- Hardcover: 432 pages
- Publisher: Tor Books; First Edition edition (Feb 24 2001)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 031287720X
- ISBN-13: 978-0312877200
- Product Dimensions: 24.4 x 16.5 x 3.8 cm
- Shipping Weight: 658 g
- Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
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Product Details |
Product Description
From Publishers Weekly
North by Northwest meets Logan's Run in this SF novel, complete with intriguing philosophical passages, by the author of The Saga of Recluce series. The result is an action-oriented, if somewhat didactic, thriller. At some point in the distant future someone is trying to kill space pilot and media consultant Daryn Alwyn. His attackers presumably want to make him a martyr, though the actual motives behind repeated attempts on his life are far more mysterious. Well born and with preselected genetic advantages, Alwyn seeks out his attackers, including the beautiful but enigmatic Elysa Mujaz-Kitab. When his sister is killed, Alwyn suddenly becomes one of the wealthiest men in the world, and the stakes are raised still higher. The surprising conclusion sees Alwyn becoming a hero to some, a villain to others, and leads the author to a detailed dissection of the inner workings of the powerful elite that runs society. Heinlein once exhorted SF writers to be boldly imaginative in projecting the world of tomorrow; by contrast, Modesitt's distant future looks and sounds remarkably like 2001: the computer-system equivalents are similar to the PCs and Macs of today, and everyone seems to speak in the argot of the late 20th century. Still, Modesitt handles action sequences capably--the attempts on Alwyn's life are intriguingly detailed--and the mystery-suspense angle is thoughtfully adumbrated. For readers seeking a hybrid of the SF and spy genres with a soup‡on of mystery, this rates as passable if slightly elongated--entertainment.
Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
From Library Journal
Born to privilege and wealth, former space pilot Daryn Alwyn enjoys life as a media consultant until he becomes the target for an assassin and finds himself on the run from hidden and powerful enemies. The author of the "Recluce" series demonstrates his talent for near future techno-thrillers in this standalone tale of intrigue and adventure. Modesitt's careful examination of his characters' motivations and perceptions creates a sense of immediacy that lends credibility to his story. A good choice for sf collections.
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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First Sentence
Before stepping out of the foyer of my villa, I glanced at my reflection in the shimmerglass of the antique twenty-first century mirror. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt
Before stepping out of the foyer of my villa, I glanced at my reflection in the shimmerglass of the antique twenty-first century mirror. Read the first page
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Most helpful customer reviews
2.0 out of 5 stars
Miss This One,
By "matthew_morris6" (Florida) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Octagonal Raven (Mass Market Paperback)
Every description and review I've seen on this book calls it an 'action' novel. For the most part, this book doesn't contain 'action' as defined by normal human beings -- it's a book about the owner of a 'television' network. The climax of the book revolves around controversial news stories being broadcast to the public. Modesitt's next action/adventure novel will probably be about the exciting life of a Certified Public Accountant. Readers will be thrilled as our protagonist audits the corporations of the 'bad people' -- fighting off legions of paralegals as they try to serve him with injunctions to stop his heroic efforts to save the world from greedy CEOs.Not only is the plot pretty bad but Modesitt is starting to show a remarkable lack of imagination. I can summarize the base characters and story elements of pretty much every one of his books that I've ever read in just a few lines. The protagonist is always a *very* mild-mannered man. He doesn't partake of strong drink -- only teas and fruit juices. We know this because the reader is treated to elaborate descriptions of *several* meals in every book that I can recall -- I sometimes wonder if Modesitt moonlights as a restaurant reviewer. Our protagonist starts out alone, but somewhere fairly early on in the book, he finds his soulmate. There will be a minor subplot for the remainder of the story of them dancing around whether or not they're truly meant for each other. The soulmate always has a distinctive fragrance about her which will be brought up several times throughout the story (perhaps Modesitt dabbles in perfume marketing as well). There's "something special" about the protagonist, but he always considers himself to be just an ordinary individual. He's also generally disliked by a significant number of people because of some sort of stereotyping against his profession or origin. The story will consist of large amounts of philosophizing as our protagonist ponders the problems inherent in the world in which he lives and whether it's possible to find solutions. He will experience a continually escalating set of attacks by his enemies throughout the story, and the climax will come when he personally takes what seems to be extreme actions of a morally questionable nature that cause the deaths of innocent people along with the guilty. Did he have to do that? Maybe -- or maybe not.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Don't miss this one,
By A Customer
This review is from: The Octagonal Raven (Mass Market Paperback)
It's a while since I've had so much fun reading an SF mystery/adventure yarn. This is a masterfully crafted work. You're into it from the first page, and it doesn't slow down or let up the rest of the way (and THAT's a satisfying 460 pages). What's more, Modesitt manages to cram more action/suspense per page than one usually expects, so there's none of those boring "filler" passages one sometimes has to suffer through while looking for the next place where something actually happens, not in this book. The book is structured into numerous short chapters, each a compact and attention-grabbing little story, all strung together to make up the larger story. And the mystery element just keeps building up. To top it off, it's not just a dumb space opera action novel, but the intelligent and thought-provoking work we've come to expect of Modesitt.
5.0 out of 5 stars
What Sci Fi was designed to do...,
By
This review is from: The Octagonal Raven (Mass Market Paperback)
On the surface, The Octagonal Raven is a compelling, intelligent thriller. It can be read as such. However, this story is far more than that. Modesitt satirically blows up the flaws in our society and uses them for a greater purpose. He picks on the alarming bias of 24/7 news channels, strikes at the elitist medical system in our world, and allows the reader to consider many other social issues. The Octagonal Raven is an exciting and suspenseful science fiction novel. Modesitt has truly evolved into a pivotal and important writer of the new millenium.
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