(Drivebycuriosity) - Alastair Reynolds belongs to my favorite science fiction authors. His novels and short stories show what contemporary scifi can offer. Reynolds has a PhD in physics and started his career as research astronomer for the European Space Research and Technology Centre (part of the European Space Agency) until 2004 when he left to pursue writing full-time. And he also has a lot of fantasy and excellent writing skills.
Reynold`s novel "Inhibitor Phase" is his latest space opera (amazon). Humanity is struggling for survival. An alien machine civilization is attacking and destroying human habitats wherever they are. The alien war machines are ubiquitous, based on a superior technology, and they attack coordinatedly like a hive mind (the idea that superior civilizations aim to destroy all organic life in the universe appears also in other Reynold novels and is part of Xixin Liu´s "Remembrance of Earth" trilogy - known are the dark forest hypothesis).
"Inhibitor Phase" has a lot of fascinating ideas. I enjoy the description of an intelligent spaceship, that serves the protagonists like a perfect dog, but also works like a 5-star hotel, and there are many fancy & smart weapons. Reynolds describes a lot action and spices the tale with some horror.
But I have problems with the plot. Some of the leading characters remind me of the funny Dr. Dolittle books I read in my childhood. Maybe Reynold tried to be humorous and to entertain young adults. He can do better - as he proved with his his novels "Pushing Ice" (my review), "Revelation Space ( review) & "Permafrost" (review ).
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