The Prefect, by Alastair Reynolds, is an exciting space opera, with a detective twist. I highly recommend it to anyone wanting an entertaining sci fi read.
I listened to the book, like I usually do. John Lee is the narrator, and is well-known among the audiobook crowd. Personally, he isn't my favorite narrator, but I've grown used to him because he reads so many books I like. Stevan Pacey, or George Guidall would have been a better choice in my opinion, but no one listens to me.
Thomas Dreyfus is a middle-aged Prefect--a highly skilled lawman, in service to the Glitter Band. The Glitter Band is made up of ten-thousand habitats that orbit a planet called Yellowstone. The society that has created this empire is unusual... at least I've never seen their like in sci fi before. They are a democracy in the strictest sense. Each citizen is guaranteed a vote. Groups of citizens get together and vote for different types of government within their own habitats. One habitat might be a monarchy, the other a totalitarian dictatorship. All that matter to the prefects is that everyone is given a vote. This way of governing proves to be a problem once things start happening... prefects need guns, and the citizens vote no.
Dreyfus is tasked with investigating a mass murder--a habitat that was blown to bits. As the case unfolds, he discovers that the entire Glitter Band society is in serious jeopardy, from a nearly immortal enemy.
The Prefect is an exciting thriller, with plenty of twists and intricacy, similar to novels written by Tom Clancy. Alistair Reynolds is an author I intend to read more of. The Prefect gets 4 out of 5 stars.
No comments:
Post a Comment