From Publishers Weekly
Best known for his short fiction, Stross shows that he's a master of the novel form as well in this exciting sequel to 2003's acclaimed Singularity Sky, serving up compelling space opera and cutting-edge tech with a tasty dash of satire. In the 24th century, a McWorld ("bland, comfortable, tolerant... boring") called New Moscow apparently has been destroyed by trade rival New Dresden—but not before New Moscow launched its own Slower-Than-Light (STL) counterstrike: a massive ship accelerated to 80% the speed of light. The U.N., now central Earth government, knows New Dresden was set up. They need the STL's recall code, now known only to a handful of New Moscow's ambassadors—but someone has been systematically assassinating them. U.N. special operative Rachel Mansour and her husband, engineer Martin Springfield, must protect the last living ambassador and find out who's really responsible for the whole mess. Stross skillfully balances suspense and humor throughout, offering readers—especially fans of Iain M. Banks and Ken MacLeod—a fascinating future that seems more than possible. Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.


From Booklist
The sequel to the critically acclaimed Singularity Sky [BKL Ag 03] returns to the twenty-fourth-century interstellar domain humankind has forged through the godlike powers of the Eschaton, an enigmatic being from humanity's distant future. Now, in an act of apparent sabotage, one remote interstellar colony, Moscow, has met a disastrous fate: its host star exploded, annihilating an entire solar system and forcing the evacuation of nearby colonies. UN hostage negotiator Rachel Mansour, who is recovering from a showdown with a psychotic performance artist harboring a nuclear warhead, is tagged to make the wormhole jaunt to the scene and investigate. Is one of Moscow's rival colonies responsible? Is the Eschaton? Improbably, the answers to such questions may lie with Wednesday, a rambunctious adolescent girl whose family is fleeing the expanding explosion, and between whose story and Rachel's the novel alternates. Stross improves on Singularity Sky with better characterizations and entertaining technological inventiveness. Fans of hard sf spiced by political intrigue will relish this dish. Carl Hays
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved


Book Description
Charles Stross's "visionary" (Library Journal) debut novel Singularity Sky was hailed as "a carnival of ideas" (Michael Swanwick) and sealed his reputation as the writer who "owns the cutting edge of science fiction" (James Patrick Kelly). Now he moves beyond that horizon with his stunning sequel, Iron Sunrise.

When the planet of Moscow was annihilated, its few survivors launched a counter-attack against the most likely culprit: the neighboring system of New Dresden. But New Dresden wasn't responsible, and as the deadly missiles approach their target, Rachel Mansour, agent for the interests of Old Earth, is assigned to find out who was.

And the one person who knows is a disaffected teenager who calls herself Wednesday Shadowmist. But Wednesday has no idea what she knows...


About the Author
Charles Stross is a full-time writer who was born in Leeds, England in 1964. He studied in London and Bradford, gaining degrees in pharmacy and computer science, and has worked in a variety of jobs, including pharmacist, technical author, software engineer, and freelance journalist.

FROM OUR EDITORS

The Barnes & Noble Review
Scottish author Charles Stross' follow-up to his debut novel, Singularity Sky, is so much more than the sum of its parts. A cerebral, hard-core science fiction thriller in the vein of Arthur C. Clarke, with intricate plotlines that would make Agatha Christie proud -- and a witty sense of humor to rival any Paul Di Filippo story -- Iron Sunrise heralds the ascension of a brilliant literary star in the science fiction universe.

When a sun inexplicably explodes, annihilating entire planets, destroying numerous space stations, and killing millions of innocent people, the culprits must somehow be found before another entire planetary system can be obliterated. When Rachel Mansour, a UN special agent, and her husband, Martin, are put on the case, the trail of assassinated ambassadors -- all from the annihilated planetary system -- lead to a massive space cruiser traveling throughout the region. Someone on board is killing off all remaining living connections to the disaster. But who...and why?

Meanwhile, when Wednesday, a goth-obsessed refugee from one of the space stations destroyed in the holocaust, finds herself the target of a kidnapping and later discovers that someone has murdered her entire family, she must survive long enough to figure out why her world has been destroyed, her family slaughtered, and her life ruined.

Readers who enjoy their science fiction heavy on the science will thoroughly enjoy Iron Sunrise. Like the Hugo Award–nominated Singularity Sky, it's intellectual, clever, and thoroughly readable. Paul Goat Allen

FROM THE PUBLISHER

"A G2 star doesn't just explode - not without outside interference. So the survivors of the planet Moscow, which was annihilated in just such an event, have launched a counterattack against the most likely culprit: the neighboring system of New Dresden." "But New Dresden wasn't responsible, and as deadly missiles approach their target, Rachel Mansour, agent for the interests of Old Earth, is assigned to find out who was. Opposing her is an unknown - an unimaginable - enemy. At stake is not only the fate of New Dresden, but also the very order of the universe." And the one person who knows the identity of that enemy is a disaffected teenager who calls herself Wednesday Shadowmist. But Wednesday has no idea what she knows.

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly

Best known for his short fiction, Stross shows that he's a master of the novel form as well in this exciting sequel to 2003's acclaimed Singularity Sky, serving up compelling space opera and cutting-edge tech with a tasty dash of satire. In the 24th century, a McWorld ("bland, comfortable, tolerant... boring") called New Moscow apparently has been destroyed by trade rival New Dresden-but not before New Moscow launched its own Slower-Than-Light (STL) counterstrike: a massive ship accelerated to 80% the speed of light. The U.N., now central Earth government, knows New Dresden was set up. They need the STL's recall code, now known only to a handful of New Moscow's ambassadors-but someone has been systematically assassinating them. U.N. special operative Rachel Mansour and her husband, engineer Martin Springfield, must protect the last living ambassador and find out who's really responsible for the whole mess. Stross skillfully balances suspense and humor throughout, offering readers-especially fans of Iain M. Banks and Ken MacLeod-a fascinating future that seems more than possible. Agent, Caitlin Blasdell at Lisa Dawson Associates. (July 6) Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

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