Is an author I tried and failed to read via an computer screen at some point in the past on account of it being a bit like /. [you know, if you don't then tough]
From there a number of books of his have since been published so a trip to library means i could try again.
First to arrive was The family trade. Book one, isbn: 0765348217
The book is fantasy (not a good omen in the monkey house), and Mr Scott Card [a religious loony author] sings its praises on the front cover. Two bad omens but the writing is light and moves along into Charlie Jade (my blog) territory with mafia and no American revolution.
Not too much of the dreaded italics (my blog) and the writing is modern towards the end it falters into rehash mode and does not resolve anything
Not my thing 1/5 bananas.
Next was
Singularity sky isbn:1841493341
This is s/f not the ‘f’ word, and while detailed on shop operation it is a sometime funny book about what ‘progress’* is.
Progress – ape to einstien is ‘information’ and if a society fails to tolerate that and not grow what will happen ? A russian/china like planet is depicted and events then unfold.
3/5 Bananas.
Iron sunrise, isbn:184149335x
Is the next book and uses some of the people in Singularity Sky, although you dont have read that book (see above) first. A fun romp and adventure
5/5 Bananas
Acelerando, isbn: 1841493899
Is the text i gave up on, while astute on matters relating to now in the early bit it feels a bit of stretch and constantly falls back to summary mode.
I don’t think this works as a book, and finishes in a mess of ideas and a simple request.
0/5 bananas too ambitious.
Halting State, isbn: 9781841496658
a spy whodunnit in a fantasy game – strong on the 1984 reference, bit boring towards the end but some interesting observations.
4/5 Bananas
The Jennifer Morgue, isbn: 9781841495705
What if you parodied James Bond as a retard ? that would be so fun, i mean theres the jokes, the toys, and glamourous ladies but used a normal person and made billionaires and the supernatural the villians.
A very witty book and worth the read.
5/5 Bananas
The Atrocity Archives, isbn: 9781841495699
book before Jenifer Morgue . detailing how things got started for Bob Howard, fun romp – action pages slighty dull and you get two short stories interwoven together. Enjoyable but none of the wit of Jenifer Morgue
3/5 Bananas
Saturns Children, isbn: 9781841495675
A romp around the local star system when humans are long extinct. Robots exist and the universe continues and do what the humans did some do better than others. Robots have to obey humans so what if the human was reintroduced ?
We follow a sex bot whom has nothing to pleasure and it raises some interesting questions
4/5 Bananas
Incidentally this is up for the 2009 hugo.
Finally i hit Glasshouse**, isbn: 1841493937
Which some idiot took two months to read before i got it and I then read it in an evening. This book frames the censorship argument from items to people, so it is forward looking and i bet some dictator like operation would love to do that Jaquci Smith (this blog) comes to mind.
Since this deals in memory, anything could happen and the author does just that there’s some gender bending, a discussion of data loss through microsoft formats and what the past might be percieved in.
It is ambitious and it works most of the time, its ending feels rushed but overalla satisfactory read.
3/5 bananas
Happy reading.
- how to make black pudding in zero g ** smashing (joke)
