An exhilarating book, very surprising in its scenario and its inventions. A must read if you like the genre! can be a bit confusing for newcomers. Dan Simmons is a master at building upon the best authors of a kind and we produce very high-level stories. Here the story (or rather the stories) is (are) beautiful (s) but there has in addition to poetry and reflection on the place of man in the universe. It's just a great great time playing.