Helpful Score: 2
I'm 12 chapters in and this just isn't grabbing me. I'm returning it to the library.
The quick summary: Greg Bear tries to emulate Greg Egan and lacks the charm.
The quick summary: Greg Bear tries to emulate Greg Egan and lacks the charm.
A massively competent, complete, compelling story; a combination of eschatological science and obscure mythology, mixed with F&SF alien cultures, Dying Earth images, and the power of the book to dispel ignorance -- but it's complicated. I thought about keeping note cards of the places and the characters; the author tells you whenever and wherever but it's still a challenge. And at the end: if you follow the mythology of cats, you'll no doubt think, Of course, but if you are one who knows and lives with cats, more likely you'll wonder, Why the cats? Felis ex machina?
A very competently done mainstream political thriller. It actually reminded me quite a lot of 'Cobweb,' but less quirky.
As in Cobweb, the threat is that Bioterror is Happening Right Here in the USA! Here, the bio-crap involves a nutty racist religious cult, a loner psycho, and a genetically messed-up, emotionally disturbed, AWOL FBI agent, who are trying to convince Israelis and Arabs separately that their product can genetically target their racial enemies for death.
Although, as I said, this book is competently written (and done in such a way that the inherent conservative politics are not too obtrusive or disturbing to the readers' experience), what I think was a big flaw in this book is the "monsterizing" of terrorism. The bad guys in this story are pretty much portrayed as being BORN abnormal or evil - they're genetic freaks, and this is kinda blamed for their evil.
This allows for a simple, black-and-white story, but really avoids the necessity of talking about the real issues involved - why, in reality, real people come to do evil things.
As in Cobweb, the threat is that Bioterror is Happening Right Here in the USA! Here, the bio-crap involves a nutty racist religious cult, a loner psycho, and a genetically messed-up, emotionally disturbed, AWOL FBI agent, who are trying to convince Israelis and Arabs separately that their product can genetically target their racial enemies for death.
Although, as I said, this book is competently written (and done in such a way that the inherent conservative politics are not too obtrusive or disturbing to the readers' experience), what I think was a big flaw in this book is the "monsterizing" of terrorism. The bad guys in this story are pretty much portrayed as being BORN abnormal or evil - they're genetic freaks, and this is kinda blamed for their evil.
This allows for a simple, black-and-white story, but really avoids the necessity of talking about the real issues involved - why, in reality, real people come to do evil things.
I'm 12 chapters in and this just isn't grabbing me. I'm returning it to the library.
The quick summary: Greg Bear tries to emulate Greg Egan and lacks the charm.
The quick summary: Greg Bear tries to emulate Greg Egan and lacks the charm.
