The Quantum Thief
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The Quantum Thief
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Narrated by:
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Rupert Degas
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By:
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Hannu Rajaniemi
About this listen
The Quantum Thief is a dazzling hard SF novel set in the solar system of the far future - a heist novel peopled by bizarre post-humans but powered by very human motives of betrayal, revenge and jealousy. It is a stunning debut. Jean le Flambeur is a post-human criminal, mind burglar, confidence artist and trickster. His origins are shrouded in mystery, but his exploits are known throughout the Heterarchy - from breaking into the vast Zeusbrains of the Inner System to steal their thoughts, to stealing rare Earth antiques from the aristocrats of the Moving Cities of Mars. Except that Jean made one mistake. Now he is condemned to play endless variations of a game-theoretic riddle in the vast virtual jail of the Axelrod Archons - the Dilemma Prison - against countless copies of himself. Jean's routine of death, defection and cooperation is upset by the arrival of Mieli and her spidership, Perhonen.
2011, John W. Campbell Memorial Award, Short-listed
©2010 Hannu Rajaniemi (P)2011 Orion Publishing Group LtdWhat listeners say about The Quantum Thief
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- James Nagata
- 22-11-2017
Loved it
Fantastic narration of a marvellous and densely plotted book. highly recommend you pick this one up.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Sam Price
- 08-11-2017
Quite brilliant
Great production, voice acting, effects, music and a mesmerising universe. An excellent meditation on layered reality and privacy.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Ken K
- 13-03-2025
A 5-Star Mind Heist
Some books take you by the hand, gently easing you into their world. The Quantum Thief kicks you through the door, tosses jargon-laced grenades at your feet, and expects you to keep up. And honestly? I loved every second of it.
Hannu Rajaniemi delivers something truly original, an audacious blend of high-concept sci-fi, heist thriller, and detective noir, all wrapped in a writing style that’s equal parts elegant, cerebral, and delightfully unapologetic. No clunky exposition dumps here; you’re expected to sink or swim in a world where privacy is a currency (gevulot is pure genius), time is literal money, and consciousness itself is just another commodity to be stolen, traded, or hacked.
The worldbuilding is staggering, packed with details that make the setting feel alive. Martian beggars as living relics, gogol pirates who hijack minds, slow-moving giant robots that exist for reasons beyond our understanding. Every page brims with concepts that feel fresh, yet completely cohesive. And the genre mixing? Flawless. A high-stakes sci-fi romp laced with the best elements of detective fiction, all tied together by Jean le Flambeur, a thief with a past so tangled even he doesn’t know what he’s done.
Criticisms? None. Comparisons? Hardly any. Rajaniemi’s work feels like its own thing, a rare feat in a genre that thrives on echoes of the past. This is the kind of book that reminds you why sci-fi exists, to boggle the mind, expand the imagination, and make you work just a little bit harder for the payoff.
Five stars. Would happily be conned by Jean le Flambeur again. Shame the sequel The Fractal Prince isn't on Audible. Guess I'll have to read it myself, shock horror.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Eugenio Carvajal
- 02-05-2018
Interesting story but a bit confusing
Good story, full of interesting characters, places and concepts. Loved the mix of high tech, futurism and classic scenarios.
The performance of Rupert Degas was exceptional, really brings life to the multitude of characters.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- geekdan
- 11-07-2022
An intriguing post-human tale and caveat for AU
Like another review said, the audio, especially early on wasn't good / clear (and I download at high quality). The story itself is great exploring what post-singularity humanity, consciousness and 'being' could look like.
Utterly fascinating, though I can understand the concepts can be heavy going if you're not prepared for consciousness being a thing uploaded, downloaded and copied.
Now for the caveat. The rest of the series is not available in the Australian region. If Audible or the publishers ever note these reviews, it would be great if the next books were available beyond the USA.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Margaret
- 16-10-2017
Excellent but not for doing housework
Degas is excellent. Story had lots of strange concepts that are hard to pickup. #usethewiki
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Overall1 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story1 out of 5 stars
- Tim
- 18-09-2019
could hear it
Really bad audio ... am returning - just couldn't understand it - first book in ages i have struck like this
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2 people found this helpful