Abbadon's Gate - La fuga , James S.A. Corey

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Seguito di Caliban, terzo episodio della saga scifi dei due autori (sotto pseudonimo) da cui è stata tratta la serie tv The Expase che ha così battezzato anche la serie dei libri.
Serie moderna, fresca e completa, ottimamente narrata con sfumature di hard scifi, avventura, mistery e distopia (o utopia dipende dai punti di vista) che ha rimandi ad una atmosfera tra Balderunner e Startrek, tra la saga YA e la serie scifi adulto.
Il portale è aperto, cosa vi è oltre? Terra, Marte e Ape vogliono saperlo e ottenerne il controllo. E anche l'equipaggio della Roci va a buttarci un occhio...

This series just keeps getting better. The hype lines they publish with these books are pretty accurate. Things like, "the closest you'll get to an action sci-fi Hollywood blockbuster in book form" and "Interplanetary adventure the way it ought to be written" are not hyperbole (I wasn't looking at the quotes so they may not be exactly right, but that's the gist. I highly recommend the series (this is book 3 of I think 9 so far) to anyone remotely interested in sci-fi. Great stuff. Gotta go start the next one now. ( )

Series OCD: sometimes I has it, sometimes I don’t. Despite the success of the first book, Leviathan Wakes (my review), after the disappointing Caliban’s War (my review), I was all set to walk away from Corey and The Expanse series until friends suggested the final book was a capstone worth reading. I’d agree with that assessment; after the recycled plot in Caliban’s War disappointed, Abaddon’s Gate pulls itself together with an exploration of galactic human politics after the protomolecule has built a giant mystery Ring of material outside Uranus (cue Beavis and Butthead jokes).

Abaddon’s Gate opens per the series norm, with a third person point of view that will soon be abandoned for a four-part narrative. The prologue is a daredevil teen attempting to shoot the Ring in a small spacecraft, speaking in his regional cant and musing on the Ring. Shortly after, narrative switches to Jim Holden, one of the main characters in the last two books. He’s with the crew of the Roci, enjoying a shore leave after their latest contract. When Holden takes a moment, the ghost of Miller appears, cryptically saying, “It happened.” Naomi is the only one who knows Holden is being haunted, and Holden is afraid that if people find out, he’ll be an even bigger laughingstock than he is already. Narrative switches from Holden to Bull, a new voice in the series. Bull is an officer with the OPA, the Belter government, but since he was originally of Earth, racism keeps him from playing a leading role in the military. Bull is assigned as Security Chief to a former colony vessel, commandeered by OPA for the Ring flight. Narrative changes again to Melba, formerly known as Clarissa, assuming a secret identity in her quest for revenge. Last point of view is Anna, a pastor with a wife and young child who takes a position as part of the UN Secretary-General’s advisory group flying out to the Ring. There’s an uneasy detente at the Ring, with Mars, the Belters and Earth all maintaining a military presence. When the teen shoots the Ring, the Ring reacts, and tensions ratchet up. Holden has no intention of going anywhere near Miller and the Ring, until events force him that direction.

Plot takes some time to build, but proves worthwhile if the reader has patience the political and philosophical issues are established. Part of the background is quickly covered; the authors clearly assume the reader has read the prior books. A great deal of the interpersonal conflict is based on racism that exists between Earthers, Martians and Belters; people are easily stereotyped because of physiological changes that occur with the human form depending on the environment. Those conflicts are fanned by political maneuvering seeking to exploit the resources of the Ring, as well as the resource of OPA’s giant colony ship commandeered from the Mormons by the OPA government. Holden and his antagonist put a personal face on the conflict, and Anna puts a face on the philosophical issues. All in all, it feels exceptionally crafted in a way to appeal to a majority of readers. The revenge plot was initially intriguing, but became disappointing as the deux ex machina started to escalate. It’s also a plot that I have the most trouble believing, and this case was no different. Excessively convoluted, it lacked the flair or joie de la vie one sees in Scott Lynch’s Gentleman Bastard series or in an Oceans Eleven set-up.

Characterization was acceptable and consistent. The naif Pastor Anna was a little bit of an eye-roller with her “every one can be saved” sentiment. Bull was entertaining, not so much in character, but because his determination to follow the letter of the rules but not the spirit gave interesting insights into the military set-up. What stood out was the cohesiveness of the Roci crew. Their teamwork and acceptance was enjoyable, from joking around a bar to brainstorming solutions to their latest debacle. Holden has decided to abandon his responsibility for the world and focus only on his crew and Naomi, which results in needing to re-learn a lesson from the last book; thankfully, that sub-plot was short-lived. Melba was somewhat of a weak point; her personality felt insecure and whiney instead of truly obsessive.

[Spoiler stuff]

Melba’s personality breakdown near the climax was unsatisfactory, partly because there was so little build-up of a rigid and obsessive personality. Then, in a high-crisis situation, her viewpoint is dropped as she becomes a pivot point for everyone else. While it seemed awkward, it was redeemed at the very end of the book. I found the end scene on the Roci particularly fascinating and provoking. Some might feel it leaves a loose end or two, but I rather like it.



Strangely, for all the focus on the McGuffin Ring, there’s very little focus on the science, mechanics and impact of the Ring. It remains a philosophical point. At the finale, I felt like the book turned into an Aesop’s fable, action scenes notwithstanding. However, Miller’s provides an excellent summation with his pronouncement, “I keep warning you. Doors and corners, kid. That’s where they get you. Humans are too fucking stupid to listen. Well, you’ll learn your lessons soon enough, and it’s not my job to nursemaid the species through the next steps.”

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Full review at:
http://clsiewert.wordpress.com/2014/05/16/abaddons-gate-by-james-corey/ ( )

10/10
Wow! Quite a ride!
This is why I read SF. Thought-provoking themes, interesting & fully-formed characters, pulse-pounding action. People pushed to their limits, in impossible situations, and learning about themselves, their relationships with others, their beliefs.
Can’t wait, both for the TV series to catch up and to keep reading the books! ( )

Incredible. Of the first three, this was my favorite. It takes the best parts of the first two books (politics, action, and some weird sci-fi stuff) and creates a really compelling story. This is one of those books that had me biting my nails until the very end and almost skipping paragraphs to race to the end and find out what would happen. The newly added characters were really good rather than an annoying side story to Holden and the Rocinante crew, which was a pleasant surprise. I don't think the second book accomplished that as well and the authors seemed to have figured it out here in a more fluid way.

I was feeling a little drained after the second book and was going to take a break from the series, but this renewed my interest. Excited to find out what happens next and to see these characters continue to develop.

As a side note, I think the way Mormons were handled in this was very tasteful and not at all derogatory (something that I think books get wrong often, not necessarily out of ill will but out of ignorance). I read that the authors both have Mormon friends and it was nice to read their futuristic take on my religion. ( )