Alien Clay

Adrian Tchaikovsky's return to SF after the excellent Final Architecture series is a distinct change of scale. It's set entirely (well, 99.9%) on one planet instead of a vast cosmic canvas, but it also lacks that series' pace and discipline. The story meanders and is just a little bit too baggy - it feels like a novella that has burst its banks. On the plus side, the world feels convincingly alien, the xenobiology that is the main focus of the book is never less than interesting and the chief villain has some sides to his character that lift him out of stock baddy territory. It's a decent read on its own terms, but it's definitely mid-tier Tchaikovsky that doesn't reach the heights of Children Of Time or the Final Architecture.

arton daghev im sorry for thinking you were named anton for most of the book.

both more philosophical and more tangible (to me) than the spider book (n??e children of time). the narration felt so vibrant and urgent and alive. though honestly, the whole thing felt urgent and a lot more present than we maybe would like to believe. i think part of the cleverness actually lies in the way tchaikovsky never goes into detail about the mandate, and instead elects to tell us about the effects it has on the people opposing it. and how opposing it affects them. clever and apt and really empathetic.

* Weird biology, horror elements

* Too much ""what if fascism?"

* Too much hiding things from the reader

* Very slow going, ending a bit obvious