The Orion's Arm Universe Project Forums

I just finished House if Suns by Alistair Reynolds. An awesome book! Lots of OA similar themes IMO. Anyone else read it?

Yuppers. I read it some years ago and very much enjoyed it. Although I enjoyed the Revelation Space books, their dark future/unhappy ending plots always bothered me a bit. House of Suns describes a much more hopeful future with some awesome vistas hinted at.

House of Suns is a great book! The idea about the reason of the voids' existence in the universe was quite thought-provoking (I won't elaborate since it will spoil it for those who haven't read it yet)

Yes.
One idea that Reynolds uses that we should incorporate into OA more is the replacement of one culture by another, after a collapse, The older, vanished culture leaves behind damaged and inactive relics that are mostly ignored by the newer inhabitants; but sometimes they are worth studying.

(06-18-2025, 08:36 AM)stevebowers Wrote: [ -> ]Yes.
One idea that Reynolds uses that we should incorporate into OA more is the replacement of one culture by another, after a collapse, The older, vanished culture leaves behind damaged and inactive relics that are mostly ignored by the newer inhabitants; but sometimes they are worth studying.

This reminds of the "Averil" story that Nyeti is writing

(06-18-2025, 10:21 AM)DSPE Wrote: [ -> ]

(06-18-2025, 08:36 AM)stevebowers Wrote: [ -> ]Yes.
One idea that Reynolds uses that we should incorporate into OA more is the replacement of one culture by another, after a collapse, The older, vanished culture leaves behind damaged and inactive relics that are mostly ignored by the newer inhabitants; but sometimes they are worth studying.

This reminds of the "Averill" story that Nyeti is writing

Yeah, I love the idea of deep historical time and I've got a fascination for ancient cultures, especially those from before the Bronze Age Collapse. Think of places like Avebury, where a Neolithic monument was settled by mediaeval farmers, or Aleppo, which has been a city longer than anyone can remember.
The backstory of Averill actually only covers about 1400 years - not an extremely long time for OA nor indeed for me as a Brit!

I clearly should read House of Suns. MacGregor, you're not the first person I've heard recommend it.

(06-20-2025, 08:29 PM)Nyeti Wrote: [ -> ]

(06-18-2025, 10:21 AM)DSPE Wrote: [ -> ]

(06-18-2025, 08:36 AM)stevebowers Wrote: [ -> ]Yes.
One idea that Reynolds uses that we should incorporate into OA more is the replacement of one culture by another, after a collapse, The older, vanished culture leaves behind damaged and inactive relics that are mostly ignored by the newer inhabitants; but sometimes they are worth studying.

This reminds of the "Averill" story that Nyeti is writing

Yeah, I love the idea of deep historical time and I've got a fascination for ancient cultures, especially those from before the Bronze Age Collapse. Think of places like Avebury, where a Neolithic monument was settled by mediaeval farmers, or Aleppo, which has been a city longer than anyone can remember.

Indeed! Deep time is really surreal to reflect on

(06-20-2025, 08:29 PM)Nyeti Wrote: [ -> ]Yeah, I love the idea of deep historical time and I've got a fascination for ancient cultures, especially those from before the Bronze Age Collapse. Think of places like Avebury, where a Neolithic monument was settled by mediaeval farmers, or Aleppo, which has been a city longer than anyone can remember.

My wife is always dragging me off to visit Neolithic sites. Went to one yesterday, in fact; the north henge at Thornborough is now administered by English Heritage, so it is fully open for visitors.

OA Deep Time is a bit different to the Neolithic, though; a significant fraction of written records and other data will survive into the Current Era, even if there are many details that have been lost.