HALCYON YEARS by Alastair Reynolds (BOOK REVIEW)
A superb new noir/science fiction fusion from the ‘mastersinger of space opera’ (The Times) and the creator of the beloved Revelation Space universe, strap in for a gripping murder mystery.Yuri Gagarin is a private investigator, who picks up small cases from his local community, runs into trouble with the local police, and generally ekes out a living as best he can. He’s aboard the Halcyon – a starship, hurtling through space, carrying thousands of passengers with thousands more sleeping the journey away.
Only his usual investigative work – catching cheating spouses, and small time con artists – is about to take a turn. He’s hired by a mysterious woman called Ruby Blue to look into a death in one of Halcyon’s most elite families . . . and then warned off the case again by a second mysterious woman called Ruby Red. Caught between the two, he’s about to be embroiled in a murder mystery in which – at any moment – he could be the latest victim.
Gripping, fast-paced fun this is a classic noir mystery with a science fiction twist, which will keep you guessing, and on the edge of your seat, to the end.
How about a 1920s-era noir mystery, set on a spaceship in the far future, with famed cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin as our protagonist/detective? That’s a very specific request, but wish granted!
I admit to not having a great deal of experience with hard-boiled detective fiction, but when I do I prefer it to be unusual. Having enjoyed Alastair Reynolds’ space fiction in the past, this seemed to be an excellent fit for me.
First of all, if you are familiar, this is unlike anything the author has written before. It’s not exactly told in a noir-voiceover narrative, but Yuri is very Russian in tone: pragmatic and cynical, with the driest sense of humour possible. I enjoyed this relatively rough, out-of-time protagonist very much, and he’s a great entry point into the action.
Secondly, if you think a Prohibition-Era spaceship run by two crime families on its way to a distant star for colonisation is weird… well it is, but trust the author. Everything is explained in due course, and while we’re thrown in at the deep end, Yuri is exploring just what the heck is going on as much as the reader. When he gets frustrated at how irrational his world can be – specifically the two Hot Dames both arriving in his unkempt office asking for help – it’s understandable!
I think this is what endeared the book to me as a whole. It’s smart sci-fi, so filled with ideas in a truly original ‘universe’ while keeping its space-suited boots grounded throughout. Everyone in this world is just doing their best to get along in these circumstances. There’s the rich fat-cats, the poor working-joes and everyone inbetween. Corrupt cops are just part of the game, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they’re bad people. What the news says, what’s societally acceptable, is all just part of a web of misinformation and survival mechanics.
The science itself is, as expected from such a writer, top-notch. It’s never overwhelming, because Yuri is no egghead and needs to understand what’s going on too, but everything makes sense in context. The technobabble is kept to a minimum because that’s not what the story is about. We don’t worry too much about how the world is made except when it’s relevant to what we’re doing – in this case, solving a very multi-layered mystery, which has more stakes than it might at first seem.
I realized how invested I’d become in Yuri’s story when a loveable character dies (no spoilers, but this is a crime novel!). I felt his sadness, becoming truly locked in to finding the culprit and reason behind the murder. Also, as Yuri finds out more about just why he might be there at all, I had his publicity picture in my head from Wikipedia: a fairly handsome Russian cosmonaut from the mid-20th century, suddenly thrust into a world where he’s underestimated, but his skills are still needed. The sheer nuttiness of including a Real Historical Person in such a book is again explained, but just seems to fit the story delightfully.
A fine futuristic mystery that keeps you guessing throughout, while retaining an admirable sense of humanity. Enjoyed and recommended.
Halcyon Years is available now – you can order your copy on Bookshop.org
