Kester Reads Science Fiction and Enjoys It: ‘Leviathan Wakes’

Leviathan Wakes by James S. A. Corey

Reviewed by Master Bookseller Kester

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So here’s something I rarely do:  read science fiction novels.  Which isn’t to say that I never read science fiction so much as that I never set out to do so.  I never think, “Man, it has been too long since I read some science fiction, I need to get on that.”  Which is to say, I don’t read a lot of science fiction. Which is to say, even if you don’t read a lot of science fiction, keep reading this blog post.

Because sometimes one of my fellow booksellers (almost always Raul) will recommend that I read a certain science fiction book and, because I respect said bookseller’s opinion, I will. Most recently, said bookseller recommended I read Leviathan Wakes by James S.A. Corey.  And so I did.

This book is fantastic.  The setup is a solar system colonized by humanity.  A ship is blown up and Martians (humans inhabiting Mars) are blamed.  Mild prejudice leads to stark division and, finally, all out war.  Space Captain Jim Holden and his crew find themselves on the run.

That’s one half of the book.  The other half (the action shifts, chapter by chapter, between two lead characters) focuses on Detective Miller, and it reads like old school noir.  What results is a story that works on a galactic scale as well as a personal one, an epic space opera as well as an intimate mystery.  And when the two begin to cross over into one another, the fun really begins.

I absolutely loved this book.  My complaint with a lot of science fiction is that it can bog down in the science and wind up not being a whole lot of fun.  Leviathan Wakes takes the science seriously, but doesn’t feel the need to lay out blueprints to the interior of every passing ship.  The Peter Hamilton fans will still dig it and the Arthur C. Clarke readers will not be disappointed, but the story most reminded me of a romp across the galaxy with my favorite crew, that of the Firefly-class ship, the Serenity.

So, if you’re looking for a similar kind of adventure, I’d suggest picking up Leviathan Wakes.  It came out this week and we have it in the store.  As a bonus feature, it also went straight to paperback, which means you can afford to buy one for a friend.  Come get your copy today.