From the Publisher
Praise for Quantum Shadows:
“Modesitt displays his formidable talent for worldbuilding . . . fans of thought-provoking speculative fiction will be hooked.” —Publishers Weekly
“Quantum Shadows carries the overtones of our genre’s finest writers—Zelazny and Wolfe—which is enough to commend it. . . . Modesitt has given us a vision all his own—a vision with the power to transport and challenge us in equal measures.” —Peter O'Rullian, author of The Unremembered
"[A]ny book that can suck you into the story as this one did...and then stick with you days after you finished reading it is a complete winner." —The Arched Doorway
Praise for Solar Express:
“[H]is science fiction ranks up there with Ben Bova, Kristine Kathryn Rusch, Larry Niven, and Jerry Pournelle.”—SF Revu
“Modesitt Jr.’s boundless imagination flings readers headfirst into a richly imagined deep-space world.” —RT Book Reviews, starred review (4 stars)
Praise for The One-Eyed Man:
“The book hums along with understated power and intellectual attractiveness, delivering thoughtful entertainment in the best classical SF manner.” —Asimov’s Science Fiction
“Modesitt intricately builds a setting that is concrete and believable.” —Angela Carter
“The One-Eyed Man is actually one of the more powerful and elegant expressions of Modesitt’s themes. I’m always excited when the author takes a break from his fantasy series to write a new science fiction novel.” —Tor.com
Kirkus Reviews
2020-05-04
A philosophical wrangle culminates in a lethal real-world confrontation, with creation itself in jeopardy.
On planet Heaven, where everything has religious connotations, the 10 major human religions—most of them identifiable, if sometimes in unfamiliar guise—have their own territories, known collectively as the Decalivre, each ruled by a hegemon. Religions with fewer adherents have their own villages of belief, and there are skeptic areas, too. Hegemons and lesser authorities wield powers derived from an ability to manipulate reality at the quantum level. Harmony is enforced by surveillance satellites, directed-energy weapons, and beings such as Corvyn, who functions as a sort of policeman, conscience, and judge. He remembers untold past civilizations destroyed by religious strife. So when an unknown power burns the image of a black-flamed trident into the holy places of the Decalivre, Corvyn recognizes both a challenge and a threat. To determine what's going on, he tours the cities, interviewing hegemons or their delegates. Some prove accommodating, others hostile; some fence verbally, others attempt violence. Corvyn himself must traverse the Sands of Time, a type of hell where almost anything can happen. Religion and belief are thorny topics, but Modesitt tackles them and the passions they inspire with impressive skill and respect and a deep knowledge of holy books, religious commentaries, mythology, and much besides. Indeed, it's a venture quite unlike anything this talented and versatile writer has attempted before, notwithstanding that he's earned recognition in various science-fiction and fantasy modes by always offering clear, concrete explanations of how and why things work. What readers will take away depends largely on what they themselves bring along. Certainly the work feels uncommonly subtle and, tantalizingly, not altogether finished. The premise, ultimately, may just be too obvious.
Absorbing and thoughtful yet not entirely rewarding.
