Timelike Diplomacy: Singularity Sky and Iron Sunrise (Hardcover)

~ Charles Stross (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

An exclusive two-in-one novel from the Science Fiction Book Club, set in Charles Stross Eschaton Universe: Singularity Sky and Iron Sunrise. Singularity Sky: Spaceship engineer Martin Springfield and U.N. diplomat Rachel Mansour hail from an Earth that has gone through the Singularity, an accelerated technological and social evolution far beyond anything we can imagine. The Singularity was triggered by the Eschaton, a super-powerful being descended from humanity that can travel in time and that essentially rules the universe. Springfield and Mansour meet on the home world of the New Republic, a repressive, backwater society that has outlawed virtually all advanced technology other than that necessary for interstellar warfare. When one of the New Republic's colonial worlds is besieged by the Festival, an enigmatic alien intelligence, the Republic counterattacks, using time travel in an attempt to put its warships in position to catch the Festival by surprise. Springfield and Mansour, working for different masters, have both been assigned the task of either diffusing the crisis or sabotaging the New Republic's warfleet, no matter what the cost. Iron Sunrise: In the 24th century, a McWorld ("bland, comfortable, tolerant... boring") called New Moscow apparently has been destroyed by trade rival New Dresdenbut not before New Moscow launched its own Slower-Than-Light (STL) counterstrike: a massive ship accelerated to 80% the speed of light. The U.N., now central Earth government, knows New Dresden was set up. They need the STL's recall code, now known only to a handful of New Moscow's ambassadorsbut someone has been systematically assassinating them. U.N. special operative Rachel Mansour and her husband, engineer Martin Springfield, must protect the last living ambassador and find out who's really responsible for the whole mess.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 682 pages
• Publisher: Science Fiction Book Club (2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0739445642
• ISBN-13: 978-0739445648
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #809,189 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Combined edition of _Singularity Sky_ and _Iron Sunrise_, November 8, 2004

By	emk2048 - See all my reviews

According to a posting by Stross in the Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine forum, this is an combined edition of the two books mentioned in the subject line.

That said, both books are excellent. _singularity Sky_, in particular, is one of the better science fiction novels of the past few years, combining hard science, Vinge-style speculation, and a strong prose style.

5.0 out of 5 stars Singularity Big Time, October 7, 2006

By	Avid Reader (Franklin, Tn) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

This is a double publication - SINGULARITY SKY & IRON SUNRISE. The pairing is not accidental - the stories could be considered Singularity Part I & II. The name, TIMELIKE DIPLOMACY, is a perfect description of the themes of both novels - namely the machinations of humanity when faster-than-light travel is developed (thus time travel) and the super-intelligent Eschaton (the name given to the Singularity) must battle those who would return to the past and take steps to prevent its emergence. (A conundrum though - if someone had returned to the past and prevented the emergence of the Singularity how could it be worried about someone going to the past to prevent the emergence.... someone could go crazy thinking of all the causal possibilities).

We are introduced to Martin and Rachel, espionage operatives working for different bosses (Martin for the Eschaton, Rachel for the U.N.) and follow their travails in preventing the destruction of a civilization for attempting to violate the laws of causality. In the second book (IRON SKY) we are introduced to the teenager, Wednesday / Victoria and the newspaper writer, Frank and their fast-paced struggles both to escape those who would do them harm and learn who their pursuers are. Of course all four characters come together in the midst of a frantic action and the story has a good ending. I eagerly await yet another sequeal.

Stross has opened to the reader the world on nanotechnology, smart matter, genetic modification beyond our wildest dream. Indeed, the everyday actions appear to us almost as magic, much as the technological wonders of our civilization would appear magical to someone from the early 20th century. Yielding to readers's pleas, Stross has penned ACCELERANDO, the story of the emergence of the Singularity in the near future. (It does not feature the same characters.)