Overview
The Revelation Space universe is set in a future version of our world, with the addition of a number of extraterrestrial species and advanced technologies that are not necessarily grounded in current science. It is nonetheless somewhat "harder" than most examples of space opera, relying to a considerable extent on science Reynolds believes to be possible; in particular, faster-than-light travel is absent. Reynolds has said he prefers to keep the science in his fiction plausible, but he will adopt science he believes will be impossible when it is necessary for the story.
While a great deal of science fiction reflects either very optimistic or dystopian visions of the human future, the Revelation Space universe is notable in that human societies have not departed to either positive or negative extremes, but instead are similar to those of today in terms of moral ambiguity and a mixture of cruelty and decency, corruption and opportunity, despite their technology being dramatically advanced.
The Revelation Space universe contains elements of Lovecraftian horror, with one posthuman entity stating explicitly that some things in the universe are fundamentally beyond human or transhuman understanding. Despite this, the main storyline is essentially optimistic, with humans continuing to survive even in a universe which seems fundamentally hostile to intelligent life.
The name "Revelation Space" comes from Sylveste's visit to Lascaille's Shroud where he describes entering a "revelation space" during his mysterious encounter with the Shrouders. Sylveste is one of the main characters in the novel Revelation Space, and the Shrouders an ancient alien race in the same book.
Read more about this topic: Revelation Space Universe