Ian McDonald’s brilliant Mars book, DESOLATION ROAD, finally back in print

6 Comments / Boing Boing, Cory Doctorow, Desolation Road, Ian McDonald, Reviews / By

Wonderful praise from Cory Doctorow over at Boing Boing for Ian McDonald’s Desolation Road. Doctorow calls it “one of my most personally influential novel” and compares the book to Kim Stanley Robinson’s famous Mars trilogy, adding, “the two are very good companions, in that McDonald captures almost everything Robinson got (in a third of the number of pages), and adds the poetry and spirituality of Mars in the bargain.”

He goes on to say that Desolation Road, “pays homage to David Byrne’s Catherine Wheel, to Ray Bradbury’s entire canon and to Jack Vance, blending all these disparate creators in a way that surprises, delights, then surprises and delights again. Spanning centuries, the book includes transcendent math, alternate realities, corporate dystopias, travelling carnivals, post-singularity godlike AIs, geoengineering, and mechanical hobos, each integral to the plot.”

Yup.

6 thoughts on “Ian McDonald’s brilliant Mars book, DESOLATION ROAD, finally back in print”

  5. ces

    Thanks to Boing!Boing!, & Lou, I discovered there's a sequel to Desolation Road – Ares Express. I just ordered the paperback version from amazon.com (hardback is listed "unavailable"). Of course, it's the small (mass) paperback version.

    Maybe Pyr would consider publishing it? With new artwork? And the trade paperback size?

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