Editorial Reviews
Publishers Weekly
11/16/2015
In Cobley’s overcrowded fourth Humanity’s Fire space opera installment (after The Ascendant Stars), a deal gone sour draws smuggler captain Brannan Pyke and his raucous crew into a rebellion against the Gun-Lords of Shuskar. The grotesque, despotic Gun-Lords rule an “exotic mega structure” once known as the Great Harbour of Benevolent Harmony and now called the Warcage, where the populations of stolen planets are pitted against one another in eternal conflict. Also involved are an alien military leader guided by the spirits of his ancestors and a human officer who is pulled from a dead-end job by a sentient combat drone working for an enigmatic machine intelligence. Cobley’s space opera is plainly influenced by the works of Joss Whedon and the late Iain M. Banks, but he lacks their finesse. This uneven agglutination of ideas and underdeveloped characters has at least one major plot thread too many. Agent: John Berlyne, Zeno Agency. (Jan.)
From the Publisher
"Proper galaxy-spanning Space Opera ... a worthy addition to the genre."—Iain M. Banks on Seeds of Earth"The invention is endless."—SFX on Seeds of Earth"
A well-constructed space opera...a thick and satisfying 10-course meal of starchy pageantry, meaty characters, bitter losses, and sweet romance."—Publishers Weekly on Seeds of Earth"
Seeds of Earth has everything: well-realised extraterrestrials, scheming artificial intelligences, set-piece space battles and bizarre technology from the dawn of the galaxy."—The Guardian (UK) on Seeds of Earth"
Space opera has never been in more capable hands."—The Guardian (UK) on The Orphaned Worlds"
Michael Cobley has added a fine piece of work to a grand tradition."—SF Crow's Nest on The Ascendant Stars
Iain M. Banks on Seeds of Earth
"Proper galaxy-spanning Space Opera ... a worthy addition to the genre."
SFX on Seeds of Earth
"The invention is endless."
The Guardian (UK) on Seeds of Earth
"Seeds of Earth has everything: well-realised extraterrestrials, scheming artificial intelligences, set-piece space battles and bizarre technology from the dawn of the galaxy."
The Guardian (UK) on The Orphaned Worlds
"Space opera has never been in more capable hands."
SF Crow's Nest on The Ascendant Stars
"Michael Cobley has added a fine piece of work to a grand tradition."
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