Adam roberts unabashedly smart new narrative, jack glass, is absolutely that. Riffing on the tropes of crime fiction the country house murder, the locked room mystery and imbued with the feel of golden age sf, jack glass is another bravura performance from roberts. Most books divided that are into different parts have two plots. Adam roberts is a novelist whose titles include by light alone, the dragon with the girl tattoo, gradisil, i am scrooge, new model army, salt, swiftly, and yellow blue tibia. Golden age sf meets golden age crime in this british science fiction award. His novel jack glass won the bsfa award for best novel and three of his novels.
Much of the book is told through dialogue, which introduces wit, if not. Genre conventions are used and abused as the novel slowly morphs into parody. Jack glass 2012 by adam roberts from couch to moon. But before i left on a recent trip, i downloaded two of his books anticopernicus and jack glass. Robertss new novel, jack glass, is subtitled the story of a murderer, and in surrounding material the author tells us that it is an attempt to shackle together the golden age of detective. I think of roberts whom ive followed since his first book as a genius premisegenerator and soso storyteller with a particular weakness with endings. And by the end of the book our sympathies for the killer are fully engaged. Jack glass by adam roberts gollancz, july 2012, 373 pages jack glass is an impossible book. He won both the 2012 bsfa award for best novel, and the john w. Yet as this extraordinary novel tells the story of three murders committed by glass, the listener will be surprised to find out that it was glass who was the killer and how he did it. Jack glass by adam roberts books hachette australia.
Yet as this extraordinary novel unfolds, readers will be astonished to discover how he committed the murders and by the end of the book, their sympathies for the killer will be fully engaged. Other than writing that was published between two dates nominally 1938 1946, though debate rages on, ive never been able to figure what unifying factor exactly constitutes golden age science fiction. Adam roberts was born in london, studied at aberdeen and cambridge, and is now professor of nineteenthcentury literature at royal holloway. Golden age sf meets golden age crime in this british science fiction aw. Jack glass, by adam roberts is a book that tries too much to be many things but ultimately fails in most, if not all of them. Jack glass is a melding of golden age detective fiction and golden age sf, which allows adam roberts to play with the classic tropes of both genres. Jack glass adam roberts the uninspired daydreams of a. I want to tell you about it because i think you might want to read it. I want to tell you about it because i think you might want to. Jack glass by adam roberts uniformly uninformative. Robertss new novel, jack glass, is subtitled the story of a murderer, and in surrounding material the author tells us that it is an attempt to. Yet as this extraordinary novel tells the story of three murders committed by glass, the reader will be surprised to find out that it was glass who was the killer and how he did it.
I was most likely one of those mainstream readers that wandered into the book, with the utterly predictable result of an unsatisfying read. One is the more immediate plot with regards to what is happening in that part of the story. Adam roberts is one of those rare authors who not only manage to create a rewarding, entertaining story but also does so in a way that challenges your perceptions, encourages you examine that which you take for granted and often plays on accepted norms of the genre. The rest of the book deals with jacks involvement with diana argent, genetically engineered heir to the argent clan, one of a handful of families just a step below the ulanovs. I knew after reading jack glass that i needed to read something else by adam roberts. Much of the book is told through dialogue, which introduces wit, if not depth, and keeps the story moving. In jack glass the story of a murderer, adam roberts sabotages the golden age of science fiction and detective fiction. Jack glass by adam roberts gollancz, july 2012, 373 pages. Roberts doesnt try to make these genres something they are not, but he shows us what extraordinary things were done with this kind of fiction in the past, that golden age sf can still kick a punch or two and reminds us why we fell in love with sf. Yet as this extraordinary novel tells the story of three murders committed by glass the reader will be. And by the end of the book our sympathies for the killer are fully. Adam roberts audio books, best sellers, author bio.
Adam roberts jack glass 2012 carries the subtitle a golden age story, which, for me at least, problematised the book before id even started reading it. Adam roberts has 174 books on goodreads with 60069 ratings. Adam roberts has always been an author who intimidates me. Jack glass is an impossible book ive had this on my radar ever since it came out but it wasnt until it won the british science fiction award for best novel this year that i decided to read it.
I feel like this would have been especially helpful between the first book and the ftl murder mysteries, as that was a large change in scenery. Heres my personal view and opinion why this is so and why i was disappointed. Ive had this on my radar ever since it came out but it wasnt until it won the british science fiction award for best novel this year that i decided to read it. It was further shortlisted for the kitschies red tentacle award. Adam roberts unabashedly smart new narrative, jack glass. Here is adam roberts website and jack glass is not on there under writing. Buy jack glass golden age by adam roberts, blacksheep from amazons fiction books store. Whats to be made of adam roberts bsfaaward winning novel jack glass gollancz, 2012.
Thriftbooks sells millions of used books at the lowest everyday prices. Unfortunately, the other two stories were plodding and contrived. Jack glass is the third adam roberts book i have read. There is a distinct postmodern style, which i often enjoy. For example, the genteel detective stories that inspired the book. Jack glass book by adam roberts 2 available editions.
Everyday low prices on a huge range of new releases and. Download read jack glass 2012 by adam roberts in pdf. Jack glass channels golden age science fiction adventure and detective fiction. Jack glass is adam robertss best book by a long shot, though in hindsight it has some serious flaws. Stalin calls leading soviet scifi authors together to imagine an alien threat that might unite humanity.
Jack glass is a lightweight but enjoyable read, commendably different from anything else. Yet as this extraordinary novel tells the story of three murders committed by. As usual, i will avoid going into too much detail describing what this book is about, you can read the synopsis up there. Adam roberts books list of books by author adam roberts. Adam roberts turns his attention to answering the fermi paradox with a taut and claustrophobic tale that echoes john carpenters the thing. I enjoy following his comments on social media and in the press, but he is so intelligent and his reputation for complex, original science fiction is so great that i was afraid i wouldnt be able to keep up. We personally assess every books quality and offer rare, outofprint treasures. Adam roberts is a novelist whose titles include by light alone, the dragon with the girl tattoo, gradisil, new model army, salt, swiftly, and yellow blue tibia.
Read jack glass by adam roberts available from rakuten kobo. Jack glass by adam roberts gollancz bringing you news. In addition, perhaps there could have been a jack glass story at the end looking back at the aftermath of the impending revolution. I would give six stars to the first story, in which jack glass must escape from an isolated prison asteroid. Ever since jack glass has been announced as above, the book has been a super high expectations one due to the combination of an irresistible blurb and its authorship by adam roberts who keeps producing the highest quality sf in story after story and novel after novel. Free shipping and pickup in store on eligible orders. Another great novel by adam roberts, jack glass is a very excitingtoread blend between golden age science fiction and golden age detective fiction. We deliver the joy of reading in 100% recycled packaging with free standard shipping on u.
And the third and final section of the book is a classic locked room mystery. The thing is, one can be too clever, both if you are jack glass and if you are adam roberts. Adam roberts is a british author of science fiction, his debut novel salt was nominated for the arthur c clarke award, along with later novels gradisil and yellow blue tibia. Jack glass is part murder mystery, part golden age science fiction, without being wholly either. And by the end of the book, our sympathies for the killer are fully engaged. Ranging the vastness of the solar system, from meteorite prison cells to a future earth, jack glass is an engaging play on the tropes on the. He is often considered a rising star within the science fiction genre and the larger literary scene, a seriously talented author who isnt afraid to push the boundaries.
Yet as this extraordinary novel tells the story of three murders committed by glass the reader will be surprised to find out that it was glass who was the killer and how he did it. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read jack glass. Browse adam robertss bestselling audiobooks and newest titles. Reading october 29, 2015 by ilona jackglass i dnfed this book. Buy the paperback book jack glass by adam roberts at indigo. Jack glass is the murdererwe know this from the start. Adam roberts has been nominated three times for the arthur c. Discover more authors youll love listening to on audible. Each of the three sections, as roberts informs the reader in the prologue, is a locked room mystery, a prison story and a whodunnit, and the murderer is always jack glass.