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Silversands
INCLUDES THE BONUS SHORT STORY "MEMORY DUST".
In an age where interstellar travel is dangerous and unpredictable, and no-one knows exactly where they’ll end up, Avril Bradley is a Communications officer onboard a ship sent to re-contact as many of these lost souls as possible. But a mysterious explosion strands her in a world of political intrigue, espionage and subterfuge; a world of retired cops, digital ghosts and corporate assassins who fight for possession of computer data lain undisturbed for almost a century. . .
GARETH L. POWELL. Born and brought up in the West of England, Gareth L. Powell studied Humanities and Creative Writing at the University of Glamorgan. He has since given guest lectures on creative writing at Bath Spa University, and has written a series of non-fiction articles on science fiction for The Irish Times. He is the author of the novels The Recollection and Silversands, both of which were favourably reviewed in The Guardian, and the short story collection The Last Reef, which was described by Morpheus Tales as “One of the finest collections of SF short stories I have had the privilege of reading” Gareth lives near Bristol with his family.
In an age where interstellar travel is dangerous and unpredictable, and no-one knows exactly where they’ll end up, Avril Bradley is a Communications officer onboard a ship sent to re-contact as many of these lost souls as possible. But a mysterious explosion strands her in a world of political intrigue, espionage and subterfuge; a world of retired cops, digital ghosts and corporate assassins who fight for possession of computer data lain undisturbed for almost a century. . .
GARETH L. POWELL. Born and brought up in the West of England, Gareth L. Powell studied Humanities and Creative Writing at the University of Glamorgan. He has since given guest lectures on creative writing at Bath Spa University, and has written a series of non-fiction articles on science fiction for The Irish Times. He is the author of the novels The Recollection and Silversands, both of which were favourably reviewed in The Guardian, and the short story collection The Last Reef, which was described by Morpheus Tales as “One of the finest collections of SF short stories I have had the privilege of reading” Gareth lives near Bristol with his family.
170 pages, Hardcover
First published April 10, 2010
22 people are currently reading
125 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
April 25, 2020
Gareth Powell's first novel punches above its (159 page) weight on ideas, plot and credible people.
I came to Gareth Powell via his "Ragged Alice" stand-alone novel and his "Embers Of War" galaxy-spanning epic Science Fiction trilogy. He's on my 'read whatever he writes' list, so when I saw that his first short novel had been given a makeover and was on available as an ebook for $0.99, I had to get a copy.
"Sileersands" is only 159 pages long but it punches above its weight.
The universe it's set in has enough scope for at least a trilogy - an Earth diaspora through wormhole gates built by an unknown race and which we know so little about that ships can't select a destination, they just have to roll the dice.
The plot is paced like a thriller, with action almost from the first page, murky relationships, betrayals, power plays and everyone trying to kill or capture our heroine.
There are big themes in common with Gareth Powell's other books: the relationships between AIs and humans, the impact of living long lives and what it means to be human once you can be cybernetically augmented, genetically modified or cloned.
While I love all this stuff, the things that keep me coming back to Gareth Powell are that, in his books, actions have consequences and even key characters may not make it to the end of the book and that the people are real, relatable and central to the story. Powell's talent for making me believe in his characters is what makes his books special for me.
Here's an example of the kind of writing he uses to do this. This is a description of one of the characters meeting with his ex-wife:¨¨
'She smiled. The corners of her lips crinkled up in a way that had once been irresistible but was now only comfortably familiar. The passion in their relationship had been one of the first things to go, second only to trust. In its place, however, there was a stubborn fondness.'
'stubborn fondness' - there's a phrase to conjure with.
I came to Gareth Powell via his "Ragged Alice" stand-alone novel and his "Embers Of War" galaxy-spanning epic Science Fiction trilogy. He's on my 'read whatever he writes' list, so when I saw that his first short novel had been given a makeover and was on available as an ebook for $0.99, I had to get a copy.
"Sileersands" is only 159 pages long but it punches above its weight.
The universe it's set in has enough scope for at least a trilogy - an Earth diaspora through wormhole gates built by an unknown race and which we know so little about that ships can't select a destination, they just have to roll the dice.
The plot is paced like a thriller, with action almost from the first page, murky relationships, betrayals, power plays and everyone trying to kill or capture our heroine.
There are big themes in common with Gareth Powell's other books: the relationships between AIs and humans, the impact of living long lives and what it means to be human once you can be cybernetically augmented, genetically modified or cloned.
While I love all this stuff, the things that keep me coming back to Gareth Powell are that, in his books, actions have consequences and even key characters may not make it to the end of the book and that the people are real, relatable and central to the story. Powell's talent for making me believe in his characters is what makes his books special for me.
Here's an example of the kind of writing he uses to do this. This is a description of one of the characters meeting with his ex-wife:¨¨
'She smiled. The corners of her lips crinkled up in a way that had once been irresistible but was now only comfortably familiar. The passion in their relationship had been one of the first things to go, second only to trust. In its place, however, there was a stubborn fondness.'
'stubborn fondness' - there's a phrase to conjure with.
May 17, 2019
Silversands by Gareth L. Powell is one of those delightful surprises that you run across while searching the internet for something else.
I was searching for another author and stumbled upon a link to Silversands.
The story started out slow for me but by the end of the sample I was hooked and had to download the rest.
This is the story of Avril Bradley a young woman who has been orphaned and is looking for her father. A man she only knows from a photograph and her mother's memories. To quirk up the equation, her search has taken her aboard a star ship that travels through a wormhole that has so many random destinations that it's improbable that she'll succeed.
After many jumps and a cargo full of refugees from a failed settlement on another star system they seem to have lucked into finding the ship that her father was supposed to have been aboard. In a strange turn of events something causes a malfunction in their ship, when they attempt to communicate with the other ship. Suspicious and unsure what caused their problem, they are forced to seek help from the settlers on the planet below the ships as their cargo begin to awaken from a long sleep.
This is where the story begins to weave into a convoluted set of political plots and strange events that point to Avril and her quest.
This has some excellent world building that helps drive the plot.
Though I found some of the plot to be predictable it did not interfere with my enjoyment of the story.(I can't really mention more about it without spoiling things) There were plenty of ways for the whole plot to play out and Gareth gives us plenty of surprises.
I recommend this to anyone who enjoys Science Fiction and is looking for some fresh new ideas and Characters.
There's plenty of room for more stories in this universe.
J.L. Dobias
I was searching for another author and stumbled upon a link to Silversands.
The story started out slow for me but by the end of the sample I was hooked and had to download the rest.
This is the story of Avril Bradley a young woman who has been orphaned and is looking for her father. A man she only knows from a photograph and her mother's memories. To quirk up the equation, her search has taken her aboard a star ship that travels through a wormhole that has so many random destinations that it's improbable that she'll succeed.
After many jumps and a cargo full of refugees from a failed settlement on another star system they seem to have lucked into finding the ship that her father was supposed to have been aboard. In a strange turn of events something causes a malfunction in their ship, when they attempt to communicate with the other ship. Suspicious and unsure what caused their problem, they are forced to seek help from the settlers on the planet below the ships as their cargo begin to awaken from a long sleep.
This is where the story begins to weave into a convoluted set of political plots and strange events that point to Avril and her quest.
This has some excellent world building that helps drive the plot.
Though I found some of the plot to be predictable it did not interfere with my enjoyment of the story.(I can't really mention more about it without spoiling things) There were plenty of ways for the whole plot to play out and Gareth gives us plenty of surprises.
I recommend this to anyone who enjoys Science Fiction and is looking for some fresh new ideas and Characters.
There's plenty of room for more stories in this universe.
J.L. Dobias
January 19, 2023
Silversands was a fun novel, and an interesting view into a new universe but still kept some of its mysteries. I liked how it portrayed a future where humanity is not united, even when it takes to the stars, because I don't think that possibility is portrayed enough in fiction. It was action-packed and suspenseful. Another Gareth Powell story that I thoroughly enjoyed.
November 9, 2023
Patchy
Powell's first novel illustrates his mastery of pace and action. It's pretty much a thrill ride from start to finish but there are too many characters for my taste and it's easy to get lost. So, it's a three point five, really.
Powell's first novel illustrates his mastery of pace and action. It's pretty much a thrill ride from start to finish but there are too many characters for my taste and it's easy to get lost. So, it's a three point five, really.
May 5, 2024
'Silversands' is a likeable, lively and intelligent if fairly conventional first novel (2010) by the subsequently prolific Gareth Powell. It has the feel of someone learning their trade yet it remains an enjoyable read if only because Powell's hard science is largely well thought out.
What he avoided which did him credit was the tendency in contemporary science fiction to 'show off' with too many ideas creating confusion in the readers. And if there is one great virtue of this book it is the clarity of the writing even if the general story framework is rather obvious in places.
The detail of the plot is not so obvious. This, with the writing, more than saves it. Humanity beyond our planet remains recognisably human. Although the alien is hinted at (through the discovery of pre-extant wormhole technology imperfectly understood), it is far from central.
The characters may be stock but this is worn lightly. The chief among them are part of what makes the book likeable (and the villains are suitably villainous) with a denouement that would allow future story development without needing it.
The planet Silversands (a glacial planet that can sustain human life at the equator along lines similar to that of earth) is plausible as is its politics and economy. Its origin story involves a trapped asteroid-ship that has an existence in orbit and an historical trajectory of its own.
Indeed, I have often wondered why converted asteroids as interstellar space vehicles are not used more frequently in science fiction since the idea is retrospectively obvious. Here, Powell handles it well with room for the reader to keep speculating on their own account.
The one unexplained peculiarity is the amount of smoking (and not of weed) permitted to space crews - where does the tobacco come from and why? Have the health risks been dealt with in an age of extended longevity? Are addictive responses to human anxiety still normal?
Not a master work of science fiction literature, nevertheless the novel is a good read. Powell deserved to be allowed to develop his writing career off the back of it, clearly finding himself a good agent to guide him.
January 20, 2023
The opening of Gareth L. Powell's first novel has a definite "first novel" vibe: it feels like every noun has an adjective and just about every verb an adverb! Things quickly settle down, though, and once the set-up of the first couple of chapters is out of the way, Silversands becomes a competently-written and enjoyable adventure. The universe here is like a slightly less gritty version of that on show in The Expanse (Powell's novel was published just a year before the first book in that series came out); the characters are as lightly sketched as the locales (fewer and deeper characters would have been a better choice); and the plot is straightforward but satisfying. There's not much wow-factor here, but enough entertainment to make me think that I might give some of Powell's later work a go, one day.
January 28, 2022
Overall I liked the story, it just got bogged down with too many POV changes. I was getting confused with who was who and why they mattered. The Kindle version at least made it very difficult to determine when the POV changed too. I'd be reading along and realize that the paragraph I was reading was a different POV than the last. It was difficult to get into the story when I had to keep stopping to figure out who was talking. I usually love multi POV books and this author but this book was too much for my little brain I guess. :(
July 14, 2024
3.5 stars
This is a nice brisk sci-fi novel with a pacy plot and some good details. There are too many characters though, I think, I lost track of some of them, not helped by their relationships to one another.
REALLY weird to read something relatively modern that's set in a future where people smoke actual cigarettes.
There's a classic search and replace typo as well, 'neccesAvrily' (Avril is a character name).
This is a nice brisk sci-fi novel with a pacy plot and some good details. There are too many characters though, I think, I lost track of some of them, not helped by their relationships to one another.
REALLY weird to read something relatively modern that's set in a future where people smoke actual cigarettes.
There's a classic search and replace typo as well, 'neccesAvrily' (Avril is a character name).
April 22, 2020
I really enjoyed the read. For some reason the fact that things don’t work perfect in this far flung future greatly interested me.
Interesting also that this was the authors first novel. Some ambitious themes and ones you will find in his later works. Not as mature as his more recent works, but still quite enjoyable.
Interesting also that this was the authors first novel. Some ambitious themes and ones you will find in his later works. Not as mature as his more recent works, but still quite enjoyable.
June 1, 2021
Bought this book by accident but decided to read it anyway! Somewhat entertaining but the characters just don’t feel alive. It also doesn’t help that the author will sometimes change the character or scene in a new paragraph and your left wondering wait who’s talking now?
Ultimately very forgettable marginally redeemed by some interesting ideas.
Ultimately very forgettable marginally redeemed by some interesting ideas.
May 30, 2022
Don't you just hate it when a good book ends. But this was a promising start to a career in writing for the author. You can see the beginnings of ideas used in his future work take shape in this first work.
September 12, 2022
I thought the general plot line, and writing style was fairly good. However, I thought the fact that every single female character was described in terms of their voluptuous figure was a bit embarrassing, honestly. If you can get past that, there's a decent story underneath.
October 5, 2022
Well-drawn characters behaving appropriately in a plot that isn't too complicated or farfetched. A solid first novel.
October 24, 2022
An interesting tale with a mystery and entertaining characters
September 13, 2016
Silversands’ universe requires little introduction; the science fiction tropes within the story are familiar without being unoriginal. There is no plodding back-story to labour over and it keeps that sense of wonder that all good science fiction has. This has its own advantages as we get into the plot from the off and the story rattles along at a good pace. Powell's writing skills are explicit and direct, creating mood and character through economical prose and without exposition. Each scene is lovingly created and you can tell the writer is enjoying his craft here.
The world building is gritty, frontier SF at its best, with the feel of a society not far away from implosion which adds it’s own sense of tension, while the action is also typically dazzling and dynamic – it has its pulpy moments but nothing that the great SF writers such as Harrison or Asimov would be worried about. It’s utterly compelling, and there’s a feeling of crescendo, of sub-plots merging for a big bang somewhere down the line…
…Which is perhaps were I have one quibble: while the book is indeed compelling and fantastically written, it just feels a little unfinished. There were too many lose-ends, like a fine rug with frayed edges, which is okay if you're writing a short story - where the requirement for a satisfactory ending is negated for an "experience" or snapshot of story-telling - but as a novel the ending comes too soon and too many questions are left unanswered to make it wholly satisfying especially for a novel with less than 100 pages. You just wish there was more.
If I’m honest this isn’t a criticism, after all how can you damn fine writing by complaining you wanted more? It’s like telling the best chef in the land you thought the meal was a poor one because you could have eaten more of it.
Culinary euphemisms aside, this is a thoroughly accomplished piece of writing; not one I’d class as a ‘novel’ (novella, probably, and something that could form the back bone of a collection someway down the line), but I’m glad it’s been published and published lovingly (beautifully bound with a great cover) by Pendragon Press. I’m not sure I’ll return to it as much as the well-thumbed Last Reef, but Silversands sits proudly on my bookshelf with other acclaimed genre authors (Dick, Bradbury, Baxter, Banks etc)…
…And you know, Gareth L. Powell doesn’t look out of place amongst them.
The world building is gritty, frontier SF at its best, with the feel of a society not far away from implosion which adds it’s own sense of tension, while the action is also typically dazzling and dynamic – it has its pulpy moments but nothing that the great SF writers such as Harrison or Asimov would be worried about. It’s utterly compelling, and there’s a feeling of crescendo, of sub-plots merging for a big bang somewhere down the line…
…Which is perhaps were I have one quibble: while the book is indeed compelling and fantastically written, it just feels a little unfinished. There were too many lose-ends, like a fine rug with frayed edges, which is okay if you're writing a short story - where the requirement for a satisfactory ending is negated for an "experience" or snapshot of story-telling - but as a novel the ending comes too soon and too many questions are left unanswered to make it wholly satisfying especially for a novel with less than 100 pages. You just wish there was more.
If I’m honest this isn’t a criticism, after all how can you damn fine writing by complaining you wanted more? It’s like telling the best chef in the land you thought the meal was a poor one because you could have eaten more of it.
Culinary euphemisms aside, this is a thoroughly accomplished piece of writing; not one I’d class as a ‘novel’ (novella, probably, and something that could form the back bone of a collection someway down the line), but I’m glad it’s been published and published lovingly (beautifully bound with a great cover) by Pendragon Press. I’m not sure I’ll return to it as much as the well-thumbed Last Reef, but Silversands sits proudly on my bookshelf with other acclaimed genre authors (Dick, Bradbury, Baxter, Banks etc)…
…And you know, Gareth L. Powell doesn’t look out of place amongst them.
October 11, 2011
Silversands is by Gareth L Powell and it instantly piqued my interest when I heard about it earlier this year. As it's only a short novel (coming in at 160 pages) it was one that I picked up once I'd received the review copy to pass a couple of hours one afternoon. I thoroughly enjoyed what I read and found that despite the small page count Gareth L Powell has delivered a great novel in a very interesting setting.
Starflight has been achieved by the use of ancient alien wormhole devices that has no way to control the destination, and human colonies are spread throughout the galaxy because of this. Avril Bradley is part of the crew of the Pathfinder, a ship sent out from Earth to find these lost human colonies. But she has an ulterior motive: she's trying to find the man she believes to be her father. As the Pathfinder arrives in the Silversands star system she discovers that this is the place she's been looking for and now has the hope of finally tracking down the man she's after, Cale Christie. When an explosion damages their ship the crew of the Pathfinder find themselves stuck while they must make repairs and it gives Avril the opportunity she needs. She finds herself in the middle of political struggles and the quest of secret factions to uncover the past while looking for the answers she wants.
The main characters of Avril and Cale are the ones that the story follows and their individual circumstances make for some very interesting situations. They're both believable and realistic and the same could be said for the supporting characters too. With subjects such as colony ships, digital personalities and political intrigue, Silversands is a satisfying and enjoyable read and Gareth L Powell makes the most of these characters and backdrop to tell a page turning story.
However, despite how much I enjoyed Silversands there were a couple of small reservations I had. The first was that while the story flies along at a good pace, it sometimes suffers for not being a little more drawn out. There are lots of things going on and a little more time spent on the story would have benefited enormously - I could easily see this being expanded to full novel length. The other aspect is to do with the way that ftl travel is done - it feels rather like Stargate to an extent. You know, ancient devices that use wormholes to travel between stars. This becomes more apparent by the conclusion, but it does not detract in anyway from the story as it's different enough to be satisfying.
Silversands is a novel I would recommend as a quick, enjoyable read and I'll be keeping my eyes out for more work by Mr Powell.
Starflight has been achieved by the use of ancient alien wormhole devices that has no way to control the destination, and human colonies are spread throughout the galaxy because of this. Avril Bradley is part of the crew of the Pathfinder, a ship sent out from Earth to find these lost human colonies. But she has an ulterior motive: she's trying to find the man she believes to be her father. As the Pathfinder arrives in the Silversands star system she discovers that this is the place she's been looking for and now has the hope of finally tracking down the man she's after, Cale Christie. When an explosion damages their ship the crew of the Pathfinder find themselves stuck while they must make repairs and it gives Avril the opportunity she needs. She finds herself in the middle of political struggles and the quest of secret factions to uncover the past while looking for the answers she wants.
The main characters of Avril and Cale are the ones that the story follows and their individual circumstances make for some very interesting situations. They're both believable and realistic and the same could be said for the supporting characters too. With subjects such as colony ships, digital personalities and political intrigue, Silversands is a satisfying and enjoyable read and Gareth L Powell makes the most of these characters and backdrop to tell a page turning story.
However, despite how much I enjoyed Silversands there were a couple of small reservations I had. The first was that while the story flies along at a good pace, it sometimes suffers for not being a little more drawn out. There are lots of things going on and a little more time spent on the story would have benefited enormously - I could easily see this being expanded to full novel length. The other aspect is to do with the way that ftl travel is done - it feels rather like Stargate to an extent. You know, ancient devices that use wormholes to travel between stars. This becomes more apparent by the conclusion, but it does not detract in anyway from the story as it's different enough to be satisfying.
Silversands is a novel I would recommend as a quick, enjoyable read and I'll be keeping my eyes out for more work by Mr Powell.
September 5, 2010
This is a short novel and I think I made a mistake when I first picked it up by deciding to take it into the day job and read it there. Being constantly interrupted, the first 60 pages which introduced a wide range of characters only served to confuse me, and whilst the writing was strong I wasn't pulled into the novel. As I said, I think this was my error, because deciding to finish it at home I romped through the final 100 pages and thoroughly enjoyed the end result.
I've decided to avoid plot descriptions in my reviews because frankly I don't have the time, but suffice to say this is an intelligent read with an intriguing plot (and an even more intriguing back story). It's old school science fiction with a modern twist, and I especially applaud it for understating elements which are integral when creating new worlds but which are subsidiary to the plot. There are possibly too many characters for the author to successfully differentiate between, but several surprises keep the pages turning. Mention must also be given to the stunning cover art, which really encapsulates the feel of the book.
I've decided to avoid plot descriptions in my reviews because frankly I don't have the time, but suffice to say this is an intelligent read with an intriguing plot (and an even more intriguing back story). It's old school science fiction with a modern twist, and I especially applaud it for understating elements which are integral when creating new worlds but which are subsidiary to the plot. There are possibly too many characters for the author to successfully differentiate between, but several surprises keep the pages turning. Mention must also be given to the stunning cover art, which really encapsulates the feel of the book.
September 26, 2013
This short sci-fi story packs a lot into its pages. Gareth Powell paints a imaginative world filled with exotic sci-fi components like a colony set in a strange watery world, modified human beings, huge spaceships and small space crafts, anti-ageing treatments, nano technology and so on. A wide variety of characters becoming drawn into a race against time to solve a mystery. Won't say any more as I don't want to include any spoilers. I didn't intend to read it as quickly as I did, but about a third of the way in I became hooked and I had to finish the rest of the book in one sitting.
December 26, 2016
Strong story
I really enjoyed this book. The concept was fascinating and I was intrigued by the modifications that the people made to themselves.
The only thing that would have improved the story for me would have been a little more character development. This was a fairly short novel so I think there was room to spend a bit more time getting to know the characters which would have made the ending ultimately more satisfying.
The world building was strong with lots of well-placed details. I look forward to reaching more by this author.
I really enjoyed this book. The concept was fascinating and I was intrigued by the modifications that the people made to themselves.
The only thing that would have improved the story for me would have been a little more character development. This was a fairly short novel so I think there was room to spend a bit more time getting to know the characters which would have made the ending ultimately more satisfying.
The world building was strong with lots of well-placed details. I look forward to reaching more by this author.
July 17, 2010
Great sci-fi read from an exciting new author storming the sci-fi scene.
January 5, 2017
Gave up about halfway through. It felt a bit clunky; I wanted to like it but it just didn't grab me, unfortunately.
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