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The Prefect

The Prefect
The Prefect.jpg
Author Alastair Reynolds
Country United Kingdom
Language English
Series Revelation Space
Genre Science fiction novel
Publisher Gollancz
Publication date
2 April 2007
Media type Print (Hardback)
Pages 512 pp
ISBN
OCLC 76851606
823/.92 22
LC Class PR6068.E95 P74 2007
Preceded by Absolution Gap

The Prefect is a 2007 science fiction novel by Welsh author Alastair Reynolds (). It is the fifth novel set in the Revelation Space universe, and takes place prior to the four previously released Revelation Space novels, but after some of the short stories. It is a standalone novel, containing no characters from any other Revelation Space works. According to a tweet from Alastair Reynolds on August 8th, 2016, a sequel to The Prefect is being worked on, publish date still unknown.

The Prefect is set in the 25th century in the Glitter Band, the realm of thousands of orbital habitats surrounding the planet Yellowstone in the Epsilon Eridani system, and the height of human civilization at the time. Events take place prior to the advent of the Melding Plague that had already ruined the Glitter Band and caused a massive decline in Yellowstone civilization at the time of the other Revelation Space novels. Tom Dreyfus is the titular prefect, a member of a special investigations police force called the Panoply that is responsible for protecting the Glitter Band.

The novel offers a thoroughly in-depth study of future technology, including augmented reality within the Revelation Space universe, due its unique setting in the time-line. Set a century before the devastating effects of the melding plague, the book is able to showcase the golden-age of mankind alluded to in earlier books. The Glitter Band is a group of ten-thousand orbital habitats orbiting Yellowstone with a population of 100-million humans.

All habitats in the glitter band represent a different format of society, all linked by the common right to vote. A giant computer network runs thousands of polls everyday to decide the general actions of the Glitter Band as a whole. Most inhabitants have built in computer routines in their brains that make these decisions for them, making a conscious effort on only the most important polls.


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