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Seveneves

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Seveneves

By: Neal Stephenson
Narrated by: Peter Brooke
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The astounding new novel from the master of science fiction

President Barack Obama’s summer reading choice

What would happen if the world were ending?

When a catastrophic event renders the earth a ticking time bomb, it triggers a feverish race against the inevitable. An ambitious plan is devised to ensure the survival of humanity far beyond our atmosphere. But unforeseen dangers threaten the intrepid pioneers, until only a handful of survivors remain…

Five thousand years later, their progeny – seven distinct races now three billion strong – embark on yet another audacious journey into the unknown, to an alien world utterly transformed by cataclysm and time: Earth.

A writer of dazzling genius and imaginative vision, Neal Stephenson combines science, philosophy, technology, psychology, and literature in a magnificent work of speculative fiction that offers a portrait of a future that is at once extraordinary and eerily recognizable. He explores some of our biggest ideas and perplexing challenges in a breathtaking saga that is daring, engrossing, and altogether brilliant.

 Classics Fiction First Contact Genre Fiction Literary Fiction Political Science Fiction Women's Fiction Survival
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Critic reviews

Praise for Seveneves:

A Financial Times Summer read

‘The scope of Seveneves is breathtaking, the suspense tremendous, the execution faultless’ Financial Times Books of the Year So Far…

‘Remarkable’ Publishers Weekly

Praise for Neal Stephenson:

‘Genius’ Time

‘He makes reading so much fun it feels like a deadly sin’ The New York Times

‘Fast-forward free-style mall mythology for the 21st century’
William Gibson

‘[Stephenson is] the hacker Hemingway’ Newsweek
All stars
Most relevant
This is one of those 'biggest story ever told' novels, end of the world is nigh and what you we going to do about it. Ends up thousands of years hence.... And yes, for such a huge listen, it feels rushed. I was sad when it ended even though the damned thing took weeks to get through.

Massive yet rushed

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...the likes of which even God has never seen... unless he got an advance copy for the publishers...

A depth and breadth of technical storytelling ..

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Seveneves really should be three books. It's daunting to take on as one book.

1. The agent and Humanities response.
2. Trails and tribulations on the ark.
3. Fast forward 5000 years and the outcomes.

Spoilers below
I think the author touches on many things humans hold dear. The manipulation of the human DNA really irked me. No need for men. Bah. However in Stargate Atlantis the wraith and in mote in god's eye the species are split into sub species specialising in certain tasks, yet somehow I didn't find myself personally affected by those stories, whereas in seveneves I found myself more akin to the mountain men. Seeing the spacers as mutates (mutants but non the less human fast forward 5k). Mutates who built a thriving collection of awesome space habitats.
The constant infighting annoyed me (why can't they work together), but again this seems to be part of the human condition.
Shame nothing is mentioned about the agent, but as some said in the end, what is the purpose. Humanity survives.

2nd review. Glad I persisted

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Inpressive in its scale, and for its adherance to physics but just a bit bland compared to Stephenson's other books.

Totally subjective but I found the contrivances of the plot highly unbelievable. The Earth exploding, fine. Some of the swings in the plot, and character motivations, immersion ruining.

Also the writing and narration style were kinda bland and monotone.

On the upside, you get a lot of book for one credit...

Cost effective but kinda average

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Really enjoyable read - left me wanting more. Great attention to detail both tech and people. A great start to a series of books?

Rich, intricately crafted odyssey

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