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Books Editorial
Gallowglass by Simon Morden
Discussing one of
the various risky manoeuvres by which a mineral-rich asteroid is to
be shifted for purposes of terrestrial exploitation, a character
comments without much confidence that the physics of the plan is
sound. The physics of Morden’s gritty (literally – expect lots of
grit) plots is always sound, while the technological detail is based
not on flights of fancy but on extrapolation from current practice
and theory. If you like your science fiction complete with nuts,
bolts, carabiners and deeply uncomfortable space suits, you’ll feel
immediately at home in the functional, unromanticised environment he
creates. The novel also operates, however, as a sharply observed
study of personality under stress, as runaway rich boy Jack realises
that escape into a dodgy world of space-based land claims (huge
rewards, gigantic risks) enmeshes him in the clashing ambitions of
crew and backers, and there can’t be an easy way out. With each
chapter chillingly headed by “expert” opinions on climate change,
larger issues about guilt, responsibility, personal freedom and
sacrifice resonate beyond the tale told. It’s the tale, though,
that will keep you reading, as Jack pitches himself into an
unwelcoming, unhealthy situation where neither stakes nor players are
what they seem. Grit, ore, tension and suspense informed by some
really big ideas – go for the spaceships but stay for the joined-up
thinking.
Publ. Gollancz,
2020-12-29
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