Pushing Ice - by Reynolds (Paperback)

About the Book

The year is 2057. Humanity has raised exploiting the solar system to an art form and Bella Lind and the crew of her nuclear-powered ship, the Rockhopper, are the best at what they do: pushing ice. Near the end of their current mission cycle, startling news arrives from Saturn: Janus, one of Saturn's ice moons, has inexplicably left its natural orbit and is now heading out of the solar system at high speed. Bella Lind and the Rockhopper have been assigned to follow it. But more rurprises are in store, and not all of them are welcome.

Book Synopsis

Pushing Ice is the brilliant tale of extraordinary aliens, glittering technologies, and sweeping space opera from award-winning science fiction author Alastair Reynolds.
2057. Humanity has raised exploiting the solar system to an art form. Bella Lind and the crew of her nuclear-powered ship, the Rockhopper, push ice. They mine comets. And they're good at it.
The Rockhopper is nearing the end of its current mission cycle, and everyone is desperate for some much-needed R & R, when startling news arrives from Saturn: Janus, one of Saturn's ice moons, has inexplicably left its natural orbit and is now heading out of the solar system at high speed. As layers of camouflage fall away, it becomes clear that Janus was never a moon in the first place. It's some kind of machine -- and it is now headed toward a fuzzily glimpsed artifact 260 light-years away.
The Rockhopper is the only ship anywhere near Janus, and Bella Lind is ordered to shadow it for the few vital days before it falls forever out of reach. In accepting this mission, she sets her ship and her crew on a collision course with destiny -- for Janus has more surprises in store, and not all of them are welcome.

Review Quotes

"A believable and interesting cast of characters, and the political intrigue both on board the Rockhopper and among the various forms of alien intelligence they eventually meet will keep readers guessing."--The Rocky Mountain News on Pushing Ice

"A fantastic tale of survival and adaptation to strange surroundings. Wow!"--The Weekly Press on Pushing Ice

"Spectacular . . . [Reynolds] has a genius for big-concept SF and fans of Arthur C. Clarke's Rendezvous with Rama and Larry Niven's Ringworld will love this novel."--Publishers Weekly on Pushing Ice

"Where this transcends the average ho-hum space opera is the über-text that contemplates the incomprehensible immensity of the universe and the relative insignificant presence-yet nevertheless unique fact-of human existence . . . entertaining and . . . hopeful."--SF Site on Pushing Ice

About the Author

Alastair Reynolds was born in Barry, South Wales, in 1966. He studied at Newcastle and St. Andrews Universities and has a Ph.D. in astronomy. He stopped working as an astrophysicist for the European Space Agency to become a full-time writer. Revelation Space and Pushing Ice were shortlisted for the Arthur C. Clarke Award; Revelation Space, Absolution Gap, Diamond Dogs, and Century Rain were shortlisted for the British Science Fiction Award, and Chasm City won the British Science Fiction Award.