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Zima Blue by Alastair Reynolds |
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Written by Hypatia
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Friday, 26 June 2009 |
Gollancz 2009 ISBN 978 0 575 08456 8
This collection features work published by Reynolds in various media from 2000 onwards. It is interesting to read the author’s comments (often humorous and at times self-deprecating) featured at the end of each story. The collection’s introduction by Paul McAuley gives some anecdotes about Reynolds and his early career: ‘I’m pretty sure that it was a dark and stormy night when I first met Alastair Reynolds’. McAuley reveals.
Reynolds requires little introduction: his “farfuture” space opera in such works as House of Suns clearly demonstrates his genius. I don’t use the word “genius” flippantly. The collection represents Reynolds from the beginning of his career to the present day — I was fascinated to see the development of his style and themes; his versatility.
Zima Blue is the name of this collection, as well as that of the final story featured in it. Reynolds’ readers will find familiar themes and a few surprises: from the ace reporter Carrie Clay in "The Real Story" (a futuristic story with a noir touch) to the lengthy piece featuring Merlin wherein the wizard finds a terrible weapon after a ten thousand year long search. There are 14 stories in the collection, ranging from vignettes to long novellas, and not all of them will appeal to all readers. I found the contemporary “Signal to Noise”, conceptually fascinating, but weighed down with too much romantic angst. One particular favourite was: “Understanding Space and Time” — a last-man-on-Mars story in which the protagonist, Renfrew, must bury the last of his colleagues and try to survive on what rations are available to him, while battling the effects of isolation. Enter the imagery of a white piano and a “glam-rock” figure identifiable from such songs as Rocket Man. Renfrew’s catharsis begins at this encounter and ends with his death millions of years in the future, again with the familiar Elton John music and imagery. To reveal more of this story would be a spoiler. But does this story sing? You bet! It’s Reynolds at his best. The final story, “Zima Blue”, builds gradually, as the protagonist, Zima (an artist) creates masterworks using his signature colour — Zima Blue). Zima’s works grow to encompass cities, continents, planets and then to dominate vast tracts of interstellar space, before the end.
The back cover copy states: “In Reynolds’ universe there may be wars, there may be catastrophes and cosmic errors, but something human will still survive”. This is what Reynolds does so well — no matter how far humans have roamed or how far they have evolved from homo sapiens, Reynolds portrays their humanity and shows how the human spirit overcomes adversity, while retaining the essence of what makes a human: love, humour, and individual strengths and weaknesses.
Zima Blue challenges, inspires, shocks, makes the reader laugh (and cry). A reader can ask no more than this from an author — pure speculative entertainment!
The website for Alastair Reynolds: www.alastairreynolds.com.
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Last Updated ( Sunday, 05 July 2009 )
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