Schismatrix by Bruce Sterling is a book I had put aside as “Cyberpunk” (written in the mid-80’s? check. “Matrix” in title? check) to be read later. Tell you what – it’s not. Instead it’s a classic (in the best of meanings) Sterling story describing the life and development of a protagonist (Abelard Malcolm Tyler Lindsay, thanks for asking), this time against the backdrop of humanity’s development as a race (cue endless wars and fads that come and go).
The setting is a familiar one – humanity has made the jump from earth into space, has spread across circumlunar space, and has stalled at this point. Instead of spreading further it has broken into fragments and splinters, and has started fighting amongst its factions again. The main development topic (again a classic Sterling interest) is life extension and the way humanity modifies itself. There are two warring factions – firstly the Shapers, who modify their bodies and minds through genetic engineering and biological-symbiotic techniques involving micro-organisms; and secondly the mechs, who extend their lifetime and change their bodies through bio-mechanical and cybernetic means. The ongoing conflict between these two main philosophies drives humanity’s development to higher forms of organizations and awareness. Add aliens that are either completely incomprehensible and/or totally disinterested in humanity (a very realistic touch IMHO), and you’ve got the perfect setting for the last Sterling speciality to manifest in this novel: Societies, and their structures and organizations.
Justina Robson is a British SF Author, with, as this is written, 9 novels to her name. Down to the Bone is the (so far?) final installment in her popular venture into Urban Fantasy territory with the Quantum Gravity series – most of her other books are more in the classical SF/Space Opera mould.
And a word of warning – the below deals with the final book in a series, so will, per default, contain spoilers for the 4 books that went before. If you feel that this might/will spoil your enjoyment of these previous books then stop now, and go enjoy those first - they are worth your time!
The story picks up shortly after the point where Chasing The Dragon left off – we're back in Otopia, Xaviendra is held prisoner in a special cell (created originally by Sarasilient who she claims to be her father), and reality, including the walls between the different worlds, is breaking up at an ever increasing rate. Lila still wears Tatterdemalion, Teazle is definitely the Angel of Death now, Max is still back from the dead, and now Sarasilien is back, with a clone of Sandra Lane in tow – and, to top things off, Arie is now in Otopia (after apparently being spat out by the Dragon who ate her), and Alfheim has gone dark. Incommunicando. Off the map. And so Sarasilient wants our heroes to go and investigate... I won't spill more of the story (inasmuch as there is in this book – see below), but let's just say that, of course, there have to be bigger/older/more premival forces to come into play yet again to top the last round. And no-one seems to know much about them except myths, whispered scare stories, and re-written history.
EscapePod has published an online readable version of Ferrett Steinmetz's short story "Run," Bakri Says on their website. This was originally published in Asimov's last October, but appears now to be available for general consumption on the open Internet - to the benefit of all, I have to say after reading the story!
"Run," Bakri Says plays in a scenario where the inventor of some technological breakthrough, who also is a Bomb/IED making specialist in some unnamed insurgency, has been caught up in a general round-up by the American soldiers. It plays in real life, on Video Games, and on how time travel could, just could, turn real life into some kind of Video Game if you had save points you could go back to...
It's unsettling, it's thought provoking, and it's rather well executed. A candidate for an award, I would think...
This is a re-post of an old review of Peter Watts' Starfish, previously published on the now-defunct Diversebooks site. Peter Watts is a Canadian Bio/Hard SF Author, with 6 novels, a collection of stories, and a Campbell and a Hugo Award nomination to his name. And, in my opinion, one of the truly amazing new voices in SF!
Humanity’s hunger for energy has grown bigger and bigger. To prop up the failing supplies a new technology is introduced: energy generated by the earth, at the very faultlines where the continental shelves connect, split, and grind against each other. Supervising the generators in the midst of hot vents, lava eruptions, and oversized nightmarish undersea monsters are a group of human ‘rifters’; divers technologically modified to withstand the intense pressure and able to breathe underwater.
Tom Williams is an English writer, living in London. Cawnpore is his 2nd Novel, following the 2010 release of The White Rajah (review here). It follows again the fictitious John Williamson, this time, as the title suggests, against a setting in East India Company controlled India. Cawnpore is, again, presented as an account written – but not published, due to its content – by John Williamson. I'm not sure if this conceit had to be extended to the Author's preface, but let's indulge him here...
What I object to then, (to join in the make-believe) is that, besides apparently keeping Williamson's old-fashioned spelling of names (great) and standardising all spelling (ok) he removed the Victorianstyle, long narrative chapter headings (shame, I love those) of the purported original manuscript!
The story picks up where The White Rajah left off, i.e. in Singapore, from where Williamson travels to India, and takes up a job with the East India Company (of which John Brooke didn't have a particularly high opinion) as a Deputy Collector in Cawnpore. The rest is history, as they say (literally, in this case); witnessed and brought to life, from within and as an external observer, by Williamson.
It is free to read - I would suggest that, if you enjoy this, you donate something or buy the app to keep him going!
The story now kicks off well and truly in the parallel Wormworld - to me this had quite a lot of the feel (but a completely different look) of Jeff Smith's Bone stories.
If you haven't read the first two instalments then follow the link at the top of the page to take you there.
