Terminal World

I do not understand the motivation that produced this book.

Reynolds is apparently known for hard sci-fi, but the premise of this book is so wild that I cannot assign this book to that genre, and its treatment of that premise seems scientifically dodgy. We're in a bleak world that's falling apart on the physical, technological, and social levels. As the story progresses, we trend ever downward. There seems to be no message and no aspiration here, unless you count "the world is shit and we don't have a choice except to live with it."

No character draws investment, because Quillon is missing most of his memories and has precious little depth, and the other characters are all traumatized and closed-off beyond our ability to ever know them. The book might have been setting up a sequel, but the author has stated a lack of intent to produce one.

It feels as if there's nothing in this beyond the author having an half-baked idea for a setting, and convincing a publisher to help him stretch it to the point of structural disintegration.