Book Review: The Medusa Chronicles - Alastair Reynolds & Stephen Baxter

Inspired by Sir Arthur C. Clarke's short story A Meeting with Medusa, this novel, with permission from the Clarke Estate, continues the story of Commander Howard Falcon over centuries of space-exploration, interaction with AI, first contact and beyond. All brought to life by two of our greatest SF authors, Stephen Baxter and Alastair Reynolds.

Howard Falcon almost lost his life in an accident . . . and a combination of human ingenuity and technical expertise brought him back. Not as himself, but as an augmented human: part man, part machine, and exceptionally capable.

The Medusa Chronicles charts his journey through time, the changing interaction between humanity and our universe, and combined moments of incredible action with unparalleled exploration of and expansion into space. A compelling read from the beginning, this is classic SF which has appeal for readers who like Gravity and The Martian.

Proper, old-school, cracking sci-fi. Cyborgs, bizarre aliens, sentient robots, genetically engineered chimps, space battles, and a quest for the meaning of life!

Reynolds and Baxter expand on Clarke's original short story. It isn't necessary to have read it before-hand, but I'd recommend it anyway. What's amazing is how they capture Clarke's voice and tone while writing a thoroughly modern story.

I loved the way they peppered in reference to 2001 - hard not to do when you're writing about exploring the mysteries of Jupiter, I guess. There's not too much technobabble - but lots of fun sci-fi ideas to play with. Not least the practicalities of constructing a Dyson Sphere and whether super-chimps deserve "human" rights.

It is properly epic - without making you commit to reading a dozen novels in the same universe. Perfect for a cold winter's evening.