Eon is one of those rare novels that set a hugely ambitious goal and fully achieve it.
While occasionally suffering from clunky sentence structure or moments of bland writing, Eon is a thrilling, conceptually dense science-fiction novel, packing dozens of unique characters, an complex plot, highly original speculative elements, and a well-thought-out setting into a single full-length novel.
While the initial chapters invite comparisons to Arthur C. Clarke's Rama series, the subsequent narrative and setting draw closer comparisons to Larry Niven's Ringworld, but Eon sets even higher goals than Niven's novel and achieves its goals better. Bear's Transhumanists and floating cities are, frankly, more believable than Niven's mutant hominids and floating castles, and as enjoyable to read about.
Eon: a Massive Success
Eon is one of those rare novels that set a hugely ambitious goal and fully achieve it.
While occasionally suffering from clunky sentence structure or moments of bland writing, Eon is a thrilling, conceptually dense science-fiction novel, packing dozens of unique characters, an complex plot, highly original speculative elements, and a well-thought-out setting into a single full-length novel.
While the initial chapters invite comparisons to Arthur C. Clarke's Rama series, the subsequent narrative and setting draw closer comparisons to Larry Niven's Ringworld, but Eon sets even higher goals than Niven's novel and achieves its goals better. Bear's Transhumanists and floating cities are, frankly, more believable than Niven's mutant hominids and floating castles, and as enjoyable to read about.
Rating: 8/10