Hilldiggers by Neal Asher (Polity Universe #15)

Hilldiggers by Neal Asher

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



Jacket blurb: "In Neal Asher's Hilldiggers, during a war between two planets in the same solar system – each occupied by adapted humans – what is thought to be a cosmic superstring is discovered. After being cut, this object collapses into four cylindrical pieces, each about the size of a tube train. Each is densely packed with either alien technology or some kind of life. They are placed for safety in three ozark cylinders of a massively secure space station. There a female research scientist subsequently falls pregnant, and gives birth to quads. Then she commits suicide – but why?

By the end of the war one of the contesting planets has been devastated by the hilldiggers – giant space dreadnoughts employing weapons capable of creating mountain ranges. The quads have meanwhile grown up and are assuming positions of power in the post-war society. One of them will eventually gain control of the awesome hilldiggers . . ."

I noted in the title that Hilldiggers is #15 in the Polity Universe and this is based upon the chronology of the books. However, Hilldiggers can be read as a standalone as it's not part of a specific series (Scatterjay, Agent Cormac, Owners, Jain, etc). Which yes, is a bit confusing because when you've read enough Asher books, you want to tie it into something and this selection doesn't.

And as usual with one of his books, there is no expedient way to summarize two planets long at war, a Polity emissary, a strange and inexplicable Worm contained at the space station, an interfering AI, and how all of this fits together. So I won't.

Overall, I enjoyed Hilldiggers. I liked the rotating points of view between three of the four siblings, the AI Tigger, and McCrooger. As with most Asher books, there are fascinating plot twists, interesting technology, subtle and not so subtle commentary on the state of the universe (or politics closer to home), and strange alien beings.

What I didn't care for were the chapters from Haralds - one of the four siblings - point of view. For myself, I found these repetitious, perhaps bordering on annoying, and eventually I started skipping to the last paragraph to get the gist of that segment and moving on. Did I feel I lost anything in the overarching scheme of the book? Not at all.

Recommended if you like Neal Asher books. I do recommended this selection if you've been debating about trying one of Asher's books. It would be a way to sample without having to deal with one of his trilogies.



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