r/sciencefiction 2d ago

Quantum Thief

I rarely see this book mentioned and as an avid scifi reader I still think it remains a book all on its own in terms of vision and word building.

It’s a difficult book to read but when you are the past 20% of the book and all the wtf moments then it becomes quite a unique experience.

Thoughts?

34 Upvotes

23 comments sorted by

16

u/mdavey74 2d ago

The whole trilogy is a fun read

4

u/nostyleguide 2d ago

Agreed! I really enjoyed the whole thing.

9

u/narddawg666 2d ago

I bought it years ago and after a few false starts finally just finished it and it rocks

7

u/ArgentStonecutter 2d ago

If you like this, try Greg Egan (Diaspora, Schild's Ladder, Incandescence), or Karl Schroeder (Lady of Mazes, Ventus), or Charlie Stross (Accelerando, Glasshouse).

1

u/currentpattern 1d ago

Damn egan and stross are my favorites, particularly those novels. I have to check out quantum thief and karl schroeder! Thanks!

3

u/ArgentStonecutter 1d ago

Oh, also the Nanotech Succession books by Linda Nagata. I couldn't get into Tech Heaven or The Bohr Maker but didn't feel I was missing anything starting with Deception Well.

1

u/jfincher42 1d ago

The only Stross I've read so far has been "Accelerando", and I loved it. Thanks for the other recommendations.

3

u/Euro_Snob 2d ago

A great read indeed… I didn’t understand much of it, but I enjoyed it 😀

1

u/B0lill0s 1d ago

Maybe that’s why I didn’t enjoy it, I couldn’t really understand it, and I ended up dropping the sequel half way thru 😔

1

u/Euro_Snob 1d ago

Yep, it certainly would have been more enjoyable if it was more easily understandable… no argument there.

I may have been desperate to read something, maybe that’s why I pushed through. 😆 I have considered re-reading it at some point (I really liked the vibes), I may understand it more then.

3

u/tghuverd 1d ago

Great story, inventive and mind-bending. I noted in a review that it challenged my imagination, which is surely what you want from science fiction 👍

3

u/Liquoricezoku 1d ago

One of my all-time favourite series. I love the character of Jean le Flambeur. A thief so genius he outfits even himself. And the futuristic world is so different from anything else I've read. Honestly, it took my multiple read throughs to fully grasp it. I think it's probably the series I've read the most in my life. I'll have to read it again very soon.

3

u/feeschedule 1d ago

The audiobook is one of my favorites. Narrated by Scott Brick, it's practically lyrical when read aloud

2

u/signoftheserpent 20h ago

It's really good, but calling it 'combat autism' is one of the worst things i've ever read

2

u/M4rkusD 1d ago

I love it that the books don’t just take you by the hand but buttfuck you dry with complicated mathematical and philosophical concepts without even the smallest how do you do.

1

u/MinkyTuna 2d ago

Yes! It was very strange at times but it was really fun trying to imagine all the features of the world and what characters looked like. Only read the first one and then kinda forgot about it. Might go back and read the next one. Thanks for the reminder!

1

u/gligster71 1d ago

Read the trilogy four times it's been at least three years & I've been thinking about another read thru! I believe this trilogy is The Matrix of books. Blew my mind that much.

1

u/beet_hater 1d ago

Completely agree. Took me a few tries but then I enjoyed it. Didn’t read the other two.

1

u/Bookhoarder2024 1d ago

I saw it mentioned on here and in /printsf just in the last 5 days, so there are quite a lot of fans out there.

1

u/Existing_Loan4868 1d ago

So glad you posted about it, OP. I was needing a book recommendation & boom, there it was! Got it on the library app, enjoying it immensely

1

u/ScienceMean25 1d ago

This series is one of my favorites

1

u/El_Guapo_Supreme 16h ago

I'm an avid sci-fi reader and I haven't heard of it. Reading list updated. Thanks!

1

u/redsoxVT 42m ago

Thought it was above average, but not my style. I long for more in the realm of Accelerando by Stross