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Beyond the Aquila Rift
This is the audiobook of the short story "Beyond the Aquila Rift" only. For the anthology of the same name, see Beyond the Aquila Rift
Beyond the Aquila Rift: it's shorthand for the trip no one ever hopes to make by accident. The one that will screw up the rest of your life, the one that creates the ghosts you see haunting the shadows of company bars across the whole Bubble. Men and women ripped out of time, cut adrift from families and lovers by an accident of an alien technology we use but rarely comprehend
Beyond the Aquila Rift: it's shorthand for the trip no one ever hopes to make by accident. The one that will screw up the rest of your life, the one that creates the ghosts you see haunting the shadows of company bars across the whole Bubble. Men and women ripped out of time, cut adrift from families and lovers by an accident of an alien technology we use but rarely comprehend
25 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2005
20 people are currently reading
624 people want to read
About the author
Alastair Reynolds
314 books9,356 followersI'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.
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.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 70 reviews
February 2, 2023
Beyond the Aquila Rift by Alastair Reynolds - STORY 4+/5★ / SHOW 3/5★
The story is more lush in details and introspection, while the episode is much more sexual and brief with the world details.
The story is more lush in details and introspection, while the episode is much more sexual and brief with the world details.
May 12, 2014
It was only 5 bucks on Audible - which is probably too dear for an hour and a quarter worth of story...but it's Reynolds - nuff said.
This book was basically an hour of Reynolds messing with my head. I would say the twist at the end was a real spin out, except the whole book just starts twisting early and doesn't stop till the finish. It's what a short story should be and it left the ending open for interpretation. Would make for some great discussion of what people thought was going on.
Themes include Reynolds staples like, left over alien technology and cryosleep and humans spread over the galaxy. He also adds FTL travel which he doesn't usually get into and that's about as far as I can go without spoiling it.
A short, fun read that was arguably more expensive than the length of the book warranted.
4 stars.
This book was basically an hour of Reynolds messing with my head. I would say the twist at the end was a real spin out, except the whole book just starts twisting early and doesn't stop till the finish. It's what a short story should be and it left the ending open for interpretation. Would make for some great discussion of what people thought was going on.
Themes include Reynolds staples like, left over alien technology and cryosleep and humans spread over the galaxy. He also adds FTL travel which he doesn't usually get into and that's about as far as I can go without spoiling it.
A short, fun read that was arguably more expensive than the length of the book warranted.
4 stars.
October 11, 2013
5 Stars
Beyond the Aquila Rift by Alastair Reynolds is a fantastic short piece of science fiction. It does not waste time with too many details or explanations. It uses the characters as a means to tell a story that will make you think. It does not spell things out as it leaves that to you. The short story is the perfect way to explore large themes with such a little.
I am a huge Reynolds fan and he is an author not to be missed by fans of the genre….
“"Tell me, Thorn. Are we out beyond the Rift?"
I can hear the fear. I understand what she's going through. It's the nightmare that all ship crews live with, on every trip. That something will go wrong with the routing, something so severe that they 'II end up on the very edge of the network. That they'll end up so far from home that getting back will take years, not months. And that, of course, years will have already passed, even before they begin the return trip.
That loved ones will be years older when they reach home.
If they 're still there. If they still remember you, or want to remember. If they 're still recognizable, or alive.
Beyond the Aquila Rift. It's shorthand for the trip no one ever hopes to make by accident. The one that will screw up the rest of your life, the one that creates the ghosts you see haunting the shadows of company bars across the whole Bubble. Men and women ripped out of time, cut adrift from families and lovers by an accident of an alien technology we use but barely comprehend.”
Beyond the Aquila Rift by Alastair Reynolds is a fantastic short piece of science fiction. It does not waste time with too many details or explanations. It uses the characters as a means to tell a story that will make you think. It does not spell things out as it leaves that to you. The short story is the perfect way to explore large themes with such a little.
I am a huge Reynolds fan and he is an author not to be missed by fans of the genre….
“"Tell me, Thorn. Are we out beyond the Rift?"
I can hear the fear. I understand what she's going through. It's the nightmare that all ship crews live with, on every trip. That something will go wrong with the routing, something so severe that they 'II end up on the very edge of the network. That they'll end up so far from home that getting back will take years, not months. And that, of course, years will have already passed, even before they begin the return trip.
That loved ones will be years older when they reach home.
If they 're still there. If they still remember you, or want to remember. If they 're still recognizable, or alive.
Beyond the Aquila Rift. It's shorthand for the trip no one ever hopes to make by accident. The one that will screw up the rest of your life, the one that creates the ghosts you see haunting the shadows of company bars across the whole Bubble. Men and women ripped out of time, cut adrift from families and lovers by an accident of an alien technology we use but barely comprehend.”
February 9, 2021
I read this because it was one of my favorite episodes from Love Death and Robots. It made me appreciate little thing in life.
February 24, 2023
Some of Alastair's short stories are actually among his best work...imho...
April 15, 2019
O povestire scurtă excelentă. Frumos lucrată. Bagseamă, autorul lucrează la extreme. Unele creații sunt de-a dreptul excepționale, iar altele lasă de dorit. Oricum ar fi, din ce proză scurtă am mai citit până în prezent de Alastair Reynolds, Dincolo de falia Aquila este de departe cea mai reușită. 5 stele fără doar și poate! Sper să mai descopăr și alte povestiri la fel de bune.
Pentru cei care vor să-și facă o idee, deși sentimentul nu e deloc identic, ecranizarea prozei poate fi văzută pe Netflix în sumarul sezonului 1 din serialul Love, Death and Robots. Tot în cadrul aceluiași serial se găsește și ecranizarea altei povestiri, Albastru de Zima, tot de Reynold. La fel de bună, din punctul meu de vedere.
Recunosc, deși auzisem de ceva timp de autor, abia de curând am citit ceva din proza lui Reynolds, pentru că, știți și voi, o listă de lecturi în așteptare uriașă, dar nu regret că am sărit peste câteva titluri foarte cunoscute doar din pură curiozitate. Este o descoperire plăcută. Aștept cu nerăbdare să pun mâna și pe alte scrieri.
Pentru cei care vor să-și facă o idee, deși sentimentul nu e deloc identic, ecranizarea prozei poate fi văzută pe Netflix în sumarul sezonului 1 din serialul Love, Death and Robots. Tot în cadrul aceluiași serial se găsește și ecranizarea altei povestiri, Albastru de Zima, tot de Reynold. La fel de bună, din punctul meu de vedere.
Recunosc, deși auzisem de ceva timp de autor, abia de curând am citit ceva din proza lui Reynolds, pentru că, știți și voi, o listă de lecturi în așteptare uriașă, dar nu regret că am sărit peste câteva titluri foarte cunoscute doar din pură curiozitate. Este o descoperire plăcută. Aștept cu nerăbdare să pun mâna și pe alte scrieri.
May 29, 2020
There's just something about reading sci-fis in dark rooms. It's as if you're floating through space because the darkness goes on for miles and you find the words you're reading unravel right before you.
August 1, 2023
Reynolds is the best sci-fi writer in my opinion. He always manages to write real and flawed characters who have to deal with problematic situations in extreme conditions. He blends cool sci-fi ideas and worlds with great dialogue and intimate moments.
This story is no exception. Highly recommended.
This story is no exception. Highly recommended.
July 23, 2022
Yves Klein reminded me of that Zima Blue episode from season 1 of Love, Death + Robots.
After reading the original short story of the same name, I am now happy to say Klein has certainly inspired the author to write Zima Blue. It's all beautifully connected and I don't know why no one talks about it. If you liked that animation and short story, look up Yves Klein if you haven't heard of him already. Who knows where he could have brought his art had he not died so young, he was only 34 years old.
Alastair Reynolds quoting Yves Klein:
After reading the original short story of the same name, I am now happy to say Klein has certainly inspired the author to write Zima Blue. It's all beautifully connected and I don't know why no one talks about it. If you liked that animation and short story, look up Yves Klein if you haven't heard of him already. Who knows where he could have brought his art had he not died so young, he was only 34 years old.
Alastair Reynolds quoting Yves Klein:
"All I knew was the way that colour spoke to me, as if I'd been waiting my whole life to find it, to set it free." He thought for a moment. "There's always been something about blue. A thousand years ago Yves Klein said it was the essence of colour itself: the colour that stood for all other colours."
March 12, 2014
‘Aquila Rift’ calls to mind another Reynolds story “Pushing Ice” or Frederick Pohl’s “Gateway” with its plot device- an unreliable alien FTL technology backfiring. Each of those novels are both much longer, and therefore more satisfying to those who found this story disappointingly short. One particular strength here, however, is the well researched and described stellar geography of our 'local bubble’ within the Milky Way- exactly what one would expect from a former ESA research astronomer.
I have to agree that the short length makes the audio format suffer- it would be better offered as part of a collection or anthology edition, and not as this stand alone offering. Also, an awkward musical sample plays between certain scenes in what I imagine are the author’s narrative break points. I found it quite distracting, and each was overly long- several seconds each. They made me wonder if they were struggling to expand the final time length. At just over an hour, it isn’t worth spending an Audible credit on, but for Reynolds fans, it would definitely be worth a cash purchase.
I have to agree that the short length makes the audio format suffer- it would be better offered as part of a collection or anthology edition, and not as this stand alone offering. Also, an awkward musical sample plays between certain scenes in what I imagine are the author’s narrative break points. I found it quite distracting, and each was overly long- several seconds each. They made me wonder if they were struggling to expand the final time length. At just over an hour, it isn’t worth spending an Audible credit on, but for Reynolds fans, it would definitely be worth a cash purchase.
August 17, 2012
Simply put, the most breathtaking sci-fi short I've ever encountered. Alistair Reynolds is a genius in his ability to put inconveivable scales into stories that the reader can experience, giving us a little piece of the infinite. This short shows us the implications of that infinite, and in doing so leaves you both humbled and liberated. Get lost in this short, you'll finish it in an hour and it'll take you so very, very far away.
August 25, 2020
Beyond the Aquila Rift was a great short story from Alastair Reynolds, one that gripped me from the first page and ensured I could not put it down. I was intrigued by the way the pieces would come together and found it had more packed into the story than I’d expected. Add in the way it came together in the end, and this one is easily one of my favourite short stories from the author.
Without a doubt, this one is worth a read for fans of the author.
Without a doubt, this one is worth a read for fans of the author.
June 11, 2022
Absolutely brilliant. Saw the Love Death and Robots episode first but this short that fed it has pretty much everything covered. It also is very efficiently told, there is no waste here.
Time to give Alastair Reynolds another chance after struggling with Revelation Space the first time. Hard scifi is not really my thing.
Time to give Alastair Reynolds another chance after struggling with Revelation Space the first time. Hard scifi is not really my thing.
January 4, 2022
Alastair Reynolds does not disappoint. I don't believe I've ever read a story with so many twists, but they all worked here. Really engaging.
June 9, 2022
Came here straight from Love Death + Robots ngl. The concept is fascinating and terrifying at the same time and that’s something I’m a sucker for. Now I’m not a fan of the prose but story’s short enough so I didn’t get too caught up on that.
Also it’s worth mentioning that the animated adaptation made this experience so much better- it really helped me visualise the happenings in a way that I probably wouldn’t have been able to if I’d picked up the short story first.
Also it’s worth mentioning that the animated adaptation made this experience so much better- it really helped me visualise the happenings in a way that I probably wouldn’t have been able to if I’d picked up the short story first.
November 16, 2013
This is a really nicely done short, making very effective use of compression and mood.
Humans have colonized "the Bubble," the local region of our arm of the Milky Way, relatively free of dust. They've done it using a network of FTL travel gateways left behind by some ancient space-faring species they know nothing about except that they left this network behind. Humans have learned how to use, but don't fully understand it or the principles on which it works--so sometimes, things go wrong. Ships wind up somewhere other than where they expected to go, and the crew is just stuck with the problem of getting home again. Depending on how far off course that is, that might take days, or weeks, or months.
Or years.
The captain of the Blue Goose is awakened from his surge tank to find that he's not where he expected. How far off course is he? A familiar face, an old lover, Greta, hedges for a while but eventually tells him he's weeks out of his way. Once his ship is repaired, and he and his crew can make their way home, they'll be at least forty days behind their scheduled arrival date. It's upsetting, but it's a risk every spacer crew takes.
And then he starts to notice little discrepancies. Where is he really? And why was Greta here to meet him, rather than some random stranger?
It's a really compelling story which delivers a nice punch at the end.
Recommended.
I borrowed this story from a friend.
Humans have colonized "the Bubble," the local region of our arm of the Milky Way, relatively free of dust. They've done it using a network of FTL travel gateways left behind by some ancient space-faring species they know nothing about except that they left this network behind. Humans have learned how to use, but don't fully understand it or the principles on which it works--so sometimes, things go wrong. Ships wind up somewhere other than where they expected to go, and the crew is just stuck with the problem of getting home again. Depending on how far off course that is, that might take days, or weeks, or months.
Or years.
The captain of the Blue Goose is awakened from his surge tank to find that he's not where he expected. How far off course is he? A familiar face, an old lover, Greta, hedges for a while but eventually tells him he's weeks out of his way. Once his ship is repaired, and he and his crew can make their way home, they'll be at least forty days behind their scheduled arrival date. It's upsetting, but it's a risk every spacer crew takes.
And then he starts to notice little discrepancies. Where is he really? And why was Greta here to meet him, rather than some random stranger?
It's a really compelling story which delivers a nice punch at the end.
Recommended.
I borrowed this story from a friend.
January 28, 2024
Even knowing the "twist" was coming (thanks to Love Death and Robots) I adore this story. Highly recommend.
November 24, 2022
I can't believe I'm about to say this, but I prefer the LDR animation over this --- the narrator was incredibly annoying to the point where I almost stopped reading. Glad I pushed through though, because the story itself is a beautiful treatise on happiness and the sacredness of simplicity.
December 16, 2022
I saw the Love, Death & Robots version first and thought it was excellent, which is why I wanted to read the original story as well. I just finished it (from the collection) and it is a truly great and harrowing story! 4/5
June 6, 2021
That haunted short story of Netflix's love, death+ robots didn't stop to amaze in book format too. Its sci-fi premise with crazy story line left me mesmerised. 5 on 5.
June 19, 2023
espero nunca olvidar lo increíble que es la ciencia ficción.
August 25, 2023
Thoughtprovoking and timeless.
October 28, 2021
I watched this episode in the love + death and robots series, liked it enough to search it, and then reached "Alastair Reynolds"...
While reading I didn't understand many terms but that didn't interfere with my story progression (thank god)
The concept is frightening
Like how in space traveling a minor glitch can take you thousands of years beyond in just a matter of months or so while back home your loved ones will be long gone.
"Beyond Aquila rift. It's shorthand for the trip no one ever hopes to make by accident. The one that will screw up the rest of your life, the one that creates the ghosts you see haunting the shadows. Men and women are ripped out of time. Cut adrift from families and lovers by an accident of an alien technology we use but barely comprehend."
And how we can't know for sure that if it's reality or some kind of simulation being fed to us by someone who takes care of lost souls... ( again and again )
The uncertainty beyond ...
I learned some space terms here like "syntax", "buffering gel", and hope I will learn more about space from stories like this ...
The author's writing way is impressive like why didn't I find you when I was studying science and physics and stuff. You'd be a great teacher.
Like here...
"YOU KNOW HOW the Milky Way Galaxy looks; you’ve seen it a thousand times, in
paintings and computer simulations. A bright central bulge at the galactic core, with lazily
curved spiral arms flung out from that hub, each arm composed of hundreds of billions of stars,
ranging from the dimmest, slow-burning dwarfs to the hottest supergiants teetering on the edge
of supernova extinction"
While reading I didn't understand many terms but that didn't interfere with my story progression (thank god)
The concept is frightening
Like how in space traveling a minor glitch can take you thousands of years beyond in just a matter of months or so while back home your loved ones will be long gone.
"Beyond Aquila rift. It's shorthand for the trip no one ever hopes to make by accident. The one that will screw up the rest of your life, the one that creates the ghosts you see haunting the shadows. Men and women are ripped out of time. Cut adrift from families and lovers by an accident of an alien technology we use but barely comprehend."
And how we can't know for sure that if it's reality or some kind of simulation being fed to us by someone who takes care of lost souls... ( again and again )
The uncertainty beyond ...
I learned some space terms here like "syntax", "buffering gel", and hope I will learn more about space from stories like this ...
The author's writing way is impressive like why didn't I find you when I was studying science and physics and stuff. You'd be a great teacher.
Like here...
"YOU KNOW HOW the Milky Way Galaxy looks; you’ve seen it a thousand times, in
paintings and computer simulations. A bright central bulge at the galactic core, with lazily
curved spiral arms flung out from that hub, each arm composed of hundreds of billions of stars,
ranging from the dimmest, slow-burning dwarfs to the hottest supergiants teetering on the edge
of supernova extinction"
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 17, 2022
Greta e lângă mine când o scot pe Suzy din tancul de acceleraţie.
— De ce tocmai pe ea? se miră Greta.
— Pentru ca pe ea o vreau scoasă prima, îi răspund, întrebându-mă dacă nu cumva Greta e geloasă. N-o pot învinui: Suzy e frumoasă, dar şi inteligentă. La Ashanti Industrial nu există un analist de sintaxă mai bun decât ea.
— Ce s-a întâmplat? întreabă Suzy, după ce se dezmeticeşte. Am reuşit întoarcerea?
O rog să-mi povestească ultimul lucru pe care şi-l aminteşte.
— Vama, zice ea. Jigodiile acelea de pe A rkangel.
— Şi după aceea? Altceva? Runele? Iţi aminteşti să le fi aruncat?
— Nu, zice ea, apoi detectează ceva în glasul meu. Faptul ca poate nu-i spun adevărul ori că-i ofer doar atât cât are nevoie. Thom, te mai întreb o dată. Am reuşit să ne întoarcem?
— Da, îi răspund. Ne-am întors.
Suzy priveşte peisajul stelar, pictat pe tancul ei uriaş cu vopsea luminiscentă în violet şi galben. Totul, de comandă, făcut de un artist de pe Carillon. Asta încălca regulamentul: se afirmă că vopseaua poate bloca filtrele de admisie. Dar Suzy nu s-a sinchisit. Mi-a zis că opera a costat-o salariul pe o săptămână, dar că meritase să-şi impună personalitatea faţă de cenuşiul predominant în aspectul de fabrică al navei.
— Ciudat, am senzaţia că am stat în chestia asta luni de zile.
Fac un gest din umeri.
— Uneori, asta e senzaţia.
— Înseamnă că n-a apărut nici o problemă?
— A bsolut nici una.
Suzy se uită la Greta.
— Atunci cine eşti tu? întreabă ea.
Greta nu spune nimic. Mă priveşte în expectativĂ. Încep să tremur, şi-mi dau seama că nu sunt în stare să îndur situaţia. Deocamdată.
— De ce tocmai pe ea? se miră Greta.
— Pentru ca pe ea o vreau scoasă prima, îi răspund, întrebându-mă dacă nu cumva Greta e geloasă. N-o pot învinui: Suzy e frumoasă, dar şi inteligentă. La Ashanti Industrial nu există un analist de sintaxă mai bun decât ea.
— Ce s-a întâmplat? întreabă Suzy, după ce se dezmeticeşte. Am reuşit întoarcerea?
O rog să-mi povestească ultimul lucru pe care şi-l aminteşte.
— Vama, zice ea. Jigodiile acelea de pe A rkangel.
— Şi după aceea? Altceva? Runele? Iţi aminteşti să le fi aruncat?
— Nu, zice ea, apoi detectează ceva în glasul meu. Faptul ca poate nu-i spun adevărul ori că-i ofer doar atât cât are nevoie. Thom, te mai întreb o dată. Am reuşit să ne întoarcem?
— Da, îi răspund. Ne-am întors.
Suzy priveşte peisajul stelar, pictat pe tancul ei uriaş cu vopsea luminiscentă în violet şi galben. Totul, de comandă, făcut de un artist de pe Carillon. Asta încălca regulamentul: se afirmă că vopseaua poate bloca filtrele de admisie. Dar Suzy nu s-a sinchisit. Mi-a zis că opera a costat-o salariul pe o săptămână, dar că meritase să-şi impună personalitatea faţă de cenuşiul predominant în aspectul de fabrică al navei.
— Ciudat, am senzaţia că am stat în chestia asta luni de zile.
Fac un gest din umeri.
— Uneori, asta e senzaţia.
— Înseamnă că n-a apărut nici o problemă?
— A bsolut nici una.
Suzy se uită la Greta.
— Atunci cine eşti tu? întreabă ea.
Greta nu spune nimic. Mă priveşte în expectativĂ. Încep să tremur, şi-mi dau seama că nu sunt în stare să îndur situaţia. Deocamdată.
August 7, 2025
I had this on my TBR for a bit, but was spurred to reading it after hearing it was part of the inspiration for Thrum. I read this immediately after finishing Thrum, and did see many similarities: deep reaches of space setting, unlikable protagonists, and back and forth timelines. However, I think this book was profound and thought-provoking vs Thrum’s more dramatic cheap thrills.
Beyond the Aquila Rift draws the reader in with a mystery from the very start. The protagonist is trying to wake up one of his shipmates and it’s very clear something has gone wrong. He gets frustrated that she’s so distressed and puts her under again so he can try to wake her more peacefully later. The book then takes you back before they set off and lets you experience all the pieces falling into place in a thoroughly enjoyable way.
This book is best when you go in blind as it’s pretty twisty, so I will keep it simple. This one will keep you guessing the whole way through. It describes many things in a way that made me desperate to see scenes put to screen. I watched the Love, Death and Robots episode afterward and it didn’t really do the ending justice. The book is just stronger.
Overall, this was a solid and quick sci-fi read and I recommend it to fans of the genre.
Beyond the Aquila Rift draws the reader in with a mystery from the very start. The protagonist is trying to wake up one of his shipmates and it’s very clear something has gone wrong. He gets frustrated that she’s so distressed and puts her under again so he can try to wake her more peacefully later. The book then takes you back before they set off and lets you experience all the pieces falling into place in a thoroughly enjoyable way.
This book is best when you go in blind as it’s pretty twisty, so I will keep it simple. This one will keep you guessing the whole way through. It describes many things in a way that made me desperate to see scenes put to screen. I watched the Love, Death and Robots episode afterward and it didn’t really do the ending justice. The book is just stronger.
Overall, this was a solid and quick sci-fi read and I recommend it to fans of the genre.
June 3, 2024
Γλυκό mindφακ διά χειρών Alastair Renolds. “Aquila Rift”, ένα σύνορο πέρα από το οποίο δε θέλεις να βρεθείς. Όχι ότι συμβαίνει απαραίτητα κάτι κακό εκεί, ή ότι δεν συμβαίνει, απλά… η διαστολή του χρόνου είναι πρόστυχο πράγμα και μπορεί επιστρέφοντας να βρεις τα βρέφη που άφησες πίσω να βγαίνουν στη σύνταξη (ακόμη και με τα νέα όρια που βλέπω να περνάνε σε λίγο καιρό, με συνταξιοδότηση στα 105 για μητέρες με ανήλικα παιδιά και στα 120 για τους υπόλοιπους). Ωστόσο, κάποιες φορές, το δίκτυο glitchάρει και στέλνει σκάφη εκεί εξώ κι αυτός είναι ο μεγαλύτερος φόβος των πληρωμάτων. Γι’ αυτό «πες μου, είμαστε πέρα από το ρήγμα;». Και, ναι, κάτι πάει στραβά. Ωστόσο, όσο η νουβέλα παίζει με το μυαλό σου, το πέρασμα στις περιοχές πέρα από το ρήγμα, δείχνει να είναι μικρότερης σημασίας από άλλα πράγματα που συμβαίνουν…
Υ.Γ. Το διήγημα έχει γίνει και animated ταινία μικρού μήκους για τη σειρά Love, Death & Robots στο netflix.
Υ.Γ. Το διήγημα έχει γίνει και animated ταινία μικρού μήκους για τη σειρά Love, Death & Robots στο netflix.
March 10, 2023
I am an absolute fan of Alastair Reynolds' works and have read all of them at least twice (and most more than twice). This was the exception and so it accompanied me on holiday, even though it is long, over 770 pages, and heavy at that!
Reynolds has written these 18 short stories mainly with an eye to interweaving them into the stories of his novels, especially the Revelation Space ones. As a fan and having read them all, it was thus much easier for me to slot them into the information I already had from the novels. Nonetheless, most, if not all, of these stories are strong enough to stand on their own feet and Reynolds is gifted a writer of good SF to make that happen.
So, if you are an Alastair Reynolds fan and have read his work, then htis collection is for you. If not, then maybe reading these short stories will make you a fan and get you onto the novels.
Reynolds has written these 18 short stories mainly with an eye to interweaving them into the stories of his novels, especially the Revelation Space ones. As a fan and having read them all, it was thus much easier for me to slot them into the information I already had from the novels. Nonetheless, most, if not all, of these stories are strong enough to stand on their own feet and Reynolds is gifted a writer of good SF to make that happen.
So, if you are an Alastair Reynolds fan and have read his work, then htis collection is for you. If not, then maybe reading these short stories will make you a fan and get you onto the novels.
April 28, 2022
Available in the collections, Beyond the Aquila Rift, Zima Blue and Other Stories and the anthology, Love, Death + Robots: Volume One.
Another one of Alastairs moments playing with life suspension while in space flight. For those who have read all of the Revelation Space series you'll know that this can cause really fucked up dreams and states of mind when you're coming back out of suspension. Mix this state of mind with a spacers' rumour that one day you'll go so far you'll end up beyond the Aquila Rift and you can really get a good head fuck going: with a nice twist at the end as well.
And the next book in Alastair's publishing order will be Zima Blue.
Another one of Alastairs moments playing with life suspension while in space flight. For those who have read all of the Revelation Space series you'll know that this can cause really fucked up dreams and states of mind when you're coming back out of suspension. Mix this state of mind with a spacers' rumour that one day you'll go so far you'll end up beyond the Aquila Rift and you can really get a good head fuck going: with a nice twist at the end as well.
And the next book in Alastair's publishing order will be Zima Blue.
January 5, 2021
Around two years ago, Love, Death & Robots hit Netflix. I checked it out immediately and I'm glad I had. Of the many shorts in it, Beyond the Aquila Rift was the one that most caught my attention. The blend of science fiction and existential horror found a niche I hadn't realized I'd been looking for, and that night was when Alastair Reynolds landed on my radar. Now that I've finally read the short story that inspired it, I'm pleased to say that the source material is better than the Netflix adaptation, which in this case, is a feat.
May 26, 2021
A very interesting short story imo. Quick read. The setting being sketched here (alien gateways requiring runes, dinosaurs being used to haul cargo for spaceships, multiple isolated space civilizations) would be interesting to explore further in other stories or even a full novel.
The protagonist is kind of unlikeable though, but nowhere near as obnoxious as the version portrayed in the Nextflix adaptation.
The protagonist is kind of unlikeable though, but nowhere near as obnoxious as the version portrayed in the Nextflix adaptation.
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