Superluminal [Kindle Edition]

Tony Daniel (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Daniel's much praised Metaplanetary (2001) presented an awesome vision of the future in which the Met (a system of super-strong cables like spider webs) connects the inner planets and people can communicate instantly across impossible distances due to the presence of "grist" (a form of quantum nanotechnology that permeates the solar system). In this ambitious sequel, war breaks out between the inner planets, ruled over by the increasingly despotic Chairman Amés, and the outer planets, led by the maverick Federal Army commander Roger Sherman. Meanwhile, a large cast of characters, some of them human, some complex computer-programs, but most some combination of the two, live out their lives. This is large-scale space opera with an enormous cast, spectacular battle scenes and 11 appendices to help readers keep things straight. The novel doesn't work quite as well as Metaplanetary, in part because the space warfare becomes a bit repetitious and in part because, as the middle book in what will be at least a trilogy, the tale comes to no real conclusion. Nor is Daniel's work as intellectually challenging as that of such writers as Ken MacLeod, Alastair Reynolds and Stephen Baxter. Still, there's much to like here, particularly for fans of Golden Age great E.E. "Doc" Smith.
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From Booklist

Daniel's critically acclaimed Metaplanetary (2001) left readers dangling on the brink of an explosive civil war between the inner and the outer planets of the solar system. In the long-awaited sequel, Daniel returns to his brilliantly realized vision of evolving humanity in the thirty-first century, when planets are strung together by super-strong, kilometer-wide cables, and a ubiquitous nanotech-based substance called grist makes possible both sentient machinery and instantaneous interplanetary communication from Mercury to Pluto. As the action continues, Ames, the despotic leader of the inner planet collective known as the Met, renews his assault on all manner of semihuman and quasi-human life forms, while his chief rival, General Sherman, plots a counterattack with the added muscle of intelligent spacecraft. Daniel's inventiveness occasionally stretches credulity, as when showcasing the exploits of a sentient jeep or the matter-bending powers of Jill, an enigmatic being who is--literally--part grist, part ferret. Yet the story remains gripping throughout, and it is packed with enough ideas to leave readers hungering for another volume. Carl Hays
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Format: Kindle Edition
• File Size: 469 KB
• Print Length: 544 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins e-books (October 13, 2009)
• Sold by: HarperCollins Publishers
• Language: English
• ASIN: B000FCK4JA
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #252,557 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)

More About the Author

Tony Daniel is the author of five science fiction books, the latest of which is Guardian of Night, as well as an award-winning short story collection, The Robot's Twilight Companion. He is Hugo finalist for his story "Life on the Moon," which also won the Asimov's Reader's Choice Award. Daniel's short fiction has been much anthologized and has been collected in multiple year's best compilations. Daniel has also cowritten screenplays for SyFy Channel horror movies and during the early 2000s was the writer and director of numerous audio dramas for critically-acclaimed SCIFI.COM's Seeing Ear Theatre. Born in Alabama, he has lived in St. Louis, Los Angeles, Seattle, Prague, and New York City. Daniel is currently an editor at Baen Books. He is married and has two children.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding continuation ... but not a conclusion, June 5, 2004

By 

Edward Barnett (Cambridge, MA United States) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

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This review is from: Superluminal: A Novel of Interplanetary Civil War (Hardcover)

Superluminal is a strong continuation of Metaplanetary. Other reviewers' comments regarding the quality of characters, plot, and writing are spot on. If you enjoy classic space opera (as we all should), you'll be grateful for Superluminal. Be aware, however, that this volume does not provide a conclusion to the story begun in Metaplanetary, merely a continuation. I wish that the publisher had been honest enough to flag clearly that this is an open-ended series, each ending in a cliffhanger rather than a climax. There's nothing wrong with that approach, either from a literary or a commercial point of view -- I just wish that publishers would note which books are self-contained and which are installments in a series.

Update, 22 Feb 2007: Sadly, there is still no word regarding the next (and, I would hope, concluding) book in this series. The first two books (Metaplanetary and Superluminal) succeeded in creating a fascinating future world, with intriguing characters and a captivating storyline. I want to know how it ends! Make no mistake, it's well worth reading these two books, even if the third never takes form. However, like many other readers, I seriously hope the author and publisher eventually get around to concluding the series and closing the story arc. I'm ready to pre-order!

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing book -- but the publisher should be shot, March 27, 2005

By 

Anglia (Out There, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Superluminal (Mass Market Paperback)

This novel is as good as all the other reviewers say it is -- each chapter really does have enough new ideas to sustain an entire book!

My issue is with the publisher. They're pulling the same shoddy trick they tried with the first volume of the series, Metaplanetary. Just as that book was ruined for many readers because nowhere on the cover did it state that it was the first novel in a series, anyone who hasn't read the first book could pick up this second volume with the expectation that they're starting a stand-alone novel. The only place the true nature of Superluminal is mentioned is in the author's bio on the inside back cover.

This is clearly intentional on the publisher's part, but you have to wonder why are they doing it? Why are they positioning these two novels as stand-alones, rather than as parts of a series? Guess they just don't believe in the power of the entire trilogy to sell itself. This is just stupid!

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Ending on a middle book, June 7, 2005

By 

Matthieu Hausig (Brooklyn, NY) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Superluminal (Mass Market Paperback)

After finishing Superluminal I was dissapointed to find out that plans for a third book are on hold for the foreseeable future. While Superluminal was not as good as Metaplanetary it is still an enjoyable read with interesting SF elements. It does have a strong case of middlebookitis in that plot elements are not fully resolved and the ending is a cliffhanger.

On the positive side, Tony Daniel succeeds in making Director Ames a truly creepy entity and his characterization of a semisentient jeep was well done. On the other hand, several of the other characters are not as well fleshed out. Also, in juggling many plot lines at once, the author tends to focus on just a few and leaves the rest too bare. Considering that there were around a hundred pages worth of appendices that space would have been better utilized on the minor characters and their storylines.

Hopefully, the author's next project will be successful enough so that he can revisit this universe and provide a proper conclusion.