Radix

by A.A. Attanasio

Book Overview

A saga of a young man's odyssey of self-discovery on an eerily alien Earth thirteen centuries in the future. Rich in detail and filled with beings brought to life with intense energy, this strange and... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0553254065
• ISBN13: 9780553254068
• Release Date: September 1985
• Publisher: Spectra Books
• Length: 466 Pages
• Weight: 0.57 lbs.

Customer Reviews

is 5 really the highest?

Paradoxically enough, the mark of a good book is when you forget that you're reading. This book was one of those. I was so thoroughly engrossed with Sumner Kagan's life that I began to cancel dinner plans and sat for hours pondering Mr. Attanasio's revelations throughout. This book is a living, breathing organism of wisdom. I agree with a former reviewer, if you haven't read this, I envy you! You are in for a surprise.

Enriching

I've read through A.A.Attanasio's Radix and I'm captivated by his vivid mastery of the senses, emotions, uncertainty and the unknown. These very human components are deliciously composed together with the barely knowable aspects of reality and the very fringes of fantasy. It was a deeply spiritual journey that presents a panclusive view of the world, life in general, the universe and everything. The book's last piece of poetry sums it all up, Pain is a rose of great peace. Silence is the depth of a song. And stillness is the space of our lives, So empty it can hold everything. Without the context of the plot, the poem sounds kinda dark. On the contrary, the book is a celebration of life and all its wonders, possibilities and even impossibilities. Objectively speaking, the ending got a bit sticky and scattered but the impact this book made on the core of my personality overshadows the minor lapses in the flow of the plot. I'm guessing it's a matter of unavoidable editing. But I'm definitely looking forward to reading the rest of the books in the Radix Tetrad. If you're daunted by neologisms and poetry don't even try. BUT. If you're up for challenging reality and pushing your imaginations beyond your current world-view then enjoy this beautifully crafted piece of literature.

An incredible work of imagination -- deserves a reprint

There is no doubt in my mind that Attanasio is a sci-fi visionary. In a field that unfortunately is filled with pulp, bad fan fiction and shamless rip-offs (particularly the post-Herbert Dune books), this novel -- and the energy he devoted to it -- really shines. His ideas are challenging, sometimes frustrating, but always rewarding. There are very few books in this genre that I would ever consider "life-changing" or even worth re-reading. But Radix is one of them.Whether your literary tastes run along the lines of sci-fi, fantasy or mysticism, this is a worthy addition to your collection. If this is your first foray into Attanasio or sci-fi, and since this is a hard volume to find, I highly suggest borrowing a copy first.

A Very Unique Hero

Sumner has been, and still is one of my favorite fictional heroes. I read this book at a time when anti-heroes, and good guys with dark pasts were not as abundant as they are now. In effect, this was one of the first I have discovered, and still is one of the best. It is a story of a strange, sad and troubled young man. Far from perfect, the overweight, nearly psychotic Sumner, originally, has only one strength. He is one of the last beings on earth with a totally Human genetic make-up. He was not a heroic figure. He did not try to be a good guy. He was just a mess that ended up totally transformed by situations he had no control of. Earth has passed through a fixed point of space which travels straight through the core of the Galaxy. The "Line" as it is called, is a Cosmic Super-Highway for Gods, Demons, Spirits, and reality-altering powers traveling from place and time, to place and time. At a time, not too far from now, earth passes through the Line with cataclysmic effects! What is not destroyed, is forever changed. Earth is not the same planet anymore. It is a place run by Gods who make war against each other, as well as corrupt governments, rampant mutations, and a host of spiritual entities. 11,000 years later, Sumner finds himself in this altered world. As a somewhat "normal" human, and as a failure in general, he is a true outsider. Preyed upon, and harrassed by mutant gangs, and his own perceptions of himself, he finds something he is good at, beside eating and cultivating a bad case of acne. Sumner is a natural killer. And a genetically "whole" human being. Maybe the 2 traits are interchangeable. And his story takes place between the time others are made aware of this trait, as he is trained and comes of age, and the time when he eventually becomes a deadly instrument in a battle where 2 Gods could decide the final fate of Mankind. It is about a very imperfect hero. The kind of hero anybody could be.

Radix, book of changes.

i met this book ten years ago. and i still live with it inside. This is the book of changes... How can i say?...(my english is bad). Read it and you 'll be different.