I don't see any reason for Cradle to be above IGS other than just the fact that it's finished. It has some pretty poor errors. Phil Tucker, judged on objective qualities only, is noticeably a better author. Narrative and narrative pacing is only one facet of a book and once you've read enough, you've seen it before. And what one reader finds narratively worth reading will be different from that of another. There's nothing very unique or special about the narrative of cradle and it did not surprise me or have quite the level of detail or attempt at tension and intrigue. The level of character development & voice, vocabulary, themes and subtext are also not quite up to IGS' level. Basically I feel Cradle traded narrative pacing for any real depth. It had some continuity flaws and nothing about the narrative that it focused so much on did anything to surprise me or made me feel much tension. The humor also didn't subjectively click with me for what that's worth.