Bitten by Books
The setting of Terminal World is the far future of Earth, when the protections of the atmosphere have failed, and humanity builds a huge tower called Spearpoint that reaches towards the heavens. It was built so long ago, people speculate on its purpose. At the very top, in the Celestial Realms, live the angels.
The angels and the humans do not get along. In fact, the angels sent sleeper agents to spy on and investigate the humans. These angels are surprisingly frail, only able to survive at the upper levels. The angels had to be modified so they could survive in the lower levels because of differences in the environmental conditions of the levels. One such angel named Quillon realizes that the humans (or prehumans, as the angels call them) do not have to be the enemies of the angels. He is betrayed by his fellow angels, and has to go undercover in the world of humans, becoming a medical examiner and a doctor.
Quillon’s past catches up with him when an angel is found dying in the lower levels where Quillon resides. The angel (sympathetic to the humans) warns him that more are being sent to kill him, and Quillon flees the city with the help of an old friend, and a tough, no-nonsense female guide, Meroka, who hates angels. As Quillon descends down the levels of Spearpoint, things get increasingly dangerous for him and Meroka, with the threats of zone sickness (traveling between zones and the irregular shifting of tectonic plates on Earth causing debilitating illness to the humans); homicidally insane, genetically-modified humans called Skullboys, cyborgs who feed on brain tissue, and a fleet of humans who live in a massive airborne city of dirigibles.
Quillon stops worrying about his own survival, now focusing on how he can protect what is left of the world from its destruction, both from the ever-shifting plates of the ailing Earth, and dark forces among the humans and angels themselves.
Terminal World is an epic adventure. Reynolds imbues the novel with a mix of high-tech science fiction and rustic, Old West elements along the lines of the television series Firefly. Quillon is sympathetic and humane, surprisingly so for a person who was once not even human. His physical frailty is matched with a strong mind and unshakable integrity. He goes from one dangerous situation to another, in the process realizing that saving his own life is not the most important thing at all.
Admittedly, some of the science fiction elements (such as speculation on why the Spearpoint tower was built, how the human civilization got to its present situation, and why the Earth was failing) went over my head, but I did enjoy the steampunk and adventure elements, along with a different twist on angelic beings. The world-building is quite intriguing, with a post-apocalyptic aesthetic that is heavily influenced by 19th century frontier and steampunk themes.
Terminal World has its share of violence (sometimes quite gruesome), but none of it is gratuitous. Instead the violence ties into the themes of humanity and what motivates humans to degenerate into monsters, and, in contrast, which values elevate us into beings who are willing to sacrifice our very lives for the greater good.
The cast of characters shows an interesting spectrum of motivations and drives, but Quillon stands out for his intelligence, strong moral reasoning, and sense of honor. I would recommend this novel to readers who enjoy post-apocalyptic science fiction that goes rustic instead of Iron Age or future-tech.
Book Stats:
- Mass Market Paperback: 560 pages
- Publisher: Ace (May 31, 2011)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0441020437
- ISBN-13: 978-0441020430
Buy a print copy of Terminal World from Amazon by clicking here.
Buy a Kindle copy of Terminal World from Amazon by clicking here.
Review Overview
Overall Rating
Total
Summary : Terminal World has its share of violence (sometimes quite gruesome), but none of it is gratuitous. Instead the violence ties into the themes of humanity and what motivates humans to degenerate into monsters, and, in contrast, which values elevate us into beings who are willing to sacrifice our very lives for the greater good. The cast of characters shows an interesting spectrum of motivations and drives, but Quillon stands out for his intelligence, strong moral reasoning, and sense of honor. I would recommend this novel to readers who enjoy post-apocalyptic science fiction that goes rustic instead of Iron Age or future-tech.
