No, there aren't any pedophiles. It's kind of a "WTF?" review, though he's right that the characters are all pretty creepy. (But not pedophile-creepy.)
The Peter Watts that will (partially) get you inside the mind of a pedophile is Starfish. It's a cracking read, but as always, when you're reading Watts you're getting deep into the psyches of very unpleasant people.
I guess there are no really likable characters like there are in, IDK, Heinlein (99% why I keep coming back to Heinlein, honestly) but I think people like Amanda Bates are fairly likable. Susan James, ditto, Isaac Szpindel, Chelsea is definitely sympathetic. Siri's father, his friend, they all seem pretty good people--this isn't a book I'd point to and say it's got unlikable characters. (For that, I would like to point ALL my fingers at Wuthering Heights. That book stretched my tolerance to its breaking point.) I dunno. Admittedly, the scramblers and the kind of existential emptiness that Watts employs kills a lot of the cozy human factor, but the humans seem fairly average on the sympathetic/kill with fire front. They have to be, after all, to contrast with the scramblers and with Sarasti.
Though Siri's POV is also a contributing factor. He so clearly does not get it that it's easy to transfer that to the other characters.
Regarding the crucifixion glitch: to me that was one of the most ridiculous parts of the book, but it's the kind of ridiculous that I guess I can rationalize with "truth is stranger than fiction" and accept Watts' explanation regarding naturally occurring right angles.
PS have you read Reynolds recently? If you have, has he progressed past the cardboard character thing yet? (I love the science part of his novels, but the characterization really got to me and I couldn't face reading the rest of his books.)
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Though Siri's POV is also a contributing factor. He so clearly does not get it that it's easy to transfer that to the other characters.
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PS have you read Reynolds recently? If you have, has he progressed past the cardboard character thing yet? (I love the science part of his novels, but the characterization really got to me and I couldn't face reading the rest of his books.)
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