Given that Charles Stross has ben publishing his award-winning Laundry Files since 2004, and is 12 books and a number of short stories and novellas into it I don't think anybody needs an introduction to it. Never mind that the book at hand, Quantum of Nightmares, is a sequel in it's own subset (New Management) of the larger setting. Should all of this have passed you by, though, I have 2 pieces of good news for you – firstly, you don't need to have read the entire body of work to enjoy the New Management sequence, it happily stands on it's own (you want to start with the first book, though, called Dead Lies Dreaming). And secondly – but should you be interested in, the whole shebang is clever, entertaining, and in my opinion very much worth your time.
But let's talk about Quantum of Nightmares, the topic for today's ruminations. It is, as said above, the second book in the New Management series, the sequel to Dead Lies Dreaming, and it feels like the author barely caught his breath in-between. Yes, Rupert is dead and gone (or is he?), and Eve Starkey is now, by dint of having been his Executive Secretary with full access, in charge of the Bigge Corporation (but is she?). What she definitely is, though, as she finds out to her dismay, is married to Rupert; and his chattel, at least according to the ancient legal system on the island nation of Skaro, where the Bigge Corporation is domiciled. Wendy Deere is still settling into her new job, and trying to stay out of the mess that Eve's brother Imp and his gang of Lost Boys is – tricky if your girlfriend is part of this, of course, or if your investigations inevitably lead back to a scheme Rupert set in motion long ago with some only-slightly-grottier-than-real UK supermarket chain called FlavorsMart. Where recently human DNA has started showing up in the meat produce 3D printed from MRM. Yum.
Ok, here's an older one for the fans and aficionados:
Are You For 86? is a Leggy Starlitz short story by Bruce Sterling - this time helping radical feminist pro choice phone phreak activists to smuggle a French developed abortion pill through a Japanese female rock band in Salt Lake City. And if you think this sounds - over the top? messy? too many idea per sentence? then you'd be spot on. Like other Leggy Starlitz stories this has any number of funky concepts, improbable developments, and fascinating ideas sparkling off it, as hit and miss as such a sintered composition can be, of course.
Although, IMHO, this is just a riotous fun as all the other Leggy Starlitz stories I've read, so do give it a go, and don't be deterred by its age.
The picture on the right is the Mormon Meteor, as referenced in the story (the Wikipedia article linked below has a picture of the Duisenburg Special instead - this is the Mormon Meteor II)
Neal Asher is a British SF writer who divides his time between Essex and Crete, and who meanwhile has 21 novels (18 of which are set in his Polity universe, where The Human also belongs) and 8 collections to his name. Of course, these numbers also depends a bit on how you count, so give and take a few... let's just say that he's been prolific, and is showing no signs of slowing down.
The Polity is, in a nutshell, an AI governed (who took control of human affairs during the 'Quiet War') sphere of human (et al) influence spanning the thickness of the galaxy, but not containing all of humanity spread across the stars, in contact (sometimes even without too much conflict) with alien entities and their spheres of control.
The Rise of the Jain trilogy deals with, as the title states, a resurgence of the believed-dead ancient alien race called the Jain (nothing to do with the religion of the same name, a rather unfortunate naming IMHO), and the developments, struggles, and outright battles this brings. The books in the trilogy are called The Soldier, The Warship, and The Human. As this is the review for the final book in the trilogy it will, without any doubt, contain spoilers for the previous two.
Neom is a tech wonderland for the rich and beautiful, an urban sprawl along the Red Sea; and a port of call between Earth and the stars. Now, that of course is the mammoth metropolitan area in the story, which on the one hand is set quite a bit into the future, but on the other hand in a recognisable extension of our world. In our world, our time, Neom is an airport, some building sites, and a dream in a Sheikh’s head, displayed to the world in a website and a number of promo videos. But what a dream it is!
This is Lavie Tidhar’s second novel set in his ever expanding ‘Central Station’ universe (the post-script sets out a number of short stories which also loosely connect). He is a British Science Fiction, British Fantasy, and World Fantasy Award winner, his work spans literature, SF, Fantasy, Graphic Novels as well as editing the Best of World SF anthologies.
In contrast to Central Station, the earlier novel that this is based on, Neom is much less of a Patchwork Novel. The story segments are still playing off each other, are trading topics and threads like a well-versed chamber orchestra. But the hand-overs are much smoother and much more hidden in the flow and telling of the story, though.
Well, here's a refreshing and surprising change - not only is Critical Mass by Peter Watts not in itself a dystopian story (although it's set in a world with pandemics, and the climate going to pieces - no idea where he might get ideas like that from), but it also has what I consider a rather positive and upbeat ending.
Plus - the main protagonist is a fading artist, and his struggles with his gradual loss of relevance - never mind the fact that someone is on the warpath and trashing his pieces out in the world - is again an interesting departure from the author's more usual soldier/scientist/outcast templates.
Published in the July 22 issue of Lightspeed Magazine - see link below to read the story, or listen to it.
The art piece on the right is by the Israeli artist Eli Shukry, and only associated with the story in my mind.
Well, here we go again with a non-fiction volume, and on a topic close to my heart. Robert Zubrin's (and Richard Wagner's) The Case for Mars - The Plan to Settle the Red Planet and Why We Must was originally published 20 years ago - a duration which used to be an eternity in space developments and progress, and which seems to have mainly seen stand-still now, at least on the human exploration front. But a disclaimer first, before everyone gets offended - I'm an interested (very) amateur, so my reading and opinions here are based on my limited knowledge from outside the space industry and science community, and without the historic background other people have. If you know more than me then I'd be more than happy to add your opinion/explanations (as long as printable) to my efforts - the contact form is on the left, and worked last time the spammers tried! Dr Robert Zubrin in an American aerospace engineer, and space advocate, with a heavy personal investment in getting human space exploration re-started, and humanity to Mars. You can find substantial materials by him on the Internet and in print, and there are presentations by him on the topic on YouTube should you be interested after reading this!
Back to the book at hand - this kicks off with a foreword by Arthur C Clarke, including his address to the future Martians which was sent with the Russian Mars Lander in 1996. He closes with: "The choice, as Wells once said, is the Universe - or nothing... The challenge of the great spaces between the worlds is a stupendous one; but if we fail to meet it, the story of our race will be drawing to its close. Humanity will have turned its back upon the still untrodden heights and will be descending again the long slope that stretches, across a thousand million years of time, down to the shores of the primeval sea." Beyond that we get a Foreword, a Preface, 10 chapters of core content, an Epiloge, a Glossary, a list of Notes and References, and an Index; making this a very well appointed and structured book indeed.
