random incoherence and infantile meanderings

I have been quite busy with multiple projects for quite a while now, and my craving for good stories has been growing. I finally broke down and bought this book three days ago, based solely on the ‘Recluse’ series by the same author. I read the first paragraph in the parking lot after the purchase, and my first thoughts were that it was classic Modesitt and that it was… well, it was much less than grabbing. (It was heavy?)

I didn’t read much the first day, a few paragraphs during break times at work, a little in the car again before leaving for home. But once I got home, I just got caught up in the story, totally loosing track of time, until I found myself straining to re-read for a paragraph the third time. I looked up to see that I only had two hours of “sleep time” left. So I ended up finishing the book after work, again sitting in the car. Lovely, lovely.

I am attracted towards books that are written in a manner that compliments my intelligence. This is most definitely one of them. Like many of Stephen R. Donaldson’s books, I had no idea what many of the words meant and only wished more for that implanted neuro bio-mech wireless Internet device, which I would use to look up the words from work. The science is mostly what I would describe as “soft”, since that is not the actual point of the book.

The point? A variety of philosophical questions, many of which center around truth and or honesty. Having slammed my way through so quickly, I cannot give a definitive analysis on the logical interplay of theories and solutions used, but I can say that I didn’t notice anything glaring.

The characters … again, Donaldson comes to mind. If you don’t like your heroes to be melancholic, perhaps consider skipping this one. While Tyndel, the main character, doesn’t stay that way for the entire book, he wallows in his deserved self-pity and depression throughout a good portion of Gravity Dreams. The storyline is as much concerned with Tyndel’s relationships with women as it is with what he does after becoming a “demon.” I won’t say more on that line for fear of ruining any surprises…

Recommendations: This book is for, of course, die-hard Modesitt fans. It is also good for those philosophical types who somehow find an over meaning to many things. (Like watching Stargate SG:1 and finding “lessons” within the story.) The slow paced (to me) and realistic romances of the book should also call in readers of romance novels.

On the other hand, some folks are going to run into that first new word and not want anything to do with this book after that, so be warned. My vocabulary is not humongous, but it is decent sized at least, and there were many new words. (Along with what I presume are realistic “made-up” new words.) There is very little in the way of action, so you Mack Bolan fans had best look elsewhere.

Conclusion: Gravity Dreams works very well as a whole. One touch I liked was how the title of the book was tied into the story in so many ways instead of just once, like most books do. The scenes of overspace were “rendered” nicely. The descriptions Dzin are most interesting, and when I do re-read this book, I have a feeling that is going to be where my main concentration will be.