The Casting of Einstein's Dice Paperback – 14 Nov. 2011

This is an entertaining and thought provoking read. It uses the vehicle of science fiction to describe how religeon, science and politics interact within an alien society. This first book in a series focuses more on religous fundamentalism and the challenges this brings to the inhabitants of their world. In addition the use of humour doesn't fail to bring a smile to ones face.

This is a book of vast ambition and scope. Science fiction is the only way the author could convey the complexities of the ideas contained in this novel. Everything is covered from the need we have to balance science and religion, the dangers we have of viewing them as enemies; to the subjugation of women and the collapse of the environment.The dialogue is dense and the exposition complex but the author conveys such complicated narrative ideas that you find yourself drawn into the story as it rides the wave of the new worlds he creates.It begins with a perfectly ordinary family of mother and son, who live in a rambling old house in England. Nicholas is a young man who finds himself on a mission to save the family home but soon ends up having to consider saving an entire world. The alienness of that world, joined to ours through a quantum link, is very well conceived. The intelligent beings are wonderfully different and reminiscent of some of the work China Mieville and Stephen Baxter produce. This novel combines the science fiction of one author with the fantasy of the other.A story full of brave ideas and concepts, it is definitely one I'll make a note of in order to buy the next instalment. A new author worth watching.

One is very quickly immersed in Owen's created world and characters of Ipri-Axis. It is populated with recognisable people and issues. It is easy to see in their society the parallels to the problems that extremes of religion have created in our own world such as social division based on gender, political in-fighting for personal gain and power its own sake.I was very much reminded of the type of books that got me reading sci-fi in the first place; briskly paced, accessible and believable characters, and social issues that have been a constant throughout our own history. I am eagerly looking forward to the next instalment.