The Prefect

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More About This Book

Overview

Tom Dreyfus is a Prefect, a law enforcement officer. His current case: investigating a murderous attack against one of the Glitter Band habitats that leaves nine hundred people dead. But then he uncovers an even greater threat-a covert plot by an enigmatic entity seeking nothing less than total control of the Glitter Band.

Editorial Reviews

darkermatter
[The Prefect] would serve as a good introduction to the entire genre for those who have never tried science fiction. Highly recommended.
Fascination Place
An exciting high-tech tale.
More Reviews (4) Fewer Reviews
Locus
Absorbing...A fine provocative portrait of utopia on the brink.
SFFWorld
An entertaining tale.
Publishers Weekly

The seventh novel set in Reynolds's Revelation Space milieu (most recently encountered in his 2007 collection Galactic North) is a fascinating hybrid of space opera, police procedural and character study. One of the 10,000 colony habitats of the utopian Glitter Band has been destroyed, and title character Tom Dreyfus, a cop who patrols the Glitter Band beat, is assigned to learn whodunit and why. Meanwhile, his protégé, Thalia Ng, shepherds a supposedly minor series of software upgrades on several other habitats, while Dreyfus's superiors oust their leader, ostensibly for her own good. Reynolds unfolds revelations layer by onionskin layer, supplying enough detail to imply a novel's worth of unwritten backstory without ever obscuring the stakes and personalities. The high-quality characterization more than compensates for the slightly too shadowy villains. This is solid British SF adventure, evoking echoes of le Carré and Sayers with a liberal dash of Doctor Who. (June)

Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Library Journal

As a prefect working for the Panoply, Tom Dreyfus enforces the law in the utopian society of the Glitter Band, a collection of space habitats that orbit the planet Yellowstone. When an attack on one of the habitats leaves nearly 1000 people dead, Dreyfus uncovers a plot that threatens the freedom of the entire Glitter Band. Reynolds (Redemption Ark; Pushing Ice) returns to the universe of Revelation Space as he demonstrates his powerful ability to blend futuristic suspense/intrigue with personal drama in a tale of one man's search for truth, however unpleasant or demanding it may be. With appeal to fans who enjoy action-packed hard sf, this belongs in most libraries.


—Jackie Cassada

Product Details

  • ISBN-13: 9780441017225
  • Publisher: Penguin Group (USA) Incorporated
  • Publication date: 5/26/2009
  • Format: Mass Market Paperback
  • Edition description: Reprint
  • Pages: 576
  • Sales rank: 320,434
  • Product dimensions: 4.10 (w) x 6.70 (h) x 1.30 (d)

Meet the Author

Alastair Reynolds was born in Barry, South Wales, in 1966. He studied at Newcastle and St. Andrew's Universities and has a Ph.D. in astronomy. A former astrophysicist for the European Space Agency, he lives in the Netherlands, near Leiden. He is now writing full-time.

Customer Reviews

Average Rating 4.5
( 22 )

Rating Distribution

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(15)

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(4)

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(2)

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See All Sort by: Showing 1 – 20 of 22 Customer Reviews

  • Posted December 9, 2008

    more from this reviewer

    excellent whodunit in Outer Space

    Panoply Prefect Tom Dreyfus is a highly regarded law enforcement official whose beat is the Glitter Band habitats that surround Yellowstone planet. His superior Jane Aumonier assigns him to investigate the shocking destruction of Ruskin-Sartorious Bubble habitat that left over nine hundred dead in a mass murder attack. Tom understands the signifcance of the motive is not just to help identify the culprits, but to understand why so as to prevent more assaults on innocent people. ---- At the same time that Tom begins his inquiries into the horrific case, Deputy Field Prefect Thalia Ng works on programming to prevent fraudulent voting following an incident at the House Perigal in which six died. As Tom works his case and Thalia tests her patch, Jane is removed from duty at a time she is considered critical by field prefects. Tom believes an unknown person or group has put together a clever diabolical plot to take control of the entire Glitter Band. ---- The latest Revelation Space thriller is an excellent science fiction police procedural as Dreyfus is at his best uncovering a conspiratorial scheme one clue at a time. The story line is fast-paced as the Prefects investigate several goings-on besides the prime mass murder case interestingly Alastair Reynolds cleverly uses the cases to provide some history and geography enough for newcomers to understand the Glitter Band and for long term fans not to be irritated. Although the conspirators remain for the most part behind the scenes so never flushed out beyond their objective, fans will appreciate this excellent whodunit in Outer Space. ---- Harriet Klausner

    3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted September 26, 2010

    His worst - his lump of coal

    Stupid characters make stupid decisions to keep the plot moving
    Annoying and incomprehensible villains
    Dissatisfying ending

    Reynolds is a wonderful author who writes beautiful prose, but this book just sucked.

    2 out of 4 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted March 22, 2010

    Gripping read

    Great 'noir' SF read - couldn't put it down!

    1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

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  • Posted January 17, 2010

    more from this reviewer

    Great SF read.

    Alastair Reynolds once again delivers a strong scifi story set in his Revelation space universe.

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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  • Posted April 18, 2012

    Entertaining and engaging, highly recommend!

    Dovetails nicely with his other books.

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