I tried reading this book a few years ago and never got through it - decided to give it another go lately whilst waiting for some new books to arrive (and as part of an effort to get through that 'to-read' list). Got through it this time although I must admit it was a bit of an effort.On the whole I found the story reasonably enjoyable - the idea of a far future earth where humanity has transformed into many different forms and where much of human history has been lost to the depths of time is certainly intriguing. I guess my major gripe with this novel is that I had trouble following some of the imagery and concepts as they were described by the author. Now maybe this just proves that this type of 'hard' Sci-Fi is not for me, but I am convinced that at least part of the issue was the overly wordy language used and and a slightly distant tone in some parts of the book. At a number of occasions in the novel I found myself ploughing ahead through sections of the text without really comprehending what was going on (something I never normally do) in the hope that some future context would enlighten me.And whilst I found the interaction between the major characters (Cley and Seeker) to be quite enjoyable, and I could sympathise with Cley's plight, even after just reading this novel I could scarcely tell you of the other characters and their roles in this story. Too often the other characters seem two dimensional and uninspiring, and whilst this may have been a function of viewing them via Cley's perspective, I am not certain that the author intended it that way - to me this left the story a little hollow.If you enjoy high concept Sci-Fi that really makes you stop and think (and challenges you to visualize some truly unfamiliar concepts) then this may be for you, but I would hesitate to recommend it to someone who enjoys more story-driven fiction as I do.
Best parts are reminiscent of the deep time Baxter novels, and Last and First Men. The rest is okay - I think I read part of a similar novel by Benford a while ago- was it Against Infinity or in the Fall of Night Clarke collaboration?The magnetic beings have been seen in the Galactic Center series (also the Martian Race sequel, I think), and the bent but human friendly spacetime is like the artifact in Sailing Bright Eternity and Bear's novels about the giant tube thing that appears in Earth orbit.
What do You think about Beyond Infinity (2004)?
I like this book, evident by the fact that I'll now be looking for another book of his to read. The story started off a bit weird, I was wondering if it was some type of strange sexual piece(the guy had multiple wives), however was relieved when I kept going past the first chapter and the story really/actually got started. Quickly it began to gain complexity and depth. The story line was interesting and unique, the characters perfect for their place in the story. Most often the detail was enough - or more than enough when scientific terms overwhelmed the storyline, however in one spot I wished the author had included more detail - perhaps another chapter or two on the Meta and what happened to them. Overall I think it was a job well done :)
—Belinda
