Having enjoyed "Hidden Figures" I was jarred by the inevitable "long tail" of web articles, each expressing fresh surprise at a different woman who coHaving enjoyed "Hidden Figures" I was jarred by the inevitable "long tail" of web articles, each expressing fresh surprise at a different woman who contributed to the space program. While real women were practically invisible in the early space program, there have been many (often not well written) "female" characters in science fiction, however there seemed to be almost none in my own favorite genre: alternate history. So once found, I quickly read the short story which forms a postscript for this series and then immediately jumped back to the first and second novels.
Briefly: what a tonic!
After consuming years of swaggery about the early space program, both real and fictionalized, this series had a refreshing angle. It balances on the period correct trials of our hero "The Lady Astronaut," and feels both unique and honest.
The stories begin with a heady problem: how society reacts to a world changing asteroid strike and the decades of environmental problems predicted to follow. These ignite a push into space, but 10-15 years earlier than our own, and far more ambitious. In this fictional world that puts the 50s / 60s stresses of race and gender squarely next to those of funding an enormous space program, and the international political attention both need.
Also worth nothing is that, though technology is not a main character its treated with respect. As an engineer (well, CS and Electrical) I wasn't distracted by gross errors or physics busting assumptions.
Bravo to the author and here's hoping the series is optioned for production. ...more
Enjoyable blend of Sherlock Holmes and steampunk. Only caveat: leaving aside acceptably fantastic inventions, there are glaring technical errors, likeEnjoyable blend of Sherlock Holmes and steampunk. Only caveat: leaving aside acceptably fantastic inventions, there are glaring technical errors, like "iron-framed dirigibles". Suggest the author get an editor with a background in Victorian / Edwardian history and technology. I still believe that Gibson and Sterling did it best in Difference Engine....more
Gibson weaves another dark mystery from the narrow viewpoints of exotic, solitary characters, as they move through a complex "day after tomorrow" alteGibson weaves another dark mystery from the narrow viewpoints of exotic, solitary characters, as they move through a complex "day after tomorrow" alternate present. We follow an ex-Cuban "spy family", shuttling secrets from buyer to seller on iPods, and an ex-rocker now journalist covering a software engineer working with "locative artists". These artists build 3D visual simulations that appear overlaid in a particular place when viewed through Gibson's beloved VR helmet. All of this leads to a believable conclusion derived from the events of the mid-2000's.
The continuity within the rest of Gibson's fiction is considerable. Transfer of iPods anticipates (or recalls) "Johnny Mnemonic". Two major themes in Gibson's "later" stories (actually written a decade ago) show their beginnings. First, the breakdown of national governments and transfer of power to corporations and individual actors. Hubertus of Blue Ant (also in Pattern Recognition) appears to be firmly on that path. The fact that he nominally runs an "ad agency" adds irony. Second, locative art would appear to be the beginning of "cyberspace," which in Gibson's other novels is a primary public interface to computing services. Finally, he mentions a gated religious community in Idaho, echoes again from another story.
Surely these are the man's beloved themes, but for readers of his other books its also fascinating to see this as a bridge or rationalization of "ideas to come" in the earlier stories. As always, I look forward to the next novels, where Mr. Gibson's contemporary past will collide with his historic future....more
Vernor Vinge continues to delight with well-plotted and offbeat SF. Rainbow's End is a tale about loss, growing old and getting a second chance, and hVernor Vinge continues to delight with well-plotted and offbeat SF. Rainbow's End is a tale about loss, growing old and getting a second chance, and how that affects bad family dynamics, along with the usual gobs of interesting speculation about the future. I didn't quite follow the motivation of the main character's changes of heart during the middle of the book, but by the end it came together reasonably well. The greatest strengths of the story are in the utterly believable future world Vinge creates, but this is somewhat dulled by the large number of characters and their complicated and changing relationships. The story also speaks best to people who enjoy and understand enough of current computer technology to recognize the logic of Vinge's extrapolations. But this is typical of SF. Overall, its engrossing and delightful, ending on enough of a positive note to make you wonder about a sequel....more
A towering pillar appears with a crack of thunder in the middle of the swelting jungles of Southeast asia. An inscription on its initially frozen surfA towering pillar appears with a crack of thunder in the middle of the swelting jungles of Southeast asia. An inscription on its initially frozen surface celebrates a victorious battle... but one that has yet to take place. Political and technological responses ensue, as the crisis builds when more "Chronoliths" appear, some crushing major cities in the course of their materialization.
An intriging premise and very cinematic book. Starts quite small and builds well by exploring questions around destiny.
Reminds me a bit of the old SciFi movie The Monolith Monsters []....more
More properly referred to as "steampunk" than sci-fi, and written in Jeter's kinetic style, it follows the hapless son of a famous victorian mechanicaMore properly referred to as "steampunk" than sci-fi, and written in Jeter's kinetic style, it follows the hapless son of a famous victorian mechanical inventor. He's constantly mistaken for his rather more talented father, which ultimately puts him in the middle of a plot to destroy the planet (to clean things up of course) while riding it all out in a pneumatic carriage or some such.
More than almost any other book I've read I'd love to see this made into a feature film....more
Some great alternative history stories in this collection of short stories. I particularly enjoyed the ones about a US space program starting during WSome great alternative history stories in this collection of short stories. I particularly enjoyed the ones about a US space program starting during WW2. If I'm not mistaken one of these stories was expanded later in 'The Tranquility Alternative'....more
[I've read the entire series but this will be my only review.]
I would not recommended this book for younger readers due to disturbing levels of violen[I've read the entire series but this will be my only review.]
I would not recommended this book for younger readers due to disturbing levels of violence and horror imagery. But, if you're an adult fan of horror and science fiction this book is probably your "cup of meat."
On a newly settled colony world a weird accident opens a rift between our dimension and one in which bodiless dead souls wander, hungering for the sensory stimulation denied them. They tempt the living into becoming hosts with promises of power, only to take them over completely and wage war to release more of their kind.
Sounds a bit like the Doom series of videogames eh? This is an even bigger space opera, a considerably thought out universe of cultures smacked with facing a foe which cannot be killed and has powers beyond mortal abilities.
The set starts out very dark and violent, with characters facing utterly hopeless situations one after the other. Its only about midway through the series that things start to look up. It may be hard to get through at times, but it is fun. Toward the end of the series the author puts each character away with quite a bit of care, recognizing that if the reader's gotten this far they would wan that....more
Great alternate history story, in a setting where the US space program starts in earnest during WW2, peaks in the 1970s with a mission to Mars and theGreat alternate history story, in a setting where the US space program starts in earnest during WW2, peaks in the 1970s with a mission to Mars and then fades away with the cold war about the same way the real one did. Beside the background the story is about a lunar base being decommissioned and the intrigue around it....more
A down home tale of a failed astronaut whose life is rotting away in the Florida swamps along with his savant relative Jubal. He crosses paths with a A down home tale of a failed astronaut whose life is rotting away in the Florida swamps along with his savant relative Jubal. He crosses paths with a group of teens about to make serious choices with their future lives and careers, who still look up to him for his past accomplishments. Then Jubal reveals a game-changing discovery that gives everyone some new choices.
Varley's character driven story depends on a classic 'single point suspension of disbelief' regarding new technology. The logline could be: Good old boys go to Mars. Along the way you get an appreciation for how much energy is needed for space travel, and how, if you had a more or less limitless source, some things about space travel would be easier and... different....more
A dark and brutal world where an individual's identity and experience is constantly "backed up" like software on a nearly indestructable device calledA dark and brutal world where an individual's identity and experience is constantly "backed up" like software on a nearly indestructable device called a "stack" embedded in their spinal column.
This novel introduces ex-military, ex-mercenary, ex-everything antihero Takeshi Kovacs, who's identity is pulled out of storage and "resleeved" in a new body to help secure and ultimate solve a crime around a wealthy client.
The idea of human identity being downloadable brings up a large number of questions, outside of the personal ones, much of this novel is driven by how society puts limits around this capability, and "the powers that be" use it to their advantage....more
Takeshi Kovacs, hardboiled mercenary, joins a plan to recover an alien starship, but its located between two fronts in a war where new types of (illegTakeshi Kovacs, hardboiled mercenary, joins a plan to recover an alien starship, but its located between two fronts in a war where new types of (illegal) evolutionary nanoweapons are being used. A number of twists before the ending keep it fresh.
Morgan's writing about Kovacs is a bit more sympathetic in this novel, though the world he inhabits is just as brutal as Altered Carbon. Militaristic Noir?...more
Violent action-packed story about what could happen if conflict intervention were privatized in a future world where resources and quality have life bViolent action-packed story about what could happen if conflict intervention were privatized in a future world where resources and quality have life become enormously constrained. Sort of like "Mad Max" amongst corporate executives who are doing "conflict investment", that is, we'll fund your little government overthrow if you commit to give us, say, 5% of GDP for the next 10 years. The anti-hero main character is a conflicted guy who goes through some changes, and it doesn't really end the way you might expect....more
Loading...
