thousands of years, a man on a dying world watches, as he comes to the end of his own life, knowing that the artificial solar system he's studied from afar is close to the end of its as well. He never expected the chance to actually visit the Spin, but a visitor suggests that may be possible, and that might be something worth seeing before his death. Meanwhile, another man with a past spends most of his time visiting the virtual realities, simulations of real people and real societies, many of which don't know they're simulations, that exist within the Spin.
The third book of this loosely linked trilogy (all involving the Spin, but largely unconnected in terms of characters or plot), and it's probably the most successful of the three. It doesn't quite live up to the promise offered by the early parts of the first, but is at least more cohesive, and although it suffers from the same problems as the other books in the series, they're not as bad.
The biggest problem is that it's a book where the main characters are essentially bounced around to various set pieces, with some vague goal but not much agency in it, and seems more like they're just an excuse to show off various ideas the author had. In each previous book, I've mentioned it reminds me of the story style of Iain M. Banks, but not as skillful, and so it is here. But, the author's getting better at it. At least in this one the two plots meet in a way that, although not entirely unexpected, at least somewhat satisfied, and although the revelations and solutions didn't entirely feel earned it's more or less an enjoyable jaunt throughout. I still think the series could have been much more, and that disappointment might be the actual greatest sin, but I'm, if not satisfied, at least don't feel as though I completely wasted my time. Although granted, the fact that I bought all three books as an ebook bundle for very cheap might play into it.
The third book of this loosely linked trilogy (all involving the Spin, but largely unconnected in terms of characters or plot), and it's probably the most successful of the three. It doesn't quite live up to the promise offered by the early parts of the first, but is at least more cohesive, and although it suffers from the same problems as the other books in the series, they're not as bad.
The biggest problem is that it's a book where the main characters are essentially bounced around to various set pieces, with some vague goal but not much agency in it, and seems more like they're just an excuse to show off various ideas the author had. In each previous book, I've mentioned it reminds me of the story style of Iain M. Banks, but not as skillful, and so it is here. But, the author's getting better at it. At least in this one the two plots meet in a way that, although not entirely unexpected, at least somewhat satisfied, and although the revelations and solutions didn't entirely feel earned it's more or less an enjoyable jaunt throughout. I still think the series could have been much more, and that disappointment might be the actual greatest sin, but I'm, if not satisfied, at least don't feel as though I completely wasted my time. Although granted, the fact that I bought all three books as an ebook bundle for very cheap might play into it.
October 23, 2020
Skarbo is an insect. At least in this life - in previous ones he was a human. He chose this body because it is durable, giving him enough time to complete his life's work: building a large scale model of The Spin. Although he has never visited the articial star systems, it interests him boundlessly. Now that his life is nearly over, Skarbo's discovery about The Spin seems to have piqued several other parties' interests; but theirs is not pure curiosity.
Zeb works on a dying planet, maintaining the virtual strata housing limitless numbers of virtual people. Zeb also likes to dip his toe in the vr - sometimes just a bit too much.
Like the other two books set in the Spin universe, Stone Clock is a stand-alone novel. Their settings and stories are different but the scope of their civilizations, time and their imaginative stories make the Spin novels very suitable for fans of Iain M. Banks' The Culture series.
The story lines are well designed; the proza descriptive but not a word longer than necessary; and the characters are interesting and grow even more so as the story gets underway.
I really hope Bannister will write a lot more books set in the Spin universe. Nominally the three books form a trilogy but in practise they are far from that and there is no reason no other books would fit here.
Zeb works on a dying planet, maintaining the virtual strata housing limitless numbers of virtual people. Zeb also likes to dip his toe in the vr - sometimes just a bit too much.
Like the other two books set in the Spin universe, Stone Clock is a stand-alone novel. Their settings and stories are different but the scope of their civilizations, time and their imaginative stories make the Spin novels very suitable for fans of Iain M. Banks' The Culture series.
The story lines are well designed; the proza descriptive but not a word longer than necessary; and the characters are interesting and grow even more so as the story gets underway.
I really hope Bannister will write a lot more books set in the Spin universe. Nominally the three books form a trilogy but in practise they are far from that and there is no reason no other books would fit here.
October 18, 2018
Worthy of Your Attention: A Space Opera!
I was kindly given a copy of Stone Clock from author, Andrew Bannister (AB), in exchange for a review. From my perspective the timing could not have been better as I was just starting the first book in the trilogy, Creation Machine.
This trilogy is big picture space opera. I hate to compare an author's work with others, but it did have some flavour of Bank's Culture books and AB does convey the ideas of the current world's is based upon what has gone before. Although there were one or two times I was not quite sure what was going on (I genrally had an idea), the trilogy is very readable and with an interesting cast of characters. I especially liked The Bird.
Stone Trilogy was the best of the three books, with some great concepts, especially those relating to virtual realities, the speeds at which they run and huge timescales. All books have a host of landscapes which varied from the beautiful to the weird and I can only imagine that AB's imagination was in overdrive. The Spin itself is a great idea and in the end there is even logic to it's madness
In summary this is a fast-paced, accessible and fun conclusion to a great big universe of a space opera trilogy. There may even be room for a little more Spinning.
I was kindly given a copy of Stone Clock from author, Andrew Bannister (AB), in exchange for a review. From my perspective the timing could not have been better as I was just starting the first book in the trilogy, Creation Machine.
This trilogy is big picture space opera. I hate to compare an author's work with others, but it did have some flavour of Bank's Culture books and AB does convey the ideas of the current world's is based upon what has gone before. Although there were one or two times I was not quite sure what was going on (I genrally had an idea), the trilogy is very readable and with an interesting cast of characters. I especially liked The Bird.
Stone Trilogy was the best of the three books, with some great concepts, especially those relating to virtual realities, the speeds at which they run and huge timescales. All books have a host of landscapes which varied from the beautiful to the weird and I can only imagine that AB's imagination was in overdrive. The Spin itself is a great idea and in the end there is even logic to it's madness
In summary this is a fast-paced, accessible and fun conclusion to a great big universe of a space opera trilogy. There may even be room for a little more Spinning.
September 30, 2018
Last in the Spin Trilogy series a worthy conclusion
The final episode in the Spin Trilogy, and as always leaves me marvelling at the author's ability to conjure the brilliant worlds, settings and characters. Vivid descriptions paint stunning images - sometimes beautiful, sometimes horrific, often mind-boggling. The storyline is an imaginative, complex sweep across vast timescales and worlds both real and virtual. Stone Clock even managed to make me feel empathy for AI!
The final episode in the Spin Trilogy, and as always leaves me marvelling at the author's ability to conjure the brilliant worlds, settings and characters. Vivid descriptions paint stunning images - sometimes beautiful, sometimes horrific, often mind-boggling. The storyline is an imaginative, complex sweep across vast timescales and worlds both real and virtual. Stone Clock even managed to make me feel empathy for AI!
October 11, 2023
So frustrating. Like all these books in the “spin” trilogy the first half starts off with such super concepts and world building features that is truly is brilliant. In this case, harnessing power in the future just to power virtual realities. Matrix-ready material. But then diversions into minor character adventures and overly complex endings just lose you. Again I love the seeds of invention planted by these books - but ultimately not a patch in Tchaikovsky.
August 15, 2021
Picked this up on sale at Waterstones for £1 and I didn’t realise it was the final book in a trilogy until I started reading it. It was quite enjoyable and definitely written well but I would’ve enjoyed it more if I knew what was going on! Even if I had read the earlier books, however, I still think that some parts of this novel would have been hard to follow.
August 1, 2020
Complex, challenging trilogy
Interesting characters, complex ideas, multiple intertwined plots. Very enjoyable conclusion to the trilogy. Could not put it down, will be looking for more from this author.
Interesting characters, complex ideas, multiple intertwined plots. Very enjoyable conclusion to the trilogy. Could not put it down, will be looking for more from this author.
July 2, 2019
Käynnistyy kovin hitaasti, mutta on alun jälkeen hyvinkin viihdyttävä mainioilla hahmoilla ryyditettynä.
February 11, 2020
- the final book of the trilogy, for me, not the best one but adequately interesting and completes the series.
March 26, 2020
This work posits that reality is simply a simulation.
If so, then all existence is meaningless.
Including reading (and reviewing) this book.
If so, then all existence is meaningless.
Including reading (and reviewing) this book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 31, 2021
Okay sci-fi. Kinda cyberpunky. I read the first and am not bothering with the second because SFPL doesn't have a physical copy, so it's not all that great.
May 3, 2019
I was really looking forward to this, having found the first two of Andrew Bannister's books the best new works since I discovered Accelerando by Charles Stross.
In fact, while I was reading it, I enjoyed it (especially The Bird) but from about half way through I started getting a "matrix" feeling, since once you accept the validity of virtual realities then logic goes out the window - and I was soooooo wanting a logical conclusion. Instead, I read through the ending and am still none the wiser about the point of several of the characters, in terms of their origins, their motivations and their fates, inter alia.
I look forward to his next book though.
In fact, while I was reading it, I enjoyed it (especially The Bird) but from about half way through I started getting a "matrix" feeling, since once you accept the validity of virtual realities then logic goes out the window - and I was soooooo wanting a logical conclusion. Instead, I read through the ending and am still none the wiser about the point of several of the characters, in terms of their origins, their motivations and their fates, inter alia.
I look forward to his next book though.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews