astronomy

Revelation Space series

Revelation Space series is a astronomy topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Revelation Space series rather than just read about it. In short: The Revelation Space series is a book series created by Alastair Reynolds. The fictional universe is used as the setting for a number of his novels and stories.

Key takeaways

Revelation Space series belongs to astronomy; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Revelation Space series to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Revelation Space series from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

The Revelation Space series is a book series created by Alastair Reynolds. The fictional universe is used as the setting for a number of his novels and stories. Its fictional history follows the human species through various conflicts from the relatively near future (roughly 2200) to approximately 40,000 AD (all the novels to date are set between 2427 and 2858, although certain stories extend beyond this period). It takes its name from Revelation Space (2000), which was the first published novel set in the universe.

Universe The Revelation Space universe is a fictional universe set in a future version of our world, with the addition of a number of extraterrestrial species and advanced technologies that are not necessarily grounded in current science. It is, nonetheless, somewhat "harder" than most examples of space opera, relying to a considerable extent on science Reynolds believes to be possible; in particular, faster-than-light travel is largely absent. Reynolds has said he prefers to keep the science in his fiction plausible, but he will adopt science he believes to be impossible when it is necessary for the story. The name "Revelation Space universe" has been used by Alastair Reynolds in both the introductory text in the collections Diamond Dogs, Turquoise Days and Galactic North, and also on several editions of the novels set in the universe. He considered calling it the "Exordium universe" after a key plot device, but found that the name was already in use. While a great deal of science fiction reflects either very optimistic or dystopian visions of the human future, the Revelation Space universe is notable in that human societies have not developed to either positive or negative extremes. Instead, despite their dramatically advanced technology, they are similar to those of today in terms of their moral ambiguity and mixture of cruelty and decency, corruption and opportunity. The Revelation Space universe contains elements of Lovecraftian horror, with one posthuman entity stating explicitly that some things in the universe are fundamentally beyond human or transhuman understanding. Nevertheless, the main storyline is essentially optimistic, with humans continuing to survive even in a universe that seems fundamentally hostile to intelligent life. The name "Revelation Space" appears in the novel of the same name during Philip Lascaille's account of his visit to Lascaille's Shroud, an anomalous region of the local universe. Lascaille says that "the key" to something momentous "was explained to me ... while I was in Revelation Space."

… excerpt ends here. Continue reading the full article.

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Revelation Space series

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Revelation Space series claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In astronomy, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Revelation Space series before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Revelation Space series ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Revelation Space series

In research: Revelation Space series appears in astronomy research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Revelation Space series in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Revelation Space series is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Book series introduced in 2000, Fiction about artificial intelligence, Fiction about consciousness transfer, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Revelation Space series outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

Ask Teacher Smith questions about this articleOpens your AI tutor with a question about “Revelation Space series” →

Affiliate

Preply — study more efficiently by working with a personal tutor. 50% off.

How to study Revelation Space series in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Revelation Space series means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Revelation Space series out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Revelation Space series in simple terms?

The Revelation Space series is a book series created by Alastair Reynolds. The fictional universe is used as the setting for a number of his novels and stories.

Why does Revelation Space series matter?

Because it connects several astronomy ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Revelation Space series?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Revelation Space series.