A return to the Revelation Space universe is always good news for Alastair Reynolds fans. It's a rich universe that always has potential, not least in the existence of the terrifying entities called the Inhibitors, also known as wolves. As pretty much invincible AI technology whose only purpose is to eradicate the human race from every corner of the universe where they can find it, this is almost guarantees a thrilling adventure in every encounter. In Inhibitor Phase, it's more of an undercurrent of threat than an encounter, with humanity now down to a few remote outposts, trying to keep themselves hidden, fearful of what might happen should the wolves be alerted to their presence.

That's the case for the small outpost of five thousand souls on Sun Hollow, who since they have no contact with anyone else, might as well be - and could even be - the last remnant of humanity in the universe. So when a ship approaches and risks alerting the wolves, they have no option to destroy it. Miguel de Ruyter volunteers for this dangerous and perhaps one-way mission, but one person somehow manages to survive the destruction of the ship in a sleeper casket. Despite his better judgment and concerns of other inhabitants of Sun Hollow, de Ruyter brings her back. And indeed it does transpire that he has brought trouble back, since the person in the casket is not who she claims she is. But then it turns out that neither is Miguel.

Without giving any more details of their identities, the two set off on an incredibly hazardous mission, neither trusting the other, working with equally dangerous and untrustworthy Conjoiners - technologically enhanced and interconnected humans - to the destroyed habitat ring of Yellowstone to retrieve some objects that might help them wipe out the scourge of wolves. That's evidently not going to be as simple as it sounds and it's only the first stage on a journey with many more unknown hazards to face. Several old names and places pop up here; Chasm City, the Rust Belt, Jugglers and John the Revelator, the 800 year old captain fused with his ship.

Although working in familiar territory, Reynolds is indeed as creative as usual in the types of hazards that occur and the means that are employed to overcome them. It's not exactly a thrill a minute, it's a bit drawn out in some places and it might not be the author's best entry in the series, but Inhibitor Phase definitely falls on the better side of Reynolds' work. It's more of a space opera quest with convenient - or maybe not so convenient really - 'juggling' tricks and devices used to resolve matters, and there's not really any deep consideration of humans, science and technology, but Reynolds feels at home here in Revelation Space with strong characters that take us to a suitable conclusion.

A worthy addition to Reynolds' Revelation Space universe. It can be read as a standalone but readers with prior knowledge of the world will, probably, enjoy it more than newcomers.

Al Reynolds is a titan of the space opera genre. His books are well-regarded and loved, yet I haven't had a chance to read him before. So, I dived into Inhibitor Phase with high expectations.

This novel is an entry into the Revelation Space universe, which already has an impressive 17 entries between novels, novella, and short stories. In the introduction, Reynolds explains that new readers need not feel deterred as the book can be read as standalone. There is an optional and brief description of the universe and some major events at the outset, which I found gives useful context.

The story opens in strong fashion, with Miguel de Ruyter, a leader of a relatively small human community hiding from the xenocidal 'wolves', dealing with a crisis. The first 15% or so of the book moves swiftly, setting good momentum and tension to keep the reader on the edge of their seat.

Then begins the book's 'main story' as our protagonists set out to find a MacGuffin. What follows is a series of loosely-jointed fetch quests, that offer little character development, tension, or emotional heft.

It doesn't help that the main character, Miguel, is incredibly annoying. He is alternately vindictive, needy, sarcastic, naive, impulsive, and irrational. He appears to switch between complete mistrust and blind subservience in the blink of an eye. Other characters, with the exception of Glass, are hardly any more endearing.

I found most of the dialogue, especially in the middle part of the book, to be surprisingly poor. Some exchanges were so cringeworthy that it became uncomfortable to continue reading. I almost gave up several times, but kept going as I really wanted to like this.

Despite all the above, the world-building is first class. This is a universe that's been meticulously crafted, and positively abounds with ideological diversity and imaginative dexterity.

Regrettably, this was ultimately not my cup of tea.

'All civilisations move to an accommodation of their past atrocities.'

It is incredible to think that Revelation Space was published originally in 2000. Setting a new benchmark in noir space opera, it was shortlisted for the BSFA and Arthur C. Clarke Awards. The subsequent trilogy also got a mention in Damien Broderick’s Science Fiction: The 101 Best Novels 1985-2010.

If, like me, you have been reading Alastair Reynolds since then, you will appreciate what an incredible journey it has been, from Revelation Space to Poseidon Children’s to Prefect Dreyfus and Revenger (which I have yet to read), not to mention singular novels like Century Rain, House of Suns and Terminal World. Reynolds also collaborated with Stephen Baxter on the superlative The Medusa Chronicles (2016), an extrapolation of a 1971 Clarke novella that for me is still one the finest New Space Operas written to date.

Hence it was with a bit of trepidation that I first read about Reynolds’ return to the Revelation Space universe with Inhibitor Phase. Being decades since the titular novel and Chasm City (2001), Redemption Ark (2002) and Absolution Gap (2003), my grasp of the details was understandably a bit fuzzy.

Reynolds does include a detailed timeline right at the end, but advises readers not to dip into this before the novel itself, as the supplementary material contains spoilers. What the heck, so I took the plunge and trusted Reynolds to drip-feed me just enough background to keep me going by the seat of my pants.

And boy, does he deliver. The book not only brought back many wonderful memories of those earlier books, but contains quite a few surprises along the way as well. This is probably one of Reynolds’ most tightly written novels to date, despite the sprawling narrative, numerous setpieces and diverse locations. Miraculously, it also concludes within a single volume. Granted, there is room for more, but the ending as it stands is utterly perfect (and one that would make Arthur C. Clarke himself proud.)

Reynolds clearly had huge fun writing this. Writers tend to follow a developmental path, making a splash with one or a series of novels, and thereafter often experimenting or branching out into other directions as their talent and inspiration multiplies. Returning to one’s roots, as it were, can be equally rewarding.

At this point the established author has proven his or her chops and can just let rip. The Reynolds of Inhibitor Phase is not the brash newcomer storming the genre ramparts with his original trilogy. This is the veteran writer who has honed his craft and his audience, taking them expertly on one of his wildest rides ever, in the company of a unique ragtag bunch of characters that the reader comes to know and care for deeply.

Another entry in Reynolds wonderful Revelation Space series, and while it might be enjoyable on its own, one of its big pleasures is catching up with old names from previous volumes. Inhibitor Phase takes place after the other books, when humanity is in hiding across the universe from the 'wolves' a race that are determined to annihilate any civilization that reaches space traveling technology. My advice to starting this series is to read the short story collection Galactic North before any of the novels, this will introduce some of the big concepts in bite sized, less intimidating reads, and then read the novels and the novellas in the internal chronological timeline.
As far as I am concerned, the Revelation Spaces series is the best hard science fiction space opera in existence.

As you might guess from the title, this is a new novel in the Revelation Space universe. It’s set later than any other novel in the series, at a point where the Inhibitors have done most of their work, and what’s left of humanity is just a few scattered and concealed enclaves trying to lie low. It starts off as a standalone, but (very mild spoiler) it wouldn’t be a terrible idea to refresh yourself on the other books before reading.

I really enjoyed this. The usual Reynolds preoccupations of identity and transformation are to the fore, along with the body horror and cosmic awe you’d expect from an RS book, but he’s also kept the breakneck pace of the Revenger series- this one fairly rockets along. Best of all, it opens up a whole new section of the timeline for exploration, so I hope the return to this universe is more than a passing fancy. It’s good to be back.

“Inhibitor Phase” is the latest novel by Alastair Reynolds and is a return to his ongoing Revelation Space universe.
Deep underground on a rocky, desolate planet called Michaelmas, one of the last outposts of mankind struggles to survive whilst staying hidden from the alien Inhibitors, known as “wolves”, who want to eradicate humanity. On a mission to destroy a passing spaceship before it betrays their presence, Miguel de Ruyter encounters a lone survivor who may know more than she’s letting on. The woman, known only as Glass, will lead Miguel on a quest for a weapon which may end the Inhibitor threat.
It’s been a while since I’ve read one of Alastair’s books, but it all came flooding back as I reimmersed myself in the Revelation Space world. Reynolds has created a living, breathing space empire, so even while reading a story about one isolated part, you still get the sense of a much larger universe affecting events; an universe of sentient spaceships and omnipotent life-destroying weapons.
Whilst this is a standalone book, there is a moderate amount of recapping of previous events in the Revelation Space saga, but that’s to be expected as it has to pull centuries of backstory behind it. The preface assures us that whilst this book can be read without prior knowledge of the preceding books (I recommended reading them all anyway, if you haven’t already), it does reference them a little but without major spoilers. The preface includes a short intro to the major events of the Revelation Space universe and a more detailed timeline, glossary and list of prominent characters is provided at the back of the book.
The first part introduces us to the story’s main characters; Miguel de Ruyter, the administrator of the outpost and the survivor, who calls herself Glass, who will have a profound effect on both Miguel and the colony. Both characters are superbly written, and as usual there is a colourful cast of equally well-drawn supporting characters. There is plenty of hard sci-fi technology but Reynolds’ never lets it overwhelm the story. His prose, while dense in places, crackles with energy and import, and his distinctive style will soon have you in its grip. The story is pacy, exciting and often gory and brutal, but there are moments of humour - Reynolds even manages to squeeze in a “Game of Thrones” reference - and the relationship between Miguel and Glass sparkles first with sassiness and eventually grudging acceptance as they learn to work together and even to rely on each other. The story builds to a thrilling ending as we’ve come to expect from Reynolds.
Alastair Reynolds’ books have always been among the hardest of hard sci-fi, but he never loses sight of the human factor, no matter how altered humans become, or how enormous in scope his stories are. And they are big, with “Inhibitor Phase” being no exception; space journeys take decades, characters go into suspended animation or “reefersleep” for extended periods. This is epic sci-fi, but in the end the story hinges on human decisions.
This novel is every bit as good as the earlier books in the Revelation Space saga, and reading it is like slipping on a favourite old jumper. Fans of those books should not hesitate to buy this. Vast, epic yet very human, “Inhibitor Phase” is vintage Alastair Reynolds,

Me happy, happy? No. I think ecstatic would be a better word. Or is there another one more comprehensive to describe the bliss I'm feeling right now?

“I saw alien skies, alien suns, birthing nebulae, the scattered ashes of worlds and stars, vistas of great magnificence and equally great desolation. Time dizzied me. I had thought I understood time, but now my ignorance left me reeling. Time was vaster and colder and lonelier than anything I had ever imagined. There had already been much of it: heavy oceanic layers of time, plunging into deep, still blackness, and my consciousness was just a feeble thing drifting in the highest sunlit layer. A galaxy’s worth of history had already passed into this ocean and been memorialised. All our human adventuring was no more than a scuff on the final page; unwarranted, barely noticed.”

I couldn't agree more with the main character: this is exactly how I feel every time I read something set in this universe. No other SF author describes time and space better than Reynolds. No other makes you choke thinking about the vastness of the universe like he does. Revelation Space is the most wondrous, bleak, frightening, mind-blowing sci-fi universe ever created.

He says in the foreword that this book can be read as a standalone: it does and it doesn’t. Yes, it has a beginning and a closure, a timeline of its own and an independent story. But it also encompasses past and future events and characters from the main trilogy, Chasm City and Galactic North. They are not absolutely necessary to understand this one, but it would be a huge loss not to read them all, because no matter how gripping and mind-blowing are the events, without having in mind the bigger picture, I don’t think one will understand what truly is at stake here, and most certainly will be deprived of the joy discovering all the Easter Eggs.

It has a slow start, but as always, Al Reynolds builds the dread step by step, until it leaves you breathless, keeping the best for the second half of the book. It almost literally blows your mind toward the end.

I don’t think I can say more about it without giving away not-exactly spoilers, but for those who already read the above-mentioned works, it would be best to dive in without any knowledge of what waits ahead – the thrill of discovery would be tenfold not knowing.

That said, I am more than thrilled that I got the chance to read another story in the Revelation Space universe, and I really hope he will write some more.