Alex James's Blog: AlexJamesNovels Blog - Posts Tagged "technology"

Shadow of a Dead Star is science-fiction cyberpunk, set in a future America called Wonderland, where over-reliance on dark technology fuels society, and sexual and materialistic fantasies are prevalent. Commercial status even determines human rights: the population of Seattle is divided between poverty-ridden Old City, the tumultuous Verge, and the dazzling New City; where lights, advertisements, and simulations overload the senses. I was fully immersed in the opening scenes and the author’s technology of the future was concise and clear. There was no room for ambiguity. After 17%, the writing breaks free from minor rigidity, and then the investigation unfolds with tension.

Federal Agent Walken is the exception, or so he believes; he’s a man of flesh who distrusts the widespread implicit faith in machines. Walken must investigate a case of Princess Dolls, little girls modified into sex toys, a practice that infuriates him. When the Princess Dolls are hijacked, Walken is ordered to investigate dubious sources to trace their location. However, he must work alongside “Civilian” Protection (CivPro) officers: who are unsympathetic and uncooperative because corporate interests masquerade behind most civil and public services. All Walken has is his instincts; and they haven’t let him down yet… I easily sympathised with Walken’s remarkable point-of-view, and liked his tough-guy persona.

Shadow of a Dead Star is a terrifying glimpse into a world where individual independence and initiative has been made obsolete: doors with no handles; administrative workers physically connected to the machines they use; and soldier helmets with view-screens instead of visors. Body “branding” is commonplace. Indeed, faith in machines is absolute to the extent that Walken sees himself alone, apart, and distinct from everybody. For readers worried about the rapid technological invasion in the information age, Shadow of a Dead Star reads like a political statement: cyberpunk realism if you like. Expect a few familiar cyberpunk elements, such as brain-riding (hacking), virtual reality, and an “underground” movement. Many of the main and sub-characters appeared typical of cyberpunk, but with relief the author fast-forwards past all pretence.

The sudden injection of first-person thriller action in the latter half kept me enthralled; it was like a first-person shooter video-game. Don’t expect an average plotline either. Just when you think it’s going to lapse into predictability, it takes a sci-fi/horror twist that is so “out-there” that I was horrified, stunned, and yet fascinated because the conclusion made perfect sense. Shadow of a Dead Star concluded but it didn’t fully end, which is something that will no doubt be cleared up in the sequel. Overall, what an experience! What was life like before this meteor-impact of a novel?

Redeye, sequel to Shadow of a Dead Star, is a cyberpunk novel that speculates on to what extent dependence on machines and automation can have in a worst case scenario, where human bodies are seen only as functions or spare parts in a greater alien (Yathi) system that eludes them.

Bobbi takes centre stage in Redeye, and we see her personal life getting over what happened to partner Tom Walken. When a proficient hacker contacts her with vital information, Bobbi is thrust into a complex web of alien conspiracy, where she will make new well-conceived allies who she is not sure whether to put her trust in. The way Bobbi’s vulnerable, anxious and yet chipper mind worked was fascinating to read and such a contrast to former protagonist Agent Tom Walken’s distrustful and paranoid state. Many of the events in Shadow of a Dead Star were smoothly integrated with Redeye, perhaps painstakingly in the early pages. As soon as Bobbi physically sets out to hack alien sites, the author delivers with outstanding action that fans of classic apocalyptic Philip K Dick science-fiction will love.

Sometimes Bobbi must trust in dubious gifts bestowed by technological god-entities if she is to prevail against the enemy aliens. It is a paroxysm, but maybe an unavoidable one considering the circumstances where hacking and computer code are the basis for alien domination. Redeye shines a real light on how superficial, materialistic, and robotic people appear when they follow trends or adopt technologies they don’t really need, perhaps to show status. ‘The land of meat’ is used to refer to human society as if the computer realm views it with disdain. Ironically, despite all the warnings about digital over-reliance, the main protagonist Bobbi actually prefers the cyber-world of hacking, but is frequently ripped out of it by problems in the ruined world of meat.

Criticism: it took a while to get to the nub of the story; mostly it begins with who Bobbi can trust and this continues well into Redeye. At first I thought the group infiltration into a Yathi base progressed at a snail’s pace, with too many references to past incidents and confrontations with the Yathi in order to understand the current predicament. I see how this was used to add background to what the characters were up against, but I would have preferred present action and confrontation to be the deciding factor in how they unravelled enemy’s complexities. There were many typos, mainly between 25-30%. The author didn’t make clear why the Yathi became as technologically advanced as they were, and the characters’ comprehension of this was at times sketchy. Furthermore, this was the case with the explanations and reasons behind the aliens’ motives and their control of the global communications network. And why do the aliens appear as they do?

Overall, I really liked the balance of speculation, mystery, and action in Redeye. It developed existing ideas much better than Shadow of a Dead Star, fusing classic leader-of-the-underground ideas with an exaggerated balloon of looming ill-will and alien conquest. Every character was interesting, having their histories and characteristics. The thread of strong visual imagination continues in this series, and there is a high likelihood it won’t be too long before I’ll be reading the next.

Bryan Romer’s vampire-werewolf novel is not intended as your typical fantasy-romance, but instead combines science with the legends, infusing it with action of a military calibre. Not being au fait with the vampire-werewolf genre, one of the main and easiest comparisons to make was with the Underworld film series, especially with the action, rivalry, and three-way battle.

There is certainly an early glimpse of something intriguing beneath the surface when the protagonists “change”, and I liked the setting and accompanying introductory ideas of a crash into a cave and discovered alien technology that is linked to alien memories. At this point, I had hoped for something like the Alien films or Prometheus. Unfortunately, these ideas were not developed and explored during this particular novel, and it seemed I was going to be led into the vampire-werewolf romp I had hoped to avoid. For example, there were times when I felt I had to be more acquainted and interested in the genre’s films or books when references were made, of which were numerous.

Vampire-Tech is intense and focuses mainly on action, military martial arts, and has a supernatural kick. In this way, it reminded me of the Underworld film series, but with an established setting and clear progression. The multiple POV worked well in this way, and though we saw through the eyes of many inconsequential characters, it did keep the pace rolling at breakneck speed.

Overall, though Vampire-Tech was not the alien/mystery read I thought I wanted it was well-written with precise technical vocabulary. Sometimes the action was so engrossing that I didn’t much care that I was reading a vampire-werewolf novel, and I even took to a winning quote: “If you believe in werewolves, why don’t you tell me what I am?”

‘Teeny, tiny voice coming up from the crowd of teeny, tiny ant-persons’

‘They’re not normal aliens. They’re recycling aliens.’

Primarily a short story aimed at children, They’re Recycling Aliens is fun, instructive, and imaginative. It combines simple and fun clearly explained technology with adult messages about war and the environment. As a result it can be enjoyed by both adults and children. As an adult I was fascinated in the ideas.

There are clear personality differences between the children, who are of different ages and have their own hobbies. Some of the early scenes reminded me a bit of ‘Honey, I Shrunk the Kids’ film when they become lost in the grass, but this didn’t take anything away from the story’s enjoyment. Soon the children will go on an adventure to Antanesta (ant alien planet), where they learn more about the tensions and culture of the ant aliens. I liked the way Kweezy Capolza’s voice was described: ‘teeny, tiny voice’.