The Collapsing Empire by John Scalzi


Sometimes I feel the inescapable need for some Science Fiction with star ships, other planets--the whole bit.  Luckily, The Collapsing Empire, by John Scalzi scratched that particular itch, though it presented me with a different problem: It ended way too soon.  The Collapsing Empire is the beginning of a smart, new series and an introduction to a massive new universe.

In the future, humanity has spread out among the stars with Earth long forgotten.  We've achieved faster than light travel through The Flow, a field that can transport ships through space to different parts of the universe.  What holds humanity together is the Interdependency, an empire built around trade and, well, interdependence.  The book follows three point of view characters-- a scientist who studies The Flow, a merchant on a starship and the new Empress of the Interdependency.  Each of them becomes aware of changes with The Flow, and they each know that these changes are trouble and threaten the Interdependency and life itself.

To me, The Collapsing Empire felt like a modern Dune with it's sprawling universe and political machinations.  It also reminded me of Game of Thrones because of its multiple point of view characters.  The author, John Scalzi, is very...I don't know, SCALZI-ish?  He's definitely an author where you're either going to like him and his style or you're going to go somewhere else for your spaceship fix.  I loved the book and am eagerly awaiting the next installment.

Recent News

Add new comment