A complex and wonderful space opera coupled with a warning 1

Dan Simmons has managed to construct a very complex story with many characters without ever misplace the drive, and that is one of the great successes of this saga. The book is divided into three parts, one might regret the absence of chapters, but the author has opted for a division into short scenes where lon follows the evolution of each character, giving rhythm to a high-tension narrative. No entries left to chance or the psychology of the various protagonists (with whom we mostly met in Volume 1), nor the writing, which ranges from poetry and descriptions of a hyper sophisticated high-tech environment. This is sometimes cryptic, sometimes sharp, and yet we still continually captivated by this space opera that ends up dizzy and inspire lémerveillement.

The parallels with our world limited to our small blue planet is obvious, and include many current earthly concerns in the narrative, even if human civilization has managed to leave his birthplace and spread into the galaxy. LHomme na lost none of his arrogance but the prospect of its complete disappearance in a death struggle with the artificial intelligences that he himself has created will lobliger a radical challenge.

To which the author invites us is not a return to the age of stone, and no more denial to new technologies. Rather, it implicitly advises us not to get carried away by them, to consider them as a means and not an end in itself, but especially den keep control risk becoming slaves devoid dempathie, overwhelmed and manipulated by intelligences the elusive artificial designs.

DAfter me, this saga nen no doubt remain a key milestone of science fiction literature.