Null-A Continuum (Hardcover)

by John C. Wright (Author) "A torment of fire raced along Gilbert Gosseyn's nerves as he stood on the promenade deck of the great space liner Spirit of Liberty..." (more)
Key Phrases: games machine, absolute intelligence, distorter circuit, Shadow Effect, Shadow Galaxy, Greatest Empire (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
Questions of identity and personal purpose fill this inconsistent sequel to A.E. van Vogt's 1940s SF pulp thriller The World of Null-A. Gilbert Gosseyn, a double-brained telepath embroiled in intergalactic intrigue, struggles to undermine legendary clairvoyant Enro and his plot to take over or destroy the Milky Way. When one of Gosseyn's clones kills the leaders of the Interstellar League, Gosseyn is left to battle Enro on his own. The often dizzying narrative acquires an ever-widening scope, eventually spanning all of space and time. Wright attempts to flesh out and make sense of van Vogt's world while retaining a respectful distance from the original story. A mixed bag results, fluctuating between hectic action and a dense, plot-slowing web of conspiracy and psychology. The characters' individual voices are sound, but their personalities do little to hold the reader's interest. Though inventive, this problematic love letter to a long-gone era misses the mark. (May)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist
With its exuberant exploration of such now commonplace themes as teleportation and cloning, A. E. van Vogt’s seminal The World of Null-A (1948) made an inestimable impact on the sf universe. For continuing the adventures of van Vogt’s superhuman, double-brained protagonist, Gilbert Gosseyn, no one is better qualified than rising star Wright, whose acclaimed Golden Age trilogy—The Golden Age (2002), The Phoenix Exultant (2003), The Golden Transcendence (2003)—pays homage to the fiction of van Vogt’s era. Gosseyn’s previous adventures included being fatally wounded, waking up in a genetically enhanced body, foiling a plot to destroy Earth and Venus hatched by galactic tyrant Enro the Red, and exiling Enro to an asteroid prison. Now Gosseyn’s friend, Venusian detective Eldred Crang, has been murdered, and Gosseyn is pegged as the culprit, initiating a chain of events that leads improbably to Gosseyn traveling into the future and saving the human race from extinction. Wright faithfully emulates van Vogt’s labyrinthine plot twists and energetic prose while answering questions about Gosseyn’s origins that have burned in fans’ minds for decades. --Carl Hays

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: Tor Books (May 13, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0765316293
• ISBN-13: 978-0765316295
• Product Dimensions: 7.2 x 5.8 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #749,371 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another flawless effort from Wright, June 21, 2008

By	R - See all my reviews

Not much else needs to be said. If you liked his other books you'll love this one too. One thing I'll say: the book is full of wicked plot twists which, while very rewarding, may challenge some readers. I'd tackle The Golden Age first. (Which I still think is Wright's best. This book may tie the ending together better, but Phaeton was a much more compelling character than the somewhat detached and mechanical Gosseyn. Gosseyn's rivals are great though.) I read this before reading van Vogt's Null-A so I can't say how it relates.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Word is not the thing it represents..., July 4, 2008

By	Steven Smith (Maine, United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

...not true in this case, the Word is all that we have.

This is an excellent conclusion to Van Vogt's first two Null-A books (we won't count the third one). Be sure to read World of Null-A and Pawns (Players) of Null-A before reading this book, or you will miss a lot of what is happening. If you read this one first, the previous two await.

John Wright's emulation of Van Vogt's style is *very* successful. There is a lot happening in this book. New events and concepts assail you from every side--this is very like the better Van Vogt books. You are a far better reader than I if you won't be going back to re-read it and see what you missed.

Many plot elements and plot directions in the originals that just seemed to be dead ends have been revived and carefully woven back into the whole. I think this is key to how much fans of Null-A will enjoy this book.

I am amazed at how much effort this book must have been. Thank you John Wright.

Steve

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Succeeds on all levels: past, present and future, August 2, 2008

By	Henry J. Borkowski (Washington, Pa. USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

John Wright amazed me throughout this spectacular science fiction event!
Just as the novel deals with past, present and future events, so it succeeds in melding the writing styles, atmosphere, and content of all SF time periods.
Null-A Continuum contains the sense of wonder and awe that all great SF stories should have and packs a punch with each chapter as it is unfolds.
This is the type of novel that should please all seasoned SF fans and people who are not fortunate enough to be included in that particular, extremely lucky group.
Thank you Mr. Wright!