A Million Open Doors

John Barnes

Average Rating 7/10 (1 Review)

Humanity has spread across a swathe of stars, and a new entity has developed: the Thousand Cultures. But now these very different societies are quickly - too quickly - being reunited. Instantaneous transportation has collapsed the vast distances of space.

Giraut Leones, from the troubadour-like Nou Occitam, is given to arts, duels and passionate love. Discovering that his lover is unfaithful, he impulsively exiles himself to Caledony, on planet Nansen, a world stranger than he can imagine: Caledony glorifies reason, hard work, and conformity. At first Giraut sees himself as a cultural ambassador. But as Caledony struggles under the tremendous shock of changes brought about by the new communications, and then breaks down, and as upheaval and fear spread across the Thousand Cultures, Giraut must find new values, strength and heroism if he and the worlds he loves are to survive...

A venerable theme of traditional SF - the reintegration of far-flung colony worlds - enlivened with such zest, energy and intelligence that readers across a wide spectrum of tastes will be charmed

Washington Post

Review by Nigel (300800) Rating (7/10)

Review by Nigel
Rating 7/10
Man has reached out and colonised the stars (the planets around them to be precise) with numerous old earth cultures… communication and travel between the colonies have been long and slow until the arrival of the springer.

Now it is possible to step from one planet to another in an instant. I liked the springer Hoover….a Hoover where the dirt is sucked into a miniature springer and dumped straight at the tip... cool.

This causes all sorts of problems (not the Hoover!!). Where once it took decades for bureaucracy to catch up between the stars now it's instantaneous.

This novel is conceptually huge. Man sent generation ships into space to colonise, centuries later it is almost impossible for any form of control due to the travel times involved.

Then overnight communications are re-established and the remote worlds are once again under the control of earth. Talk about clashes of culture!!

There is a purpose to it all and you will have to find that out by reading the book. Recommended.
Nigel (30th August 2000)