Book Review: “Eversion” by Alastair Reynolds

Eversion by Alastair Reynolds

A new story from perennial favorite Alastair Reynolds has a lot of what we expect.  Space ships!  AIs!  A weird planet!  First contact!  A mystery!  And topology (see title).

The story is told from the point of view of the doctor on a probe to the interior of Europa. 

I have to say that this is not what I imagine the exploration of Europa will be like. But, who knows?

From the beginning, we can tell that something is grievously wrong.  And soon enough we realize that the doctor is probably an AI, because “he” keeps dying and respawning.  (Also, he is known as “Dr. Coade” and his sidekick is “Ada”.  Get it?)

Like respawning in a video game, it’s kind of a groundhog day thing.  Over and over.

Underlying this AI psychosis is a traumatic first contact that has endangered the expedition and, by the way, strikes me as a threat to the whole solar system.  If Silas (the AI) can get a grip, he must then extract his crew, recontact the orbiter, and report to Earth what they have learned about the alien. 

And then what will happen?

The story isn’t over by a long shot.

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1. Alastair Reynolds, Eversion, New York, Orbit, 2022.

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