Harrison's strategy for dealing with the perennial "second volume in the trilogy" challenge doesn't come clear until very near the end, but fortunately, the build up to that moment when we say "Oh, riiiight, now I see where we've been going -- and, maybe, where we're going from here" is never less than entertaining, if at times a little confusing.
I especially enjoyed the references and allusions to The Strugatsky Brothers' "Roadside Picnic." Even if it wasn't anything else (and it is ...), this is a wonderful tribute to one of my favorite novels, one that takes the ideas developed by the Strugatskys from 1970s Soviet Union to the world of today.
I especially enjoyed the references and allusions to The Strugatsky Brothers' "Roadside Picnic." Even if it wasn't anything else (and it is ...), this is a wonderful tribute to one of my favorite novels, one that takes the ideas developed by the Strugatskys from 1970s Soviet Union to the world of today.
