Paradox: Book I of the Nulapeiron Sequence (Bk. 1) [Hardcover]

John Meaney (Author)

Book Description

Series: Nulapeiron Sequence | Publication Date: March 2005

Centuries of self-imposed isolation have transformed Nulapeiron into a world unlike any other - a world of vast subterranean cities maintained by extraordinary organic technologies. For the majority of its peoples, however such wonders have little meaning. Denied their democratic rights and restricted to the impoverished lower levels, they are subjected to the brutal law of the Logic Lords and the Oracles, supra-human beings whose ability to truecast the future maintains the status quo. But, all this is about to change. In a crowded marketplace, a mysterious, beautiful woman is brutally cut down by a militia squad's graser fire. Amongst the horrified onlookers is young Tom Corcorigan. He recognises her. Only the previous day, she had presented him with a small, seemingly insignificant info-crystal. And, only now, as the fire in the dying stranger's obsidian eyes fades, does he comprehend who - or what - she really was: a figure from legend, one of the fabled Pilots. What Tom has still to discover is that his crystal holds the key to understanding mu-space, and so to freedom itself. He doesn't know it yet, but he has been given a destiny to fulfil - nothing less than the rewriting of his future, and that of his world...Spectacularly staged, thrillingly written and set in a visionary future, "Paradox" places John Meaney at the forefront of science fiction in this new century.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In British author Meaney's impressive second SF novel (after To Hold Infinity), the first of a trilogy, young Tom Corcorigan, born poor on the corrupt far-future world of Nulapeiron, receives a dangerous data-crystal from a doomed Pilot, one of the legendary travelers who can traverse the "mu-space" between planets. The crystal slowly teaches Tom how to negotiate complex algorithms of time and mu-space. When an Oracle (a member of Nulapeiron's ruling elite) capriciously deprives Tom of his mother, he finds solace in the crystal, which reveals the Pilots' secrets through episodic tales of old Earth. In his quest for vengeance against the Oracles, Tom survives many horrific rites of passage, including the loss of an arm. Tom not only becomes capable of manipulating perceptions of time but also helps unleash a revolution that unbalances the status quo on Nulapeiron. Intriguing ruminations on the nature of time mesh well with Meaney's fine plotting and his excellent world building.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review

"Paradox's ingeniously stratified universe is reminiscent of Dune…" Grade: B+ -- Entertainment Weekly March 11, 2005

"…[a] rich, complex, baroque novel…recognizable from the outset as a unique milestone in the SF field… A landmark work…" -- Paul Di Filippo;Science Fiction Weekly/SciFi.com March 6, 2005

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 406 pages
• Publisher: Pyr (March 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1591023084
• ISBN-13: 978-1591023081
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 4 x 1.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,740,609 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I'm John Meaney (aka Thomas Blackthorne), writer of hard SF, gothic SF/dark fantasy, and near-future thrillers. Having studied physics and computer science, I've been an IT consultant and taught software engineering on three continents. Nowadays, I hide in a Welsh valley and write full-time.

I've trained in martial arts since I was a kid, primarily shotokan karate. I'm a trained hypnotist, so don't look into my eyes... And I adore cats.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Finally!, February 24, 2005

By 

Mortal Peril (CT) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Paradox: Book I of the Nulapeiron Sequence (Bk. 1) (Hardcover)

Paradox is a great read. It's one of those books you pick up and can't put down - I read it in one day (finishing very late at night) and spent the next morning camped out in front of a bookstore in Galway so I could get To Hold Infinity. I'm ecstatic that it's finally been released in the US.

The book follows the stories of two wonderful characters- Tom Corcorigan, a boy growing up in the far-future underground world of Nulpeiron, and, entwined within Tom's story, Karyn McNamara, a young woman training to become a Pilot in a near future Earth. In many ways, this is the usual story of a boy with extraordinary gifts and how he rises through a society with harshly defined social levels, but Tom's character and the world itself make the book much more. The Nulpeiron specific language used is generally straightforward, and the detail apparent in the world gives it a wonderful depth and realism.

Some of the ideas brought up about time, space, and fate do require a little thinking from the reader, but Meaney manages to keep things understandable enough that you don't get lost. Personally, I rather liked puzzling through some of the ideas he presented. It's nice to find a book that both makes you think and is fun to read.

I wouldn't recommend this book to someone new to science fiction, but if you've read a bit (and especially if you're a fan of authors like Greg Bear), definately read this one. It's worth it.

18 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Hard SF with a human heart, March 10, 2005

By 

K. Maxwell "katmax1" (Sydney, Australia) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Paradox: Book I of the Nulapeiron Sequence (Bk. 1) (Hardcover)

In the world of Nulaperion society is quite literally stratified by how far underground you live. The top layers are the home of a varied and wealthy aristocracy - all their whims either catered to by their advanced technology or the classes of the lower strata's in their domains.

Tom Corcorigan is the 14 year old son of a lower level market trader. A person of no significance in their world till a fleeing, almost mythical, pilot gifts him with a data crystal that will quite literally change his life and fortune when he one days goes up-strata.

This novel presents a complex world where the ability to understand complex mathematical formula is highly prized and in conjunction with leaps in biological engineering is the basis of much of their advanced technology. Tom's journey takes you through a world of striking poverty and wealthy extravagance and a world on the edge of revolution though many do not realise it.

I have to say I enjoyed this novel, even though I don't really understand all the concepts and jargon the author uses. By the end of the book I really felt for Tom and felt attached to him and I'm looking forward to book 2 in this trilogy very much. This novel is a bit more hard SF than I normally read but I'm glad I picked it up to read.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great read!, April 5, 2005

By 

Thomas Kanik (Madison, AL) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Paradox: Book I of the Nulapeiron Sequence (Bk. 1) (Hardcover)

This is my first review! I am a relatively new reader of science fiction. The last book (and one of the first science fiction books) I finished was "Ender's Game" by Orson Scott Card. That said, "Paradox" is a terrific story, and highly recommended.

I won't go into details of the story itself, as previous reviewers have done a good job describing it. The characters were strong and believable. I found that in many ways, I could identify with the lead character Tom Corcorigan. I also enjoyed the story within the story of Karyn McNamara, and how it was an effective part of the overall story. By the end of the book, I felt like I had an attachment to Tom, hoping he would succeed in his efforts. I also felt the story provided the needed closure at the end, and it was not done in an excessive manner.

Meaney writes in a way that is accessible to newer readers like myself. I enjoyed the short chapters and what I call "readable English" - Meaney does not ramble on, and he's not too heavy on the techno babble or needlessly long and obscure words ones finds in a dictionary or thesaurus. I thoroughly enjoyed the science and physics here; it was a relevant part of the story and just enough to get you thinking, but not so much as to overburden the reader.

I look forward to the next book in the series!