Newton's Wake: A Space Opera and over 400,000 other books are available for Amazon Kindle – Amazon’s new wireless reading device. Learn more

45 used & new from $0.30
See All Buying Options
Have one to sell? Sell yours here
 
 
Newton's Wake: A Space Opera
 
 
Share your own customer images
Search inside this book
Start reading Newton's Wake: A Space Opera on your Kindle in under a minute.

Don’t have a Kindle? Get your Kindle here.
 
  

Newton's Wake: A Space Opera (Hardcover)

~ Ken MacLeod (Author) "As soon as she stepped through the gate Lucinda Carlyle knew the planet had been taken, and knew it would be worth taking back..." (more)
Key Phrases: robot walkers, black sickle, production brigade, Hungry Dragon, Hard Rapture, Lucinda Carlyle (more...)
3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (28 customer reviews)

Available from these sellers.


8 new from $5.75 33 used from $0.30 4 collectible from $18.99

Formats

 Amazon Price New from Used from
Kindle Edition $9.99   -- --
Hardcover --   $5.75 $0.30
Paperback --   $4.77 $0.99
Mass Market Paperback --   -- $2.95

Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

Glasshouse

Glasshouse

by Charles Stross
4.2 out of 5 stars (49)  $7.99
The Mount

The Mount

by Carol Emshwiller
4.4 out of 5 stars (16)  $12.48
A Fire Upon The Deep (Zones of Thought)

A Fire Upon The Deep (Zones of Thought)

by Vernor Vinge
4.3 out of 5 stars (227)  $7.99
Cosmonaut Keep (The Engines of Light, Book 1)

Cosmonaut Keep (The Engines of Light, Book 1)

by Ken Macleod
3.4 out of 5 stars (30)  $7.99
Fractions: The First Half of The Fall Revolution

Fractions: The First Half of The Fall Revolution

by Ken Macleod
4.8 out of 5 stars (4)  $14.96
› Explore similar items

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Amid the somewhat strident politics there are some outrageously funny patches in this over-packed space opera from Nebula and Hugo finalist MacLeod (Cosmonaut's Keep, etc.). In the 24th century, brash young Lucinda Carlyle takes her first big chance to prove herself to her wheeling-dealing clan who control the skein, a network of "gates" transporting people and equipment instantaneously between planets. In the Hard Rapture war centuries earlier between the United States and united Europe, run-amok American AI took over the brains of humans. Survivors flung into space include the gawkish farmers of America Offline (AO), the straitlaced Oriental Knights of Enlightenment (KE) and the third-world "commies" who strip-mine planets (DK). Lucinda opens a Pandora's box of shifting alliances that turns 20th-century American sensibilities upside down. Keeping the AO, KE and DK straight can be confusing as Lucinda brawls along her barrack-room Glasgow-dialect way. Perhaps MacLeod's most memorably quirky character, Benjamin Ben-Ami, produces epics like Jesus Koresh: Martyred Messiah, with "a mild-mannered and modest but strong-willed hero" and "gloating psychopathic villains, the Emperor Reno and the Empress Hilary." MacLeod slyly entices Americans to see ourselves as others see us—not a flattering picture at all.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review

"Science fiction's freshest new writer.... MacLeod is a fiercely intelligent, prodigiously well-read author who manages to fill his books with big issues without weighing them down."
See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

  • Hardcover: 320 pages
  • Publisher: Tor Books; 1st edition (June 1, 2004)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0765305038
  • ISBN-13: 978-0765305039
  • Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.3 x 0.9 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
  • Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (28 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.com Sales Rank: #899,084 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    •  Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?

More About the Author

Ken Macleod
Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

› Visit Amazon's Ken Macleod Page
Front Cover | Front Flap | Table of Contents | First Pages | Back Flap | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Search Inside This Book:
Inside This Book (learn more)
First Sentence:
As soon as she stepped through the gate Lucinda Carlyle knew the planet had been taken, and knew it would be worth taking back. Read the first page
Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
robot walkers, black sickle, production brigade, responsible elements
Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Hungry Dragon, Hard Rapture, Lucinda Carlyle, Morag Higgins, Jacques Armand, Amelia Orr, New Start, General Jacques, Knights of Enlightenment, Andrea Al-Khayed, Ghile Mear, Isaac Shlaim, Tully Carn, Carlyle's Drift, Fort William, New Glasgow, Blue Water Landings, Eighty-Seven Production Brigade, Professor Shlaim, Sam Yamata, Subtle Conceit, Benjamin Ben-Ami, Bright Contrail, Ian Carlyle, Lawrence Hammond
New!
Concordance | Text Stats
Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Front Flap | Table of Contents | First Pages | Back Flap | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Search Inside This Book:
Citations (learn more)
This book cites 7 books:
See all 7 books this book cites
 
1 book cites this book:

What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

Newton's Wake: A Space Opera
63% buy the item featured on this page:
Newton's Wake: A Space Opera 3.3 out of 5 stars (28)
Cosmonaut Keep (The Engines of Light, Book 1)
13% buy
Cosmonaut Keep (The Engines of Light, Book 1) 3.4 out of 5 stars (30)
$7.99
A Fire Upon The Deep (Zones of Thought)
9% buy
A Fire Upon The Deep (Zones of Thought) 4.3 out of 5 stars (227)
$7.99
The Sparrow
8% buy
The Sparrow 3.9 out of 5 stars (504)
$10.20
Explore similar items

Tags Customers Associate with This Product

 (What's this?)
Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
 
(2)
(2)
(1)
(1)
Agree with these tags?

Your tags: Add your first tag
 
See most popular tags
 

Customer Reviews

28 Reviews
5 star:
 (4)
4 star:
 (8)
3 star:
 (10)
2 star:
 (5)
1 star:
 (1)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
3.3 out of 5 stars (28 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
31 of 33 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars A mixed bag..., July 15, 2004
By Addison Phillips (San Jose, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
Newton's Wake is billed as "A Space Opera", which I guess is supposed to explain why this is a bit of a creampuff of a novel. MacLeod is a deft writer, with a nice ability to turn phrases.

We are dropped into the action and MacLeod does a good job of the "slow reveal" of the characters and the circumstances. We get a good feel for this universe and the folks who inhabit it. We get a variety of characters who's basic humanity is challenged by circumstances: there were trapped as a program, head replaced with a metal head, social pariah, simulation of the original person, etc. And there are little touches (Ben Ami's play about Leonid Breznhev is a hoot).

But... I found some jarring elements here too. We don't get close enough to most of these characters to really care all that much about them. Perhaps it is supposed to be telling that there are no real "bad guys" or "good guys", but the author should have had some stance on the Big Issues he raises, like: if you die and a version of you is brought back to life, it is really you? What if the version of you that is brought back isn't really you, it's just a reconstruction of other people's perception of you? Those are truly interesting questions and MacLeod goes nowhere with them: he asks without developing either an opinion or going near the really thorny bits. We are told more often than we are shown the developments that really matter.

I was annoyed by some "reverse anachronisms" here: things from today that inappropriately show up in this far future time and don't fit. I found the debate about "Returners" vs. "Runners" was ultimately empty, as much of the plot was empty, because the author doesn't seem to feel the motivations. The conflicts in the novel are set pieces.

As a space opera, this is neither gonzo enough to be a really wild ride nor pithy enough to really deal with the fascinating issues the book raises. This is a good read and I'll be keeping an eye on MacLeod, though. Here's an author with some talent. But this won't be his best novel.

Help other customers find the most helpful reviews  
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No


 
14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Copies, Copies Everywhere!, May 24, 2005
By Kevin Spoering (Buffalo, Missouri United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)      
This novel is of a galaxy full of post-human technology, mind back-ups in case of death (with the associated question of identity survival), faster-than-light space travel, Drexler cornucopia macines, and post-singularity war machines. Most of the book centers around Carlyle's Drift, which are a series of wormholes connecting places many light years apart, with Lucinda Carlyle the principle character here. Across interstellar space there are several human factions, in various technological levels, competing with each other, allowing an interesting plot. I won't write about this further as I hate plot spoilers

I will give you my impressions of the book, however. At times, particularly the later one third, the writing seemed kind of vague, sometimes it was disjointed, making it difficult to recall who was fighting who. Perhaps MaCleod was trying to cover ground too quickly. But in the end it all does make sense. It may be that the main message of the novel is that we will always find ways to kill each other, and justify it, no matter how far technolgy takes us. After reading this, you may wonder as I did, what is real and what is'nt? If you enjoy this kind of science fiction, check out the fine novels by Richard K. Morgan.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews  
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No


 
6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Fun, thoughtful, and approachable, August 8, 2004
The war between Europe and the United States ended abruptly (although not before huge destruction) when the U.S. artifical intelligences jumped the firewalls and subsumed much of the human population. For moments, the hugely grown artificial intelligence was all-powerful, then, it vanished into infinity, too vast to be comprehended or even bothered by the petty wars and struggles left behind. Most of humanity was caught up in the 'rapture.' A few groups, though--America Offline descended from rural out-of-touch farmers, the Knights of Enlightenment--descendents of surviving Japanese and Chinese, Kemokratische Kommunistbund--northern Koreans cut off from computers by their governments isolationism, and a family of Scottish bandits (combat archeologists) who mostly control the tunnels between the stars. When Lucinda Carlyle of the Scots family stumbles across a planet settled by humans who had been on Mars at the time of the Rapture, everything changes. The inhabitants of Eurydice have access to the wormholes between the stars in a new way that puts the Carlyles to shame. But will the new variable in the equation mean war? And even in Eurydice, ancient rivalries between those who wanted to flee the solar system and those who hoped to save the humans forced into the artificial intelligence remain. Now, for the first time, it might actually be possible to realize that dream.

Author Ken MacLeod creates an intriguing universe and populates it with authentic characters and a touch of humor. He calls NEWTON'S WAKE a 'Space Opera,' and it does contain excitement, space travel, and youthful characters attempting to survive terrible mistakes and outrageous odds, but WAKE is much more thoughtful than an old-fashioned space opera. MacLeod asks fundamental questions about humanity, our future, and the nature of our goals--and provides only hints of an answer in the context of an entertaining story. Trust me, it works.

MacLeod is firmly tongue-in-cheek with his playwright, Benjamin Ben-Ami and his plays, including the 'Tragedy of Leonid Brezhnev,' 'The Madness of George II' and Jesus Koresh. I enjoyed the way MacLeod integrated his political beliefs into the story, unlike the more heavy-handed approach he had used in the earlier (but still enjoyable) books reviewed on this site. MacLeod is maturing as a writer, creating in layers now that make his work far more approachable, yet every bit as complex and thoughtful as his earlier novels.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews  
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No

Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
 
 
 
Most Recent Customer Reviews

2.0 out of 5 stars Intentionally bad? or Accidently bad?
Usually when an author crams so many ideas into a novel, it reflects the author's bubbling imagination and scarcity of outlets. Read more
Published 4 months ago by M-I-K-E 2theD

2.0 out of 5 stars I had hoped for more than silly accents and an uninspiring plot
Having recently stumbled upon space operas I did a little research and Macleod's name popped up, so when I saw Newton's Wake used I snatched it up. Read more
Published 8 months ago by Brian Hawkinson

1.0 out of 5 stars Thoroughly disappointing
A thoroughly disappointing read. This novel should be used in creative writing classes as an example of how NOT to write a book. Read more
Published 9 months ago by R. Jensen

2.0 out of 5 stars Disjointed story
I went into this book looking for an engaging Science Fiction story with multiple interesting story lines which touch on one-another and comprise a whole story. Read more
Published 15 months ago by T. Leary

4.0 out of 5 stars New world meets old problems
Like the subtitle indicates - this novel carries grand ambitions of bringing you into a wast and incredible setting, with driven characters and fantastic sets making up the back... Read more
Published 24 months ago by norse.view

4.0 out of 5 stars Not Free SF Reader
Humanity made artificial intelligence, and it decided it didn't want to hang around, going through its own Singularities. Read more
Published on September 3, 2007 by Blue Tyson

3.0 out of 5 stars Still not sure what to make of it
It's hard to even come up with a synopsis of the story. A woman and her team investigate an old artifact and consequences ensue? Read more
Published on August 16, 2007 by Mythadventures

2.0 out of 5 stars Mishmashing your way thru the Singularity
This is yet another great idea that got screwed up along the way. Although subitled "A Space Opera" it does not approach the spectacular novels by such authors as Alastair... Read more
Published on May 19, 2007 by Avid Reader

3.0 out of 5 stars Well-imagined, nicely written, but kind of disappointing
(or maybe 3.5 stars -- a book I had trouble rating.)

Newton's Wake is is Ken MacLeod's first standalone novel, after seven books that fit into two separate series. Read more
Published on June 25, 2006 by Richard R. Horton

3.0 out of 5 stars Inventive, but doesn't live up to its potential
MacLeod leaves a lot lying on the table in this excellent post-singularity novel.

Two extremely annoying things - the Scottish brogue is just too much to plough... Read more
Published on March 29, 2006 by Dan H. Lovejoy

Only search this product's reviews


Customer Discussions

This product's forum
Discussion Replies Latest Post
No discussions yet

Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight
Start a new discussion
Topic:
First post:
Prompts for sign-in
 


Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
Search all Amazon discussions
   

So You'd Like to...

Create a guide

Product Information from the Amapedia Community

Beta (What's this?)

Look for Similar Items by Category

Look for Similar Items by Subject

Search Books by subject:














i.e., each book must be in subject 1 AND subject 2 AND ...
 

Feedback

If you need help or have a question for Customer Service, contact us.
 Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
Is there any other feedback you would like to provide?

Your comments can help make our site better for everyone.



Your Recent History

 (What's this?)

After viewing product detail pages or search results, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in.