Crystal Rain

by Tobias S. Buckell

Book Overview

Long ago, so the stories say, the old-fathers came to Nanagada through a worm's hole in the sky. Looking for a new world to call their own, they brought with them a rich melange of cultures, religions, and dialects from a far-off planet called Earth. Mighty were the old-fathers, with the power to shape the world to their liking---but that was many generations ago, and what was once known has long been lost. Steamboats and gas-filled blimps now traverse...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0765312271
• ISBN13: 9780765312273
• Release Date: February 2006
• Publisher: Tor Books
• Length: 351 Pages
• Weight: 1.35 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 6.5" x 9.4"

Customer Reviews

Stunning Debut Novel!

It's difficult for me to believe that Crystal Rain is Tobias S. Buckell's debut novel---it's that good. The feel is incredibly organic, as though the world unwinds naturally before us. It feels as though the reader is experiencing the story of John and the Nanagada rather than reading a constructed fiction. Rather than presenting us with artificial cliff-hangers and twists, Buckell allows any surprises to come out in natural pieces throughout the story, such that if you figure something out ahead of time there's no feeling of let-down when it's revealed, because the story doesn't rely on that twist of surprise for its pacing and interest. Buckell manages to do several things extremely well that even very experienced writers tend to have difficulty pulling off. He tells the story through quite a few different points of view, yet I never feel confused as to who's doing the telling; each character is quite unique, distinct, and fully fleshed out. Stranger yet he manages to use one of John's enemies (his accompanying would-be interrogator) as a point of view character without spoiling the plot, ruining the pacing, alienating the reader, or otherwise throwing off the book. He has his characters speak in their own unusual dialects and rhythms---usually a terrible thing for a writer to attempt as it swiftly gets old and almost never adds anything---yet it works. It only took me a brief time to get used to it, then it felt more and more natural until I found myself thinking in it at times. The use of dialect is extremely consistent, and as a matter of characterization dialect is every bit as important in this book as any other measure. But wait, there's more that Buckell does that most writers couldn't pull off. Nanagada is a colony settled by space-farers. Due to various past events, it retains very little of the technology of its ancestors and has, at best, an imperfect understanding of even those few items it possesses. The Teotl and Loa are aliens worshiped as gods, and some bits of technology aren't quite as lost as everyone believes them to be. In many writers' hands this would lead to a very mixed-up genre feel, a confusion of identity that would rob the story of some of its potential for a consistent, strong world-feel. In Buckell's hands it all comes together in a heady melange that I found it difficult to extricate myself from---every time I put the book down I found my head trapped in thoughts of the world and its characters. I'm not sure I can adequately describe the number of ways in which this book succeeds. Suffice it to say, I look forward to devouring each of Buckell's future novels as they come out!

Great Adventure Novel

I've read stories of the cut-off colony that forgets its roots before, but what makes this one so interesting to me is that most of such tales are set untold centuries after, when no one remembers the way things were or recognizes the bits of mystical ancient machines for the high tech they were. In Crystal Rain, however, there are characters still around from those days, people (and things!) born with the benefit of genetic engineering and biotech, who have lived the 300 or so years since the break with galactic civilization. These are people who have gone on to have children, knowing that the children will be born sans benefit of these technologies, will age and die at the "normal" rate. So you have parents outliving their kids and their grandkids. Maybe its being a relatively new parent at a relatively late age myself, but I find this really poignant and intriguing both. Equally welcome was the much-touted Caribbean culture. Airship battles with Aztec warriors doesn't hurt either. Though it was the quiet moments between the ailing General Hayden and Prime Minister Dihana that were the stand-out bits for me as I look back. This was a high action adventure novel that gave me some new twists on old ideas. Bottom line: Toby can really write! I'm in for the ride on this series (of related stand-alone's it looks like.)

Well Developed World - Compelling Characters - Fascinating Story

I picked this up with no advance knowledge about the author based on the cover -- the cover evoked some of the old Edgar Rice Burroughs stuff I love so much. Wow! What a great surprise. I was hooked from the very first chapter. I purchased it, took it home, and almost read it in one sitting. The world and its inhabitants are so well developed and so lovingly described that I was completely involved in the story. And, as its cover suggests, it did in places evoke the best that the pulps had to offer (the airship chase, for example). First novel? I'm impressed. One of the best books I've ever read, period. One minor, miniscule complaint: The dialect spoken by the natives of this world was difficult reading for me at first. Early on in the story, I found myself re-reading some of the dialogue to make sure I understood what they were saying.

ABB

I just finished Crystal Rain, and I have to say that I am finally enthused about speculative fiction for the first time in many years. Most of my recent reads have left me disappointed -- too many authors trying overhard to impress the reader with confusing and self-important plots with characters and storylines that just don't connect. Now, finally, there is a terrific new author who takes sci-fi back to its roots -- a strong story with interesting and unique characters, told in a masterful fashion. The story is a very compelling read with excellent pace and complete abscence of literary sludge. I look forward to Buckell's future work. Hopefully this is the beginning of a resurgence of the genre, with renewed emphasis on great stories related by a master wordsmith.

A great first novel

I said this on the dustjacket, and I'm happy to repeat it here. There's a nova in the skies: Tobias S. Buckell is a dazzling new voice, and CRYSTAL RAIN is an explosive debut. Read it! -- Robert J. Sawyer, Hugo Award-winning author of HOMINIDS