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Summerland Hardcover

4.0 out of 5 stars 767 ratings
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  1. Language
    English
  2. Dimensions
    16.43 x 2.57 x 23.85 cm
  3. ISBN-10
    1250178924
  4. ISBN-13
    978-1250178923
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Product details

  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1250178924
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1250178923
  • Item weight ‏ : ‎ 476 g
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 16.43 x 2.57 x 23.85 cm
  • Best Sellers Rank: 114,146 in Literature & Fiction (Books)
  • Customer reviews:
    4.0 out of 5 stars 767 ratings

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Hannu Rajaniemi

Hannu Rajaniemi

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Customer reviews

4 out of 5 stars
767 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book's world-building fascinating and engaging, with one describing it as a fantastic Le Carre-styled story. The writing is well-executed, and customers consider it a compelling read. They appreciate its accessibility, with one noting it's easier to get into than the author's previous books. However, the character development receives mixed reactions, with several customers saying the characters didn't appeal to them.

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Engrossed storyPlot qualityEnjoymentAccessibilityWriting qualityCharacter development
19 customers mention ‘Engrossed story’19 positive0 negative

Customers find the story fascinating and engaging, praising the world-building and imagination, with one customer noting it serves as a great introduction to a new genre.

"...The mix of hard science, good psycology, religious mumbo-jumbo, spirirualism, mathematics, contradiction and infinity and an Escher like view make..." Read more

"...I love science fiction which expands the mind and causes one to think differently about the world - this certainly is that, but written in a way..." Read more

"Liked the ideas, the implications of the ideas Disliked..The character development was not where other books by Hannu have gone to...." Read more

"...from Philby, Blunt, and Burgess, this was bound to appeal to anyone interested in espionage and its surprising interfaces with science fiction and..." Read more

16 customers mention ‘Plot quality’12 positive4 negative

Customers enjoy the plot of the book, with one describing it as a fantastic Le Carre-styled story, while another notes its tautly plotted structure and surprising science fiction and fantasy elements.

"...A good plot with an unexpected ending." Read more

"...his previous novels - more accessible certainly, and a different kind of exploration...." Read more

"...The storyline was weak . I rushed to the end out of impatience... not expectation. Overall I was disappointed." Read more

"...to anyone interested in espionage and its surprising interfaces with science fiction and fantasy...." Read more

13 customers mention ‘Enjoyment’13 positive0 negative

Customers find the book really great and hugely enjoyable, with one customer describing it as a page-turner.

"...of the two main protagonists to the search for truth made this a compelling read, even in the face of the ludicrous form and setting...." Read more

"Wonderful! As others have commented - very different from his previous novels - more accessible certainly, and a different kind of exploration...." Read more

"...It’s a real page-turner as you follow Rachel, the SIS agent, as she hunts down and attempts to trap a rogue spy...." Read more

"This was a really great book and interesting story that finished way way too quickly...." Read more

5 customers mention ‘Accessibility’5 positive0 negative

Customers find the book more accessible, with one mentioning it's easier to get into than his previous books and another noting it's easy to identify with.

"...have commented - very different from his previous novels - more accessible certainly, and a different kind of exploration...." Read more

"...to be part of the plot and I found the main character, Rachel, easy to identify with...." Read more

"...Summerland, by contrast, is much more approachable...." Read more

"...It's a good plot, written well. I found it easier to get into than his previous books. A very good dread." Read more

5 customers mention ‘Writing quality’5 positive0 negative

Customers praise the writing quality of the book, with one noting it's not another badly written space opera.

"...It's essentially a spy novel set in this world - pacey and well written and hugely enjoyable...." Read more

"...Planets" is if anything even better, full of ideas and beautifully written. Summerland isn't at the same level...." Read more

"...This is a well-written story that moves along at a good pace and readers who are more at home with the Sci-Fi theme may rate it higher" Read more

"...The ending felt a bit rushed. But still a good read." Read more

5 customers mention ‘Character development’0 positive5 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the characters in the book.

"...Disliked..The character development was not where other books by Hannu have gone to. The storyline was weak ...." Read more

"...On top of that, the book's characters are also a little bit flat...." Read more

"...angel, this book is often a bit meandering, with characters lacking the momentum of motive that pulled you through the weeds of those first two..." Read more

"...idea is ruined by dreadful plotting, thin world building and forgettable characters...." Read more

Top reviews from United Kingdom

  • Kindle Customer
    4.0 out of 5 stars George Smiley meets Feersum Endjinn
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 22 August 2019
    Verified Purchase
    To be honest I'm not a big fan of alternative histories. I read this book on the strength of Rajaniemi's other work. The reason the book only gets four stars is down to the rather predictable spy story elements of the tale. However the absolute genius creation of the afterlife as an actual place or state of being could easily have earned this read Five stars. The mix of hard science, good psycology, religious mumbo-jumbo, spirirualism, mathematics, contradiction and infinity and an Escher like view make this a tremendously imaginative book. There are so many layers in the book that it may well require a couple of reads to appreciate how good it is actually is (and the fact that I even contemplate reading it again is praise indeed). The different approaches of the two main protagonists to the search for truth made this a compelling read, even in the face of the ludicrous form and setting. For me Rajaniemi maintains his position as one of my favourite writers of imaginative fiction.
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  • Lozatron
    5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful parallel universe ghost spy story. Look out for the tanks!
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 6 July 2018
    Verified Purchase
    Wonderful! As others have commented - very different from his previous novels - more accessible certainly, and a different kind of exploration. The central conceit of this book is that souls do go somewhere when you die, and the British Empire has mastered the technology. It's essentially a spy novel set in this world - pacey and well written and hugely enjoyable. I love science fiction which expands the mind and causes one to think differently about the world - this certainly is that, but written in a way that doesn't require you to muster all of your mental powers to wrestle with it.

    Many wonderful parts of the book but in particular I love how he creates a reason for the use of "tank" as a word for a weapon of war, that is much more convincing than the one we have in our reality.

    Much like Charles Stross, Rajaneimi is showing that he can master different sub genres. It all feels very well observed, very authentic. I've never worked in the intelligence services or played an active role in a pending war but...one gets the sense that he's researched these topics well, from people who know what they're on about. He's really a thrilling talent and feel lucky that he still clearly has many writing years ahead of him.

    I do however have one problem with this - it's 2018 and some ******* decided that because I live in the UK I have to get the kindle book several weeks later than people in the US. I'm sure there are valid commercial reasons why the publishing industry chooses to work this way but it's an utterly human-hostile way to regulate the flow of bits, and come the revolution....well - you know the answer.

    Also - the reviewer who coined the word "ecto-punk" - brilliant.
    2 people found this helpful
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  • Buzzer
    3.0 out of 5 stars Full of imagination and ideas, short on storyline and grab
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 24 November 2024
    Verified Purchase
    Liked the ideas, the implications of the ideas
    Disliked..The character development was not where other books by Hannu have gone to. The storyline was weak . I rushed to the end out of impatience... not expectation. Overall I was disappointed.
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  • Mr Robert McMinn
    4.0 out of 5 stars Right up my street
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 15 March 2020
    Verified Purchase
    Finnish writer Hannua Rajaniemi imagines a world in which, instead of radio, Marconi and others discover a means of contacting the dead. The resulting discovery of Summerland and an apparently happy afterlife means that people generally stop worrying about dying. It also means that, when nations come into conflict in this world, they are also in conflict in Summerland, and so the spy networks extend from the living to the dead.
    With cameo appearances from Philby, Blunt, and Burgess, this was bound to appeal to anyone interested in espionage and its surprising interfaces with science fiction and fantasy. The world-building is excellent, with the mechanics of contacting the dead well imagined, and with the First World War having been fought with very different weapons of terror. Set during the 1930s, with a civil war in Spain, the British SIS are wrestling with the idea that they backed the wrong side, and are considering support instead for a different faction against a Soviet Union controlled by a god-like being called The Presence.
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Top reviews from other countries

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  • Jamie
    4.0 out of 5 stars Well, this is certainly a SciFi, Fantasy, Techno Thriller, Whodunit that only encompasses both the living and the dead
    Reviewed in the United States on 22 July 2018
    Verified Purchase
    Summerland (Kindle Edition) by Hannu Rajaniemi

    So, no big deal right? Oh, but let's give some context, as in England in 1938. Also Franco is trying to gain control of Spain. Stalin doesn't want that. And our hero, Mrs. Rachel White, works in intelligence, and deals routinely with agents both living and dead. It's the dead ones that give her the most problems.
    For a number of reasons, trying to trap a traitor in her own organization is not easy. And her mother keeps annoying her from the afterlife as well. Her husband is a WWI vet who had a very rotten time of it, and now his nightmares become real and he oozes ectoplasm and stuff when he's upset.
    If this sounds like it's very deliciously twisty and layered, it is! The characters (living and dead) are as real as it gets, and the storyline is tight and well done. Pick it up, you will thank me later!
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  • FeydRautha
    5.0 out of 5 stars Remarquable !
    Reviewed in France on 1 July 2018
    Verified Purchase
    Dans la forme, Summerland est un roman d’espionnage se déroulant dans une uchronie européenne des années 30, dominée par deux blocs : l’empire britannique et l’union des républiques socialistes soviétiques.

    L’Empire britannique s’est étendu dans la quatrième dimension, d’ana en kata. Là, il existe un territoire où vivent les âmes: la cité de Summerland. Lors de sa découverte à la fin du XIXe siècle, Summerland n’était que ruine, abandonné par les Old Deads dont on ne sait pas grand-chose, si ce n’est qu’ils étaient là avant. Aujourd’hui, la cité est reconstruite à l’image d’une ville anglaise, mais avec quelques surprises architecturales liées à la nature même du lieu, des angles impossibles, des plans non euclidiens. Tous ne rejoignent pas Summerland, seuls les esprits utiles, et munis d’un ticket d’entrée sont reçus. Les autres disparaissent dans le néant.

    Hannu Rajaniemi imagine une économie et une géopolitique de la vie après la mort, et les répercussions que cela a sur la société des vivants, tant en terme de philosophie personnelle que sur les développements scientifiques et médicaux. Pourquoi soigner les vivants alors qu’il suffit de vous donner un Ticket et des barbituriques et on se reparle dans deux heures par ectophone. Le monde des vivants se nourrit des morts et celui des morts se nourrit des vivants dans une sorte de cannibalisme mutuel et spirituel qui trouve sa forme la plus extrême dans les armes utilisées sur les champs de bataille.

    La Grande Guerre a été remportée par l’empire britannique et l’Allemagne ne représente plus une force européenne majeure. Le danger pour la paix, en cette fin 1938, est en Espagne où la guerre civile entre les forces révolutionnaires soutenues par la Russie Soviétique et fascistes de Franco s’affrontent. Les services secrets britanniques, le SIS, sont évidemment sur l’affaire, avec en face d’eux le NKVD.

    Le SIS possède sa branche ésotérique, le Summer Court, sis à Summerland et dirigé par l’âme défunte du célèbre C, Sir Mansfield George Smith Cumming, qui fut le premier directeur du SIS. (Décédé en 1923 dans notre réalité). De son côté, l’URSS a aussi des projets. Le culte quasi-religieux du leader et la fameuse momie de Lenine prennent ici la forme de la Présence, une sorte d’IA dans l’au-delà qui guide le peuple et la révolution.

    Rachel White va recevoir les confidences d’un espion russe qui lui révèle qu’il y a une taupe au SIS, un certain Peter Bloom, et que celui-ci agit au sein du Summer Court. Le roman est le récit de la traque de cette taupe ectoplasmique par Rachel afin d’éviter le drame espagnol, mais aussi, l’histoire le révélera, un danger beaucoup plus grand.

    L’imagination déployée dans Summerland et la mise en mots des concepts aussi bien fantastiques que mathématiques sont absolument remarquables. Si vous vous intéressez à la SF au XXIe siècle, il est plus que nécessaire de lire Hannu Rajaniemi.
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  • Syd
    4.0 out of 5 stars Very different compared to prior work
    Reviewed in Canada on 10 November 2018
    Verified Purchase
    A good read. As with the Jean le Flambeur series, the world Rajaniemi imagines is quite extraordinary. What is missing is the sophistication in the storyline we have gotten used to from the Jean Le Flambeur series. Accept it as what it is and you won’t be disappointed: A fast, fun read with an imaginative but fin storyline.
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  • Eric Avera
    5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars for Brilliance over Perfection
    Reviewed in the United States on 7 August 2018
    Verified Purchase
    Hannu Rajaniemi has written a brilliant novel in Summerland, no less for its imperfections. He is one of the most important speculative voices in the world, taking his place alongside others such as Miéville, Palmer, and Bacigalupi. They are all tackling important the ideas of today and the coming decades with fresh new tropes mixed in with the familiar, but rising above other talents because they are unafraid to dip their toes into metaphysics and the great existential questions. Rajaniemi manages to create a fun ride along the way with his unabashed love of genre. Or rather, 21st century mash-ups of genre, as with the spy thriller meets ghost story (on a frankly crazy scale) here on display in Summerland.

    Rajaniemi is wildly successful at world building, creating an unsurpassed imagining of an afterlife that doesn’t seem in any way forced, implausible, or cliché. Learning about the Second Aether is a treat I would not spoil for anyone even mildly interested in reading this novel. His characters are finely crafted and robust, with a few exceptions among the supporting characters. He even manages to prevent a male-dominated cast (reflecting the era of the story) from eclipsing the strong female lead. The spy thriller promises more than it can deliver in my estimation, holding a little too closely to the typical beats of such tales. Even so, there are some significant surprises toward the end, worthy of the growing tension and heightened expectation in the reader. The climax and denouement may have been a little too tidy, but satisfying endings are an elusive (and subjective) thing.

    What is truly astounding about this book is how it will confront you with questions about your own beliefs regarding the soul, the afterlife, the ethics of immortality, and so many other interesting concepts. And as you walk past the mirrors of the narrative, correlating ectomail with email and so forth and so on, you may see quite an interesting reflection of our own times and concerns in this highly imaginative and stimulating alternate history genre novel.
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  • Twisted Universe
    3.0 out of 5 stars good but a bit disappointing
    Reviewed in the United States on 18 July 2018
    Verified Purchase
    Thought the Quantum Thief novels the best science fiction of the past ten years or so. Bought this the second it came out. Oh no I thought as I began reading. A spy novel. And a fantasy living dead novel. Worse, as I read on, it was clear that it was an attempt at a 'literary' character driven novel. Something no one except maybe Kim Robinson in the first Mars book was ever able to bring off -- that is write a novel where the characters were close to mainstream literary strong but a novel that still had that science fiction sense of wonder that we all crave.

    But in the breach I found Summerland a serious page turner. Enjoyable. Easy to get through. Emotionally and politically complex. Enough sheer writing talent to make it work. But still. I hope Mr Rajaniemi gets back to writing core science fiction as I believe he is our very best living practitioner of that craft and James Joyce he will never be.
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