7.4 /10 1 Votes
Originally published 2001 Preceded by Cosmonaut Keep | 3.7/5 Goodreads Followed by Engine City | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Genres Fiction, Speculative fiction Nominations Locus Award for Best Science Fiction Novel, James Tiptree Jr. Award, Prometheus Award for Best Novel Similar Ken MacLeod books, Science Fiction books | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Dark Light (2001; Orbit hardcover ISBN 1-84149-069-5) is a science fiction novel by Ken MacLeod. It is the second novel in the Engines of Light Trilogy and a 2002 nominee for the Campbell Award.
The novel continues the plot from Cosmonaut Keep, but this time is set on the "Second Sphere", a number of clustered solar systems artificially seeded with intelligent life forms by a mysterious and transcendent alien species. Within this system, the main character, Matt Cairns, develops a form of interstellar travel and sets out to discover the motivation of the aliens
Literary significance and reception
Publishers Weekly had a mixed review for the novel saying:
This middle book in what will be at least a trilogy doesn't stand well on its own, so readers are advised to begin with Cosmonaut Keep. The novel features several interesting alien species, some fascinating speculations on the relationship between sex and gender, and MacLeod's trademark mix of radical socialist and libertarian politics. Both novels are worth reading but not quite up to the high mark established by his previous series, The Fall Revolution.