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The Clockwork Rocket

The Clockwork Rocket

by Greg Egan

First published 2011 · 386 pages · about 6 hours to read

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About this book

A series of strange meteors enters a planetary system, and a world is in danger. Can space travellers from this world, travel in time and space, and return in time with the technology needed to avert the disaster? This is the first book of the Orthogonal trilogy, following the travellers on their mission.

Will you like it?

Readers who enjoy hard science fiction, where the physics drives the plot, will find this a good fit. It suits people who like a large idea set out carefully, with a near-impossible mission across time and space.

  • time travel
  • physics as plot
  • catastrophe and response
  • duty to a home world

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Quick answers

What age is The Clockwork Rocket for?
Adults.
Is The Clockwork Rocket a standalone?
No, it's part of a series.
Is The Clockwork Rocket based on a true story?
No, it's fiction.
Does The Clockwork Rocket have violence, sex or strong language?
Nothing a reader needs warning about.

Written with AI from what's known about the book.

Reader's guide

Themestime travel, physics as plot, catastrophe and response, knowledge across time, duty to a home world

time travel · physics as plot · catastrophe and response · knowledge across time · duty to a home world

StyleClear, controlled prose with a restrained narrative voice. Egan puts a lot of exposition on the page, so the pace depends on how much a reader enjoys technical reasoning. Chapters are of moderate length and the book is about 386 pages.

Clear, controlled prose with a restrained narrative voice. Egan puts a lot of exposition on the page, so the pace depends on how much a reader enjoys technical reasoning. Chapters are of moderate length and the book is about 386 pages.

How it was writtenGreg Egan is an Australian science fiction writer known for hard science fiction that takes physics, mathematics and philosophy seriously, with works such as Permutation City and Diaspora. The Clockwork Rocket was published in 2011 as the first volume of the Orthogonal trilogy, and the other volumes followed in later years.

Greg Egan is an Australian science fiction writer known for hard science fiction that takes physics, mathematics and philosophy seriously, with works such as Permutation City and Diaspora. The Clockwork Rocket was published in 2011 as the first volume of the Orthogonal trilogy, and the other volumes followed in later years.

How it was receivedEgan has a devoted readership among readers who prefer hard science fiction, and the Orthogonal books are valued for their scientific rigour and inventive premise. Readers who want fast action or emotionally driven characters may find the book slower.

Egan has a devoted readership among readers who prefer hard science fiction, and the Orthogonal books are valued for their scientific rigour and inventive premise. Readers who want fast action or emotionally driven characters may find the book slower.

Questions to discussHow much does the book's physics shape what the travellers are able to do?

These may talk about the whole book.

  1. How much does the book's physics shape what the travellers are able to do?
  2. Does the threat of the meteors feel real, and why or why not?
  3. What does it mean for characters to act on knowledge that comes from a different point in time?
  4. How does the choice to leave the story open at the end of this volume affect your reading of it?
  5. Does Egan's emphasis on explanation make the world more or less convincing for you?
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