Orbus (Dont worry - No spoilers)

[TJH]

Just over halfway through the new book, Orbus...

[edit] - First up let me just add how big a fan I am of the Polity universe novels. And that I am really enjoying Orbus!

I have to say that what feels like a new writing style meant that it took me a couple of chapters to really settle in (made worse because I had just re-read The Skinner + The voyage of the Sable Keech). Orbus is written very much in what feels like a different tense to the other books.

This said, once you are used to it, it actually conjures up a different kind of imagery compared to the other books which is good since it adds something a bit different to the experience.

The content is still certainly Neal Asher, and once I got used to the differences in style (it didnt take long) Orbus quickly moved towards being very very good. Although I havnt finished it yet, from where I am at the minute it certainly has the potential to be one of the best yet!

Has anyone else who has picked up the book noticed any difference in the writing style (it could just be me!)?
Any other opinions on the book?


Keep up the good work Neal, I am still not done with the Polity!

 

[Rodders]

I've not read any of these, but i have seen them often in the bookshops (great covers) and seen many reveiws all of which have been positive. I think i'll have to check these out.

 

[TJH]

I've not read any of these, but i have seen them often in the bookshops (great covers) and seen many reveiws all of which have been positive. I think i'll have to check these out.

I would recommend starting with one of the standalone

"A Novel of the Polity" Books (Hilldiggers or prador moon)

or alternatively

"Gridlinked" or "The Shadow of the Scorpion"

which will lead you into the awesome Cormac series

 

[Patrick Mahon]

TJH - thanks for reminding me that Orbus is out now. Will have to go out and get it.

Neal - if you're around - are you doing any signings around the launch of Orbus?

 

[TJH]

Hahem...

Orbus is actually immense!

As is Sniper!



Most enjoyable book for me since I got to the end of Polity Agent and had to run to buy Line War

 

[Neal Asher]

Thanks TJH, glad you enjoyed it.

 

[leebaldock]

For some reason I am finding this book extremely difficult to get into.

Have absolutely loved every single other Neal Asher novel and bought them all.

However I just can't get over the style. It's harder for me to get into than Feersum Endjinn by Iain M. Banks which was hard to read but atleast I understood straight away was an "affectation" for the story. This use of first person present tense - actually I have no idea what it is - it's just "wrong... like "says" instead of "said", "discovers" instead of "discovered" are tiny examples that don't do it justice.

It's like an illiterate fan has written their own Polity novel and had it published under Neal Asher's name.

Please tell me this is deliberate?

If so is there a narrative reason for it? If so...cool.

If not? Why why why?

Truly have LOVED and been inspired and awestruck by every other book. Fanbloodytastic. But the writing style on Orbus...it's killing me.

In the words of an Aussie Politician. Please explain.

 

[Neal Asher]

leebaldock, this is one that seems to have divided opinion. To some it's my best yet, and others have the same opinion as you. It's the use of the present tense, to make it more immediate, that must be 'killing you' (no first-person narrative in there). It is not wrong or illiterate, just alien to you.

Take a look here: http://www.walkerofworlds.com/2009/08/review-orbus-by-neal-asher-tor-uk.html

 

[Patrick Mahon]

Just finished reading Orbus, and thought it was brilliant - almost certainly the best thing of Neal's that I've read to date. Great characters, a wonderfully convoluted plot, and the backstory of the Prador King turns the evil giant crabs into aliens you can almost admire! Very, very enjoyable - and it being written in the present tense didn't bother me in the slightest!

Thanks Neal!

 

[Neal Asher]

Glad you liked it Patrick!

 

[Rodders]

I have just finished this and it is quite superb. Sniper's back (Yay), Orbus is redeemed and who'd have thought that i'd be rooting for a Prador. A very enjoyable read.

I fully intend to go back and read the rest of Neal's books and i quite fancy the Gabble (Isn't that the one with the short stories?) Any other recommendations?

 

[Vertigo]

There are two short story books from Neal (that I know of). The Gabble and Other Stories which is excellent (says a short story philistine) and provides loads of background info on the Polity Universe. There's also The Engineer Reconditioned; short stories again. I've not read that one but I think it might also have some Polity stories in it, I believe it is a reworked collection of some of Neal's earlier works.

Apart from that I'm still working my way methodically through all his Polity books, all of which I have enjoyed so far. Outside of Polity there is The Cowl of which I have heard good things but I haven't read it yet.

 

[Bugg]

I thought 'Orbus' was tremendous fun, probably my favourite of the series so far, alongside 'Prador Moon'. The smaller cast made it more focused than 'The Voyage of the Sable Keech', I thought. The present tense worked for me. I've tried to write a story that way myself and it's more difficult than it seems - or, at least, I found it was The only bit that didn't quite work for me was the very last section in italics, but I won't go into spoiler territory

That's three of Neal's books I've read on the trot - something I rarely do - so time for something completely different before I think about starting the Cormac series

 

[clovis-man]

Well, okay. I've had a copy of Orbus on hand since I was halfway into The Voyage of the Sable Keech. Now I have to bump it up on my reading list order. Thanks for the prompting, folks.

 

[clovis-man]

Can't believe there have been no comments for so long.

Finished Orbus yesterday and have to say it was a satisfying conclusion to the trilogy. Certainly a much different scenario than the previous two, but full of interesting situations and cliff-hanger moments. Plenty of involvement for my favorite Asher character, Sniper.

More of a real space opera than other Asher things I have read, but more enjoyable for me as a result. I guess it'll be on to the Polity stories for me next.

 

[Neal Asher]

Plenty of them to read, clovis-man.

 

[clovis-man]

Plenty of them to read, clovis-man.

And I'm going to start with Gridlinked. I also nominated it for a group read on the Goodreads.com Chrons group. I'm optimistic it will win (voting ends on 10-31). Once we start a discussion, it would be nice to see the author chime in if he were to so desire.

 

[Rodders]

I'll vote for that. It'll be nice to go back to the Polity again.

 

[Vertigo]

I finished Orbus a little while ago but was not posting at that time due to pressure of life. Like others I had some difficulty with the use of the present tense. It did make it more immediate but I also felt it to be more awkward especially when dipping inot tense like 'has been' instead of 'had been' (sorry don't know the correct tense names ). I did get used to it but I never got completely comfortable with it.

All that said, the story, action and characters were all brilliant (possibly the best so far) so I did still thoroughly enjoy it.