Book Recommendations Day 1: Alastair Reynolds

A few days ago a friend of mine asked for some reading recommendations.  I thought it might be fun to write some short articles here about a few of my favorite authors, both for him, and anyone else who might be looking for a good read.  I plan to discuss a new author every day for the remainder of the week. 

I decided to get things started with a bang and first recommend a man who is quite possibly my favorite author ever, Alastair Reynolds.  Reynolds is a science fiction writer.  He is a former astrophysicist with a PhD in astronomy, so as you might imagine, he knows his stuff.  The books he writes are epic space operas, with most spanning vast amounts of outer space over staggering amounts of time.

One of my favorite things about Reynolds' work is his ability to make the technology of his far-future stories seem so plausible.  He describes things, that to today's world, are impossible due to our current technological limitations, but nonetheless feel real and believable.  I attribute this to his background, having firsthand experience with current technology and being able to extrapolate on the progression we will make.  His knowledge also allows him to accurately describe space phenomena in thrilling ways.

So, what should you read first?  Reynolds does have a series of books based in the same universe.  The first of which is Revelation Space.  Other books from this universe are Chasm City, Redemption Ark, Absolution Gap, and The Prefect.  While a few characters do have recurring roles in some of the stories, and you wouldn't really want to read the books out of order, each of these books is still a fantastic read just by itself.  A whole series of books might still seem daunting to some, so I would recommend starting with the first Reynolds book I ever read, Pushing Ice.  It is a completely standalone story and a great first step into the world of Reynolds.  Another good standalone choice, and the most recent of his works that I have read, is House of Suns.  In my opinion you just can't go wrong by picking up anything he has written.

If science fiction isn't your thing, or if you enjoy it, but only on occasion, this author might not be for you.  Most of Reynolds' books are so heavily laden with science fiction elements that it might be intimidating to someone new to the genre.  I can still recommend one of his books to you, however!  Check out Century Rain.  It is still science fiction, but a majority of the story takes place in an ever so slightly altered version of 1959 earth.  This book would probably be a great place for people who have never read science fiction to start.  I feel like it will ease you into the genre, and with any luck, make you fall in love with Alastair Reynolds' work as I did.