Read any good scifi lately? If you haven't, then I highly recommend "Chasm City" by Alistair Reynolds. Reynolds, who has a day job as an astrophysicist, is a British author writing in the 'new space opera' genre. In case you were wondering space opera is a scifi genre that emphasizes high adventure, interstellar travel, and space battles, where the main storyline is centered around interstellar conflict and character drama. New space opera combines the interstellar scale and grandeur of traditional space opera with elements of hard science fiction. New space opera is therefore scientifically rigorous while ambitious in scope. (Thanks Wikipedia!) Reynolds has set the standard that all new space opera will probably be measured by. His portrayal of science, technology, and the nature of space is all scientifically accurate-either it's possible, or at least theoretically possible. The laws of physics still apply. We can get close to the speed of light, but not past it (curse that E=mc2!). Whole cultures have arisen that live their lives in space aboard their massive 'light hugger' starships, providing the travel means necessary for those who need to cross the years wide distances between the stars (don't mess with the Ultras though, they are bad muthas). Thanks to advances in nanotechnology and biotechnology, most disease and aging has been eradicated (it can be quite spendy however)so people can make the long journeys, or live to see others leave and return. Or if they prefer, they can travel in frozen, deep sleeping comfort-helps cut down on the boredom.

Onward. "Chasm City" in a nutshell: Tanner Mirabel is a ruthless mercenary, but an honorable one-if you don't need killing, he won't kill you. He'll also take time out to help the opressed i.e. when he teaches Sister Amelia (a member of a religious order that helps space travelers in distress-hey, it can be real rough out there) to beat the almighty crap out of fellow monk who is giving her undesired attention. Tanner is on the trail of one Argent Reivich, a man he has given his word that he will kill to revenge the wrong Reivich has wrought on one Cahuella, Tanner's employer and a very bad dude himself. And when Tanner gives his word, he carries it out with a tenaciousness that a bulldog could only dream of. He crosses years and interstellar space in puruit of Reveich, even risking travel with the very creepy Ultras. But...is Tanner Mirabel really who he believes himself to be...or is he actually Cahuella himself, who extracted Tanner's memories and took his identity after feeding him to a giant snake like thing and removing his undigested body in punishment for a tragic failure, using his memories and ID to escape off planet...or is he Tanner Mirabel who is actually Cahuella who is actually Sky Haussmann, a 'post mortal' human wanted for war crimes and other criminal acts? The plot thickens and thins and twists and turns as Tanner pursues his quarry in the title city, a once shining monument to mankinds' technological and cultural achievement, now a bizarre, nightmarish place due to the effects of the 'melding plague,' a virulent nanotechnological virus that attacks both flesh and blood and machine.

"Chasm City" takes place in the same universe as Reynold's "Revelation Space" trilogy (Revelation Space, Redemption Ark, and Absolution Gap-I cannot say enough about these stories, hands down the best scifi trilogy I have ever read), and follows a pattern I have noticed in his other books. He takes two-and more in the trilogy's case-very different and diverging plot lines and slowly works them closer and closer together to where they finally meet, or a more apt description is collide, in the story's climax. "Chasm City" is a very complex story but very well worth the effort to read.