Centauri Device (S.F.Masterworks) [Paperback]

John H. Harrison (Author)

Book Description

Series: S.F.Masterworks | Publication Date: July 13, 2000

John Truck was to outward appearances just another lowlife spaceship captain. But he was also the last of the Centaurans - or at least, half of him was - which meant that he was the only person who could operate the Centauri Device, a sentient bomb which might hold the key to settling a vicious space war. M. John Harrison's classic novel turns the conventions of space opera on their head, and is written with the precision and brilliance for which is famed.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

SALES POINTS * #30 in the Millennium SF Masterworks series, a library of the finest science fiction ever written. * 'M. John Harrison is a blazing original ... a great imaginer and an extraordinary writer' Clive Barker * 'No one can use words like M. John Harrison' Michael Marshall Smith * 'A Zen Master of Prose' Iain Banks * 'I worship the work of M. John Harrison' Pat Cadigan

Product Details

• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: Orion Paperbacks (July 13, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 185798997X
• ISBN-13: 978-1857989977
• Product Dimensions: 5.1 x 0.6 x 7.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #896,483 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A stimulating and imaginative novel., March 25, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Centauri Device (Paperback)

This book shows the realistic dirty underside of the space opera story, written from the point of view of the disposessed of all history. One of the most powerful novels I've ever read - its images live on in the mind, and you can almost smell the reality of the future the author creates. Whilst the narrative is gripping, the underlying themes are attention-grabbing and, to put it mildly, the author's vision does not exactly see the world through rose-tinted glasses. It's a refugee's statement, and highly recommended.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Literary Devices A-plenty, May 21, 2000

By 

Jeremy Smith (West Yorkshire, England) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Centauri Device (Paperback)

Mr.Harrison (the author) has a brilliant talent for writing. His descriptions are perfect, lingering in the mind. His characters are well-defined so you can picture them in your mind. The plot is rather unlikely, with everyone meeting up every so often in the most unlikely places in a James Bond fashion. The book is rather like a Bond book, Fleming-style. It's highly original, and is almost space-opera at points. It's quite negative with a baffling ending, but comes highly recommended.

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars the centauri device, September 5, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Centauri Device (Paperback)

I found this book astonishing - completely unlike anything I had ever read before. Harrison has a remarkable, truly unique way of touching and revolting you at once - a very, very good book.