Stross is apparently well-regarded for his short fiction. This novel, set in a future 400 years distant, treads familiar “space opera” themes such as the contact between human and alien civilizations, the rapid advancement of artificial intelligences (which quickly outstrip the ability of their human creators to control much less master), and the paradoxes of time travel.

Like many so-called “hard” sci-fi writers, Stross places his emphasis more on plotting and ideas and less on character development, however his protagonists are faceted and believable, and he paces the book well. I particularly enjoyed his satirical look at the failures of communism and super-ideologies. I also enjoy the depth to which Stross works through his ideas to their conclusions. I’ll probably pick up the successor book “Iron Sunrise“, which is also available in paperback.