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erichart's review against another edition
5.0
Just brilliant. Hard to review without spoliers, it manages to keep you guessing what's really behind the central mystery until the very end.
davidscrimshaw's review against another edition
5.0
The only problem with this excellent piece of space opera is that it is only just over a hundred pages. I'd really like to read more about where this goes.
robotghostattack's review against another edition
5.0
Initially, I was a bit put off by the sheer whimsy of the future tech in this novella. but then the ending slammed into me like a freight train and I'm in love with this story now.
markyon's review against another edition
4.0
This is another one of those short ‘Single’ novellas that Tor are producing at the moment. At a mere 112 pages, there’s not a lot of space for expansion, but it’s a Space Opera tale that packs a lot in!
You may know Dave from his ‘Fractured Europe’ series of award-winning alternate-history series of books (Europe in Autumn, Europe at Midnight, Europe in Winter) but this is very different.
Acadie is more like a scenario that Peter F Hamilton or Alastair Reynolds would normally write. It’s a story that follows ‘Duke’ Faraday, 150-year old ex-lawyer. Following the old Heinlein maxim that no one in their right mind should be given power and responsibility, Duke reluctantly holds the position of President of Acadie.
In the finest traditions of old-school SF, the story tells of human expansion into space. Like the Pilgrim Fathers before them, a group of hyper-intelligent genetically adapted people, many of them created by radical scientist Professor Isabel Potter, have left Earth to avoid ethics laws and discrimination.
The only problem was that by leaving, Potter and her acolytes ‘borrowed’ a colony ship from the mega-corporation Bureau of Colonisation, (the BoC) who monopolised Earth’s planetary expansion. This unfortunately also included 150 other colonists suspended in deep-sleep, something that, even after 500 years, the BoC is reluctant to forget, even though the unfrozen colonists were returned to Earth if they wished.
And now the colony, up to now kept in secret, seem to have been found by a BoC probe. The question now is what should the colony do, and whether this is a deliberate search or an unfortunate accident? It’s Duke’s job to sort out the problem – something that’s going to take clever negotiation, cunning and skill.
Acadie is a well-written tale. What this story does is show a writer willing to play with traditional tropes, an author who is very skilful at setting scene and developing characters in a limited amount of words. The first part of the book reminded me much of a Heinleinesque-style story, a style something often imitated but rarely executed well. It’s surprisingly light of touch compared with Dave’s more serious, meatier novels, but I liked it a lot. There’s clever touches of backstory combined fairly seamlessly with events in the present. Unlike many attempts of ‘aping Heinlein‘ I’ve read, the dialogue is realistic without falling into the trap of information dump too often. The characters are likeable, too, although, as to be expected in a 100-ish page story, there’s not too many. Dave even manages to get some humour in without it being too far-fetched. (I don’t want to give it away here, but Council meetings in Acadie look like fun!)
And then….. the story hinges on an almighty twist. Once the reader has been lulled into the setting and the characterisation at the beginning, the second part of the novella reveals the true purpose of the story. What began as fun ends up as… more than that.
The conclusion is something that will leave you thinking, and made me start the story again straight after I had finished. I did not see the twist coming, which is how it should be. (But on re-reading – there are clues there.)
In summary, Acadie is a great story, showing that there’s more to this author than his well-known series. It’s also another novella that shows the power of the medium, one that made me want to read more. Skilfully done and cleverly engaging, I heartily recommend it as a story worth reading.
You may know Dave from his ‘Fractured Europe’ series of award-winning alternate-history series of books (Europe in Autumn, Europe at Midnight, Europe in Winter) but this is very different.
Acadie is more like a scenario that Peter F Hamilton or Alastair Reynolds would normally write. It’s a story that follows ‘Duke’ Faraday, 150-year old ex-lawyer. Following the old Heinlein maxim that no one in their right mind should be given power and responsibility, Duke reluctantly holds the position of President of Acadie.
In the finest traditions of old-school SF, the story tells of human expansion into space. Like the Pilgrim Fathers before them, a group of hyper-intelligent genetically adapted people, many of them created by radical scientist Professor Isabel Potter, have left Earth to avoid ethics laws and discrimination.
The only problem was that by leaving, Potter and her acolytes ‘borrowed’ a colony ship from the mega-corporation Bureau of Colonisation, (the BoC) who monopolised Earth’s planetary expansion. This unfortunately also included 150 other colonists suspended in deep-sleep, something that, even after 500 years, the BoC is reluctant to forget, even though the unfrozen colonists were returned to Earth if they wished.
And now the colony, up to now kept in secret, seem to have been found by a BoC probe. The question now is what should the colony do, and whether this is a deliberate search or an unfortunate accident? It’s Duke’s job to sort out the problem – something that’s going to take clever negotiation, cunning and skill.
Acadie is a well-written tale. What this story does is show a writer willing to play with traditional tropes, an author who is very skilful at setting scene and developing characters in a limited amount of words. The first part of the book reminded me much of a Heinleinesque-style story, a style something often imitated but rarely executed well. It’s surprisingly light of touch compared with Dave’s more serious, meatier novels, but I liked it a lot. There’s clever touches of backstory combined fairly seamlessly with events in the present. Unlike many attempts of ‘aping Heinlein‘ I’ve read, the dialogue is realistic without falling into the trap of information dump too often. The characters are likeable, too, although, as to be expected in a 100-ish page story, there’s not too many. Dave even manages to get some humour in without it being too far-fetched. (I don’t want to give it away here, but Council meetings in Acadie look like fun!)
And then….. the story hinges on an almighty twist. Once the reader has been lulled into the setting and the characterisation at the beginning, the second part of the novella reveals the true purpose of the story. What began as fun ends up as… more than that.
The conclusion is something that will leave you thinking, and made me start the story again straight after I had finished. I did not see the twist coming, which is how it should be. (But on re-reading – there are clues there.)
In summary, Acadie is a great story, showing that there’s more to this author than his well-known series. It’s also another novella that shows the power of the medium, one that made me want to read more. Skilfully done and cleverly engaging, I heartily recommend it as a story worth reading.
niccith's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
informative
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
A story of weird explanations about the Colonists, strange genetic evolution to higher intelligence, and the colonists inability to agree on a decision. They need someone like
Duke. A president with limited power, and quite frankly, he doesn’t care.
Duke. A president with limited power, and quite frankly, he doesn’t care.
The narrator offers enough information about the Bureau and the leader of the Colony. What I enjoyed is the funny banter among Duke’s colleagues. The strange imagery of kids flying with angel wings. Duke’s clumsiness – who’s never quite master the gravitation floats from point A to point B.
The novella comes to the story’s end. I’m shocked into stillness. The author turns this story on its head, both literally and figuratively. Leaving me thinking, wow, this is begging to grow into a full- fledged novel.
Maybe this is the point of a Novella.
thedoctorsaysrun's review against another edition
4.0
Book Riot Read Harder Challenge 2020 Task #17: Sci-fi/fantasy novella (under 120 pages)
greeniezona's review against another edition
3.0
One of those books with a giant plot twist at the end that makes you question absolutely everything, including whether you actually still like the book or not.
The beginning of the book is fun and kind of standard. Exceptional except really-not guy is recruited to join a secret colony project where clever and creative rogue-scientist types who have exploited genetic engineering to create super-intelligent people who think up solutions to all their problems and create a magical anarchy utopia in the sky.
I've had too many disappointing plot twist endings lately, so I'm pretty grumbly about this one. Hutchinson can write, and there are some cool ideas here, but I need a trial separation from the drastic plot-twist ending. We just need to see other people for a while.
The beginning of the book is fun and kind of standard. Exceptional except really-not guy is recruited to join a secret colony project where clever and creative rogue-scientist types who have exploited genetic engineering to create super-intelligent people who think up solutions to all their problems and create a magical anarchy utopia in the sky.
Spoiler
Except, maybe it's all a horror-show? Maybe the narrator's entire existence was a made up back story to motivate his AI? BUT WAS IT? Signs say yes, but I have unanswered questions from the plot twist confrontation at the end.I've had too many disappointing plot twist endings lately, so I'm pretty grumbly about this one. Hutchinson can write, and there are some cool ideas here, but I need a trial separation from the drastic plot-twist ending. We just need to see other people for a while.
blackmetalblackheart's review against another edition
4.0
Great setting, cool tech, and a mind blowing ending. A great little story to sink your teeth into.