This is a book review of Newton’s Wake by Ken Macleod.
It is a sci-fi book set in the 24th century, with events mainly happening on other planets. It really felt like a few stories mixed into one. A lot of the story takes place on a planet called Eurydice, which was settled by those fleeing AI war machines on Earth. This book is full of great characters, and whilst the book was published in 2004, I enjoyed reading it all these years later and I don’t think it feels dated.
Humanity is divided into sects, often manoeuvring for power and resources. The book focuses on Lucinda, who as part of the Carlyle family, leads a team through a wormhole looking for items to salvage, but things don’t go to plan. I enjoyed following Lucinda’s storyline, but personally my favourite parts were about the technology and especially the ‘lightning-chasers’, augmented by tech. I thought the parts about the different sects and their values was well done. There were some aspects of the story I didn’t like, such as the singers, but I appreciate that these played their own role.
I borrowed this book from my local library and I’m glad I did. I would like a follow-up to this book or perhaps a prequel, but I guess that likely won’t happen as it’s been over ten years since this book was released.
An enjoyable read.
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