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Queen of Angels #4
Slant
The "reigning master of hard-edge science fiction takes a chilling look at the plausible near-future" in this cyberpunk sequel to Queen of Angels (Seattle Post-Intelligencer).
In the second half of the twenty-first century, nanotechnology has transformed every aspect of society. Humans can now change their abilities, their appearance, their very bodies on microscopic level. Advanced psychotherapy seems to have wiped away violence and illness. The world is sane and in balance.
However, that balance teeters with the grisly murder of two prostitutes and a series of suicides. Soon, public defender Mary Cho's investigation finds a dark danger lurking in the recesses of the "dataflow." Entertainment, virtual pornography, neo-Luddite separatists, an unknown artificial intelligence—everything seems to be intertwined in a vast conspiracy. As technology fails so too does the society perched high atop it. Perfection is a high pedestal from which to fall.
In the second half of the twenty-first century, nanotechnology has transformed every aspect of society. Humans can now change their abilities, their appearance, their very bodies on microscopic level. Advanced psychotherapy seems to have wiped away violence and illness. The world is sane and in balance.
However, that balance teeters with the grisly murder of two prostitutes and a series of suicides. Soon, public defender Mary Cho's investigation finds a dark danger lurking in the recesses of the "dataflow." Entertainment, virtual pornography, neo-Luddite separatists, an unknown artificial intelligence—everything seems to be intertwined in a vast conspiracy. As technology fails so too does the society perched high atop it. Perfection is a high pedestal from which to fall.
513 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1997
115 people are currently reading
1245 people want to read
About the author
Greg Bear
228 books2,094 followersGreg Bear was an American writer and illustrator best known for science fiction. His work covered themes of galactic conflict (Forge of God books), parallel universes (The Way series), consciousness and cultural practices (Queen of Angels), and accelerated evolution (Blood Music, Darwin’s Radio, and Darwin’s Children). His last work was the 2021 novel The Unfinished Land. Greg Bear wrote over 50 books in total.
(For a more complete biography, see Wikipedia.)
(For a more complete biography, see Wikipedia.)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 97 reviews
January 18, 2010
High time for a quick read, I headed to the science fiction section at the used bookstore and picked up Slant, as Greg Bear has made it onto my list of trusted authors. Despite that, the first noteworthy thought I had reading this book was "Please, dear Greg, no more writing sex scenes!" I was a tad concerned when sex/porn turned out to be rather central to the plot, but the most cringe-worthy moment had passed and I was soon absorbed by the story.
Basic idea -- it's 60ish years in the future. The internet dominates modern life. It has advanced to allow direct plug-ins that let the user see, fell, etc. the experiences of others -- live or recorded. This has taken over the economy. Those who produce popular content make money, those who only consume struggle. Also important is that large sections of the population have been "therapied" -- destructive/non-functional brain circuits are physically repaired by nanites.
I would not place this among Bear's strongest works, though there are many interesting ideas here. Commentary on the internet, elitism, runaway capitalism. Bear's female characters are starting to feel a little similar, but at least they're smart, powerful, and allowed to have relationships with each other, so I'll give him a pass for now.
Give it a read if you're a fan of Greg Bear. If you haven't read him before, start with Darwin's Radio or Moving Mars.
Basic idea -- it's 60ish years in the future. The internet dominates modern life. It has advanced to allow direct plug-ins that let the user see, fell, etc. the experiences of others -- live or recorded. This has taken over the economy. Those who produce popular content make money, those who only consume struggle. Also important is that large sections of the population have been "therapied" -- destructive/non-functional brain circuits are physically repaired by nanites.
I would not place this among Bear's strongest works, though there are many interesting ideas here. Commentary on the internet, elitism, runaway capitalism. Bear's female characters are starting to feel a little similar, but at least they're smart, powerful, and allowed to have relationships with each other, so I'll give him a pass for now.
Give it a read if you're a fan of Greg Bear. If you haven't read him before, start with Darwin's Radio or Moving Mars.
August 16, 2015
Heavily read and re-read. I want to make it into a screenplay!!
April 6, 2021
Storyline: 2/5
Characters: 2/5
Writing Style: 3/5
World: 4/5
Let’s start with something that is not Bear’s fault: the promotional blurb on the cover. The New York Daily News promoted Slant, calling it a “dense and tense novel…” That is misleading insofar as it was neither dense nor tense (although it was indeed a novel).
Now, let’s proceed to something that is Bear’s fault: Slant is neither a dense nor a tense novel (It is, to its credit, still a novel). Bear knows his science. He knows what fiction elements are arresting. He has proven over his long writing career that he is adept at thoughtful, imaginative, and compelling science fiction ideas. This series, in fact, has featured some great science fiction ideas. Slant, however, was a surprisingly docile read. There was little that was challenging in structure or content. The science fiction ideas—bold ones, even—were there but always seemed more like background. Perhaps the greatest disappointment with the story was never in feeling the significance of the science fiction ideas. Everything was a little too casual, and some density would have gone a long way toward establishing gravity.
Next, tense. The story proceeds with an alternating viewpoint between a large number of characters. In fact, great chunks of pages would need to be turned before one revisits a character and their subplot. This keeps readers curious but also at a distance, our needing to wait a long time to follow up on promised events. Definitely not tense. In fact, it is not tension that slowly builds up but certainty. Bear makes the odd decision to reveal to readers what is happening before he lets the various narrators comprehend it. We, with the knowledge of multiple viewpoints, can see what they in their limited views cannot. Whatever anticipation most of the book holds, it does so in our waiting for the characters to catch up to us. Unusual, curious perhaps, definitely not tense.
One will not be surprised to learn that Bear was 46 years old when this was published. Despite the large cast of characters with very different lives, most tended toward middle-age malcontents, dissatisfied with their sex life. One could just tell that Bear was sticking his mid-life reevaluations and reflections into every character, so that no matter their age, sex, profession, or experience, they all were marked as artificial creations from the same author. One such character would have been a positive addition to the story. The pervasiveness of the theme and its forced presence distracted from the story and repeatedly called to mind the identity of the author, making it difficult to really enter the story and live it.
The three Queen of Angels books prior to this were loosely enough related that one could read them out of order, skip some entirely, or even read them not knowing they were part of a series. Slant is different, following more directly from the first in the series. None of the actual events of the first really matter for the plot of this fourth, but readers are reintroduced to characters we’ve seen before, and those having read Queen of Angels will have some background context that while not necessary, fills in some gaps and explains some motivations. In one way this was enjoyable, finally seeing connections get made. In another way, it is unfortunate that after three books, Bear abandons the loosely-linked universe format and goes instead for a sequel. Perhaps had the payoff had been greater, it would have been worthwhile. The characters from the first did not need to be in this fourth, however. Nothing that happened in the earlier ones was necessary for what happens here. Unfortunately, it became clear that Bear was not building up to something with the series (or, in particular, with this sequel) as much as he was simply writing a new story with a shared base.
The world is the best part of the story, but somehow those portions often faded into the background and easily got lost. The politics of the age made sense but seemed more like caricature. The theme of the therapied and naturals was really nice speculative fiction in Queen of Angels, but Bear does not add depth or implication to it here. It all made for some mild entertainment but an underwhelming finale. The ending to these last three, quite good science fiction books deserved better than Slant.
Characters: 2/5
Writing Style: 3/5
World: 4/5
Let’s start with something that is not Bear’s fault: the promotional blurb on the cover. The New York Daily News promoted Slant, calling it a “dense and tense novel…” That is misleading insofar as it was neither dense nor tense (although it was indeed a novel).
Now, let’s proceed to something that is Bear’s fault: Slant is neither a dense nor a tense novel (It is, to its credit, still a novel). Bear knows his science. He knows what fiction elements are arresting. He has proven over his long writing career that he is adept at thoughtful, imaginative, and compelling science fiction ideas. This series, in fact, has featured some great science fiction ideas. Slant, however, was a surprisingly docile read. There was little that was challenging in structure or content. The science fiction ideas—bold ones, even—were there but always seemed more like background. Perhaps the greatest disappointment with the story was never in feeling the significance of the science fiction ideas. Everything was a little too casual, and some density would have gone a long way toward establishing gravity.
Next, tense. The story proceeds with an alternating viewpoint between a large number of characters. In fact, great chunks of pages would need to be turned before one revisits a character and their subplot. This keeps readers curious but also at a distance, our needing to wait a long time to follow up on promised events. Definitely not tense. In fact, it is not tension that slowly builds up but certainty. Bear makes the odd decision to reveal to readers what is happening before he lets the various narrators comprehend it. We, with the knowledge of multiple viewpoints, can see what they in their limited views cannot. Whatever anticipation most of the book holds, it does so in our waiting for the characters to catch up to us. Unusual, curious perhaps, definitely not tense.
One will not be surprised to learn that Bear was 46 years old when this was published. Despite the large cast of characters with very different lives, most tended toward middle-age malcontents, dissatisfied with their sex life. One could just tell that Bear was sticking his mid-life reevaluations and reflections into every character, so that no matter their age, sex, profession, or experience, they all were marked as artificial creations from the same author. One such character would have been a positive addition to the story. The pervasiveness of the theme and its forced presence distracted from the story and repeatedly called to mind the identity of the author, making it difficult to really enter the story and live it.
The three Queen of Angels books prior to this were loosely enough related that one could read them out of order, skip some entirely, or even read them not knowing they were part of a series. Slant is different, following more directly from the first in the series. None of the actual events of the first really matter for the plot of this fourth, but readers are reintroduced to characters we’ve seen before, and those having read Queen of Angels will have some background context that while not necessary, fills in some gaps and explains some motivations. In one way this was enjoyable, finally seeing connections get made. In another way, it is unfortunate that after three books, Bear abandons the loosely-linked universe format and goes instead for a sequel. Perhaps had the payoff had been greater, it would have been worthwhile. The characters from the first did not need to be in this fourth, however. Nothing that happened in the earlier ones was necessary for what happens here. Unfortunately, it became clear that Bear was not building up to something with the series (or, in particular, with this sequel) as much as he was simply writing a new story with a shared base.
The world is the best part of the story, but somehow those portions often faded into the background and easily got lost. The politics of the age made sense but seemed more like caricature. The theme of the therapied and naturals was really nice speculative fiction in Queen of Angels, but Bear does not add depth or implication to it here. It all made for some mild entertainment but an underwhelming finale. The ending to these last three, quite good science fiction books deserved better than Slant.
October 31, 2016
I need to compare intra-book year dates because this one started out a bit confusing. You end the last book with Mars doing it's dance and then you are back at what I can only guess is after Queen of Angels--which...is just a tad confusing.
Let's abstract then and just dove-tail it behind book #1. Yay, makes a bunch more sense. It's been a little time but not a lot and we rejoin Choy, Martain, Jill and new cast members. We return to a world in confusion and something dark unfurling the human condition that was thought to be truly conditioned.
Once again we dive into the shady realm of humanity, it's goals, it's desires, fabrications, truths, perceptions, and more.
As an aside I think this entire series would make a great 3+ year television series. QoA #3 would be a great mini-movie segway tucked in there. Otherwise I felt episodic shows as I read most of these books that would translate very easily. Most of what is envisioned is person-to-person relationships and psyche dives. Not a huge 'future-tek' 3d investment needed. Random digression I agree, but thought I'd share.
So! A lot of energy to start, something to go wrong, something going wrong, thinkers getting lost thinking, good-ol-boys both high level and low level types trying to 'preserve' their spaces through all sorts of in the end, idiocy, but how it is wrought is deep enough to give you understanding. However, like Bear does with most of his books not deep enough to give you a rock solid foundation. You get enough to get by, maybe a pinch more on some tougher concepts and then that's all you need--let's 'roll that beautiful bean footage.'
I think we are done here though. The characters feel at rest. The story has an end. The world has both its past and its future to create but that will not be done here. If you want another good novel and you've traveled this far I think you'll enjoy it. I would however ponder stuffing this in behind the first book if you want more continuity of story. FWIW.
Let's abstract then and just dove-tail it behind book #1. Yay, makes a bunch more sense. It's been a little time but not a lot and we rejoin Choy, Martain, Jill and new cast members. We return to a world in confusion and something dark unfurling the human condition that was thought to be truly conditioned.
Once again we dive into the shady realm of humanity, it's goals, it's desires, fabrications, truths, perceptions, and more.
As an aside I think this entire series would make a great 3+ year television series. QoA #3 would be a great mini-movie segway tucked in there. Otherwise I felt episodic shows as I read most of these books that would translate very easily. Most of what is envisioned is person-to-person relationships and psyche dives. Not a huge 'future-tek' 3d investment needed. Random digression I agree, but thought I'd share.
So! A lot of energy to start, something to go wrong, something going wrong, thinkers getting lost thinking, good-ol-boys both high level and low level types trying to 'preserve' their spaces through all sorts of in the end, idiocy, but how it is wrought is deep enough to give you understanding. However, like Bear does with most of his books not deep enough to give you a rock solid foundation. You get enough to get by, maybe a pinch more on some tougher concepts and then that's all you need--let's 'roll that beautiful bean footage.'
I think we are done here though. The characters feel at rest. The story has an end. The world has both its past and its future to create but that will not be done here. If you want another good novel and you've traveled this far I think you'll enjoy it. I would however ponder stuffing this in behind the first book if you want more continuity of story. FWIW.
August 15, 2014
-Cuando el fondo es más importante que el frente.-
Género. Ciencia-Ficción.
Lo que nos cuenta. En un futuro no muy lejano, en la segunda mitad del siglo XXI, en el que la nanotecnología lo ha cambiado todo a muchísimos niveles de la sociedad e incluso casi a la esencia de las propias personas, las vidas de un ex militar metido en labores ilegales, una conocida sexartista, un psiquiatra especializado en terapia de casos rechazados por sus colegas, una inteligencia artificial autoconsciente llena de preguntas y una policía que está revirtiendo muchos de los cambios a los que se sometió se van a cruzar de una u otra forma. Novela que transcurre en el mismo marco que “Reina de los ángeles” pero no una continuación propiamente dicha, por más que compartan algún personaje.
¿Quiere saber más de este libro, sin spoilers? Visite:
http://librosdeolethros.blogspot.com/...
Género. Ciencia-Ficción.
Lo que nos cuenta. En un futuro no muy lejano, en la segunda mitad del siglo XXI, en el que la nanotecnología lo ha cambiado todo a muchísimos niveles de la sociedad e incluso casi a la esencia de las propias personas, las vidas de un ex militar metido en labores ilegales, una conocida sexartista, un psiquiatra especializado en terapia de casos rechazados por sus colegas, una inteligencia artificial autoconsciente llena de preguntas y una policía que está revirtiendo muchos de los cambios a los que se sometió se van a cruzar de una u otra forma. Novela que transcurre en el mismo marco que “Reina de los ángeles” pero no una continuación propiamente dicha, por más que compartan algún personaje.
¿Quiere saber más de este libro, sin spoilers? Visite:
http://librosdeolethros.blogspot.com/...
January 17, 2010
I think I would have enjoyed this better if I had read the first book. The story stand alone fairly well but there are a lot of references to things that happened before that I felt I would benefit from having more info about. I'm not going to spoil it so I'm just going to say that the premise, the cause of why people are having problems, didn't make sense to me. I have some experience with people who have the modern day version and I can't imagine why the person who started it all would have made that choice. I know in the back of the book he says it's fictional but really, it has to be based on some kind of reality or don't use the name at all. Maybe it would have made more sense if I'd read the original book.
July 25, 2011
Slant is the 4th novel written by Greg Bear in the setting he introduced in the novel Queen of Angels - an Earth which has been transformed by nanotechnology. In internal chronology, it is the second of the 4 novels, so I chose to read it right after finishing Queen of Angels.
Slant is, in a word, excellent. Where the story in QoA occasionally dragged, Slant's story is a high energy, fast paced page turner. The story takes place several years after the events of QoA. Three of the main characters from Queen of Angels return in Slant - Mary Choy, the transform public defender; Martin Burke, a pioneering but disgraced therapist; and Jill, the world's first and foremost sentient thinker (AI). As the story unfolds, Mary and Martin each find themselves investigating symptoms of a potential epidemic. Jill, meanwhile, has been contacted by Roddy - a thinker that is apparently not based on the algorithms that gave Jill sentience, and a complete mystery to Jill. The 4th main storyline follows Jack Giffey, a highly competent saboteur who feels driven to take down Omphalos - a building designed by an elite society to store its members cryogenically frozen bodies.
I found each of the main storylines compelling, and Bear does an excellent job of weaving them together. Giffey's story, in particular, kept me glued to the pages as it describes his high tech, nanotechnology fueled attack against Omphalos.
Great story, great ideas, great read. I am looking forward to reading Heads (the third novel by internal chronology).
Slant is, in a word, excellent. Where the story in QoA occasionally dragged, Slant's story is a high energy, fast paced page turner. The story takes place several years after the events of QoA. Three of the main characters from Queen of Angels return in Slant - Mary Choy, the transform public defender; Martin Burke, a pioneering but disgraced therapist; and Jill, the world's first and foremost sentient thinker (AI). As the story unfolds, Mary and Martin each find themselves investigating symptoms of a potential epidemic. Jill, meanwhile, has been contacted by Roddy - a thinker that is apparently not based on the algorithms that gave Jill sentience, and a complete mystery to Jill. The 4th main storyline follows Jack Giffey, a highly competent saboteur who feels driven to take down Omphalos - a building designed by an elite society to store its members cryogenically frozen bodies.
I found each of the main storylines compelling, and Bear does an excellent job of weaving them together. Giffey's story, in particular, kept me glued to the pages as it describes his high tech, nanotechnology fueled attack against Omphalos.
Great story, great ideas, great read. I am looking forward to reading Heads (the third novel by internal chronology).
July 4, 2017
Written in the 1990s, Greg Bear envisioned a twenty-first century in which Disney would produce porn, intellectuals would give lectures on sex, and a creepy old man hitting on a 20-something-year-old waitress results in the girl being taken aback, because no old guy has EVER hit on her at her job before, and gleefully has sex with him that very night. Yuck.
This book had some characters I liked and some interesting ideas, but it was overshadowed by what the author seems to have been doing with his free hand while typing this story with the other. Look, I'm not squeamish about sex: I'm a fan of porn parodies. But this book was supposed to be serious, and every other scene was either someone having sex, or someone giving a lecture on sex, or people talking about sex, or the narrator comparing something to a private part or something else I'd rather not mention. Oh, and minus a star for that creepy-as-hell Gary Stu Giffy (I think his name was?).
Okay I have to admit, looking back on this book, it's pretty hilarious. But it was a lot less funny when I was pushing through 300 + pages of lifeless, humorless porn. I'll stick to Seduction Cinemas thank you very much.
This book had some characters I liked and some interesting ideas, but it was overshadowed by what the author seems to have been doing with his free hand while typing this story with the other. Look, I'm not squeamish about sex: I'm a fan of porn parodies. But this book was supposed to be serious, and every other scene was either someone having sex, or someone giving a lecture on sex, or people talking about sex, or the narrator comparing something to a private part or something else I'd rather not mention. Oh, and minus a star for that creepy-as-hell Gary Stu Giffy (I think his name was?).
Okay I have to admit, looking back on this book, it's pretty hilarious. But it was a lot less funny when I was pushing through 300 + pages of lifeless, humorless porn. I'll stick to Seduction Cinemas thank you very much.
March 27, 2011
I am still not entirely sure what this novel is about. It is a near future tale, with few traditional SciFi space trappings. I enjoyed it quite a bit, and my final conclusion is that Bear is writing about societal trends that may appear in the future, in particular the impact of the very rich wanting to live for a very long time. Not nearly as epic as Eon and Eternity, it is nevertheless a solid work.
http://www.books.rosboch.net/?p=440
http://www.books.rosboch.net/?p=440
August 2, 2016
Slant, by Greg Bear, is a sequel (of sorts) to Queen of Angels.
Could you read this without reading QOA? Sure you can. Should you? Not really, because this book jumps right into the fray of the world built in the first book. This review is only a mild spoiler type of situation, so if you would like to know nothing, stop here and know I like the book. That’s it.
Slant doesn’t feature a lot of characters from the earlier book, but does feature our symbolic Queen of Angels, Mary Choy, scientist turned sort of outcast, Martin Burke, and, interestingly, the AI (called a Thinker in Bear’s fictional universe here) Jill. The rest of the people of this tale are people both powerful and little guys. The story revolves around a full on conspiracy by the rich, powerful, and “mentally” pure, to destroy civilization and recreate society out of the ashes.
What is interesting in this tale are the peripheral story lines revolving around and meeting in the center of this main story.
For instance, there is also a secret government plot to stop – yes to stop – the plot by the wealthy and powerful. What is fascinating here is the reason the government feels it is best to war on the powerful in secret.
Another plot revolves around a woman who can only be described as a porn actress of sorts (though truth be told she is much more intrusively famous than that label would imply) who becomes embroiled in the world spanning plot. She also becomes in short order by the end of this book, the almost literal lifeline to Mary Choy.
There is also a story line revolving around a married couple that is having some…wow…serious, problems. Their story also will bear on the main story. This is classic Greg Bear, as story’s that don’t seem to have much in common, bring characters together at a breakneck pace by the end of the book.
Another interesting thing is how the elite create their world spanning plot, for lack of a better phrase, on the cheap! Yes on the cheap! They find an evil genius that is unstable and disdainful of those elites even though she works for them, just as they are disdainfully looking down their collective noses at her, their main tool. I think that if anything, it feels more…real…to have a bunch of incredibly wealthy business elite (they even call themselves the Aristos) try to save money while destroying civilization!
This is an amazing story to tell the truth and after it gets going (this is Bear after all) this is a, can’t put it down story.
Could you read this without reading QOA? Sure you can. Should you? Not really, because this book jumps right into the fray of the world built in the first book. This review is only a mild spoiler type of situation, so if you would like to know nothing, stop here and know I like the book. That’s it.
Slant doesn’t feature a lot of characters from the earlier book, but does feature our symbolic Queen of Angels, Mary Choy, scientist turned sort of outcast, Martin Burke, and, interestingly, the AI (called a Thinker in Bear’s fictional universe here) Jill. The rest of the people of this tale are people both powerful and little guys. The story revolves around a full on conspiracy by the rich, powerful, and “mentally” pure, to destroy civilization and recreate society out of the ashes.
What is interesting in this tale are the peripheral story lines revolving around and meeting in the center of this main story.
For instance, there is also a secret government plot to stop – yes to stop – the plot by the wealthy and powerful. What is fascinating here is the reason the government feels it is best to war on the powerful in secret.
Another plot revolves around a woman who can only be described as a porn actress of sorts (though truth be told she is much more intrusively famous than that label would imply) who becomes embroiled in the world spanning plot. She also becomes in short order by the end of this book, the almost literal lifeline to Mary Choy.
There is also a story line revolving around a married couple that is having some…wow…serious, problems. Their story also will bear on the main story. This is classic Greg Bear, as story’s that don’t seem to have much in common, bring characters together at a breakneck pace by the end of the book.
Another interesting thing is how the elite create their world spanning plot, for lack of a better phrase, on the cheap! Yes on the cheap! They find an evil genius that is unstable and disdainful of those elites even though she works for them, just as they are disdainfully looking down their collective noses at her, their main tool. I think that if anything, it feels more…real…to have a bunch of incredibly wealthy business elite (they even call themselves the Aristos) try to save money while destroying civilization!
This is an amazing story to tell the truth and after it gets going (this is Bear after all) this is a, can’t put it down story.
September 21, 2009
Questioning moral of the story: Is life worth living if it's without some strife?
Slant is not, strictly speaking, the second in a series, but follows the events and several characters from Queen of Angels. Although Slant is a better story than its in-universe predecessor, sadly you need to read QofA to really be able to easily fall into the story. As others have reviewed here, Bear does not explain most of the background information, language and culture of this near-future world. So things like hellcrowning, Emmanuel Goldsmith, Hispanolia, the combs, transforms, history of Jill, etc, will be left mostly to your imagination if you haven't started with QofA.
At any rate, Slant is a fairly tight story in typical Bear fashion. Several (7, 8, or 9?) relatively unconnected threads of story-line are followed in each chapter until they slowly start to intertwine and connect until there is a testosterone-laden cyberpunk confrontation. I quite liked some of the concepts: the lego-like nano-spray, the "thinker" computer, the conservatism/religious reaction to the state of the world, the therapied vs. high-natural castes, and the personal and societal consequences of living a perfectly healthy, therapied life.
Neat stuff, but not so well executed in the overall plot line. There were too many initial story-threads, several of which were given short-shrift. I think he could have accomplished the same story line while stropping or integrating some of the threads. I was also disappointed that the idea of physical transforms, so important to QofA is mostly ignored in Slant. Lastly, the all-out cyber-warfare-porn was just not my cup of tea, and I found myself getting lost amongst the yeasty smells, heat and smoke.
If you're trying out Greg Bear for the first time, give Slant a miss. Go for Darwin's Radio instead.
Slant is not, strictly speaking, the second in a series, but follows the events and several characters from Queen of Angels. Although Slant is a better story than its in-universe predecessor, sadly you need to read QofA to really be able to easily fall into the story. As others have reviewed here, Bear does not explain most of the background information, language and culture of this near-future world. So things like hellcrowning, Emmanuel Goldsmith, Hispanolia, the combs, transforms, history of Jill, etc, will be left mostly to your imagination if you haven't started with QofA.
At any rate, Slant is a fairly tight story in typical Bear fashion. Several (7, 8, or 9?) relatively unconnected threads of story-line are followed in each chapter until they slowly start to intertwine and connect until there is a testosterone-laden cyberpunk confrontation. I quite liked some of the concepts: the lego-like nano-spray, the "thinker" computer, the conservatism/religious reaction to the state of the world, the therapied vs. high-natural castes, and the personal and societal consequences of living a perfectly healthy, therapied life.
Neat stuff, but not so well executed in the overall plot line. There were too many initial story-threads, several of which were given short-shrift. I think he could have accomplished the same story line while stropping or integrating some of the threads. I was also disappointed that the idea of physical transforms, so important to QofA is mostly ignored in Slant. Lastly, the all-out cyber-warfare-porn was just not my cup of tea, and I found myself getting lost amongst the yeasty smells, heat and smoke.
If you're trying out Greg Bear for the first time, give Slant a miss. Go for Darwin's Radio instead.
August 29, 2013
Slant is set in an all-too-possible future United States where people are constantly hooked (often physically) into an advanced version of the Internet and it is routine to undergo mental therapy, mediated and maintained by nanobots that float freely in one's bloodstream till the end of their days. Dataflow rules all, and people are generally consumed by information. Immortality is within reach ... or so a group of wealthy "Untherapied" aristocrats believes.
There is a lot going on in Slant, and that can be as much downside as bonus. It takes a while to get into the main storyline. The perspective jumps from character to character to character throughout the book, and this is especially confusing throughout the first Part. At first the threads are unconnected--is Bear simply weaving a setting for us to enjoy? Laying out themes to ponder and a cautionary tale of what humanity might become in fifty or fewer years? But sure enough, eventually the threads criss-cross, then merge into a focused storyline, which covers the latter third of the novel.
Overall, this is a solid piece of science fiction that's worth a read. But, I would advise being prepared to read in larger chunks--at first, you will need to in order to keep the plotlines straight; later, you'll just want to keep reading to find out how it all is going to play out.
There is a lot going on in Slant, and that can be as much downside as bonus. It takes a while to get into the main storyline. The perspective jumps from character to character to character throughout the book, and this is especially confusing throughout the first Part. At first the threads are unconnected--is Bear simply weaving a setting for us to enjoy? Laying out themes to ponder and a cautionary tale of what humanity might become in fifty or fewer years? But sure enough, eventually the threads criss-cross, then merge into a focused storyline, which covers the latter third of the novel.
Overall, this is a solid piece of science fiction that's worth a read. But, I would advise being prepared to read in larger chunks--at first, you will need to in order to keep the plotlines straight; later, you'll just want to keep reading to find out how it all is going to play out.
February 13, 2012
SLANT is well written and has lots of cool futuristic lingo which takes forever to figure out, plus an ensemble cast of characters whom I constantly had to try and remember each time there was a POV shift.
Greg Bear makes an interesting sociological observation about how pornography and the instant gratification mentality so prevalent today is a risky, and potentially destructive one.
But I found my interest lagging toward the end. I ended up reading really, really quickly through the big climax chapter so that I could get to the end, see what became of each character, and then move on to my next book.
If you're a huge Greg Bear fan but haven't read SLANT, give it a read. It does have a lot of sexy scenes. It also forecasts where technology will be in another fifty years or so, particularly how nanotechnology will have evolved and infiltrated its way into our culture; how our culture will become ever-more interlaced with media and the endless stream of data, and how companies like Disney will be making the ultimate virtual reality porn. I found this look into the future to be the most enjoyable aspect of SLANT, rather then the plot itself.
Greg Bear makes an interesting sociological observation about how pornography and the instant gratification mentality so prevalent today is a risky, and potentially destructive one.
But I found my interest lagging toward the end. I ended up reading really, really quickly through the big climax chapter so that I could get to the end, see what became of each character, and then move on to my next book.
If you're a huge Greg Bear fan but haven't read SLANT, give it a read. It does have a lot of sexy scenes. It also forecasts where technology will be in another fifty years or so, particularly how nanotechnology will have evolved and infiltrated its way into our culture; how our culture will become ever-more interlaced with media and the endless stream of data, and how companies like Disney will be making the ultimate virtual reality porn. I found this look into the future to be the most enjoyable aspect of SLANT, rather then the plot itself.
April 29, 2012
Brilliant and scintillating possible future that seems all too tangible a reality when read a decade after its first publication. Depending upon your own personal slant, you will either be horrified or anticipatory of the technology presented in this story.
Possible futures based upon current world trends fascinate me. Books written when certain types of technology are in their infancy; those that seem to be a self-fulfilling prophecy 10 years later on; are a fantastic read, almost a horror story where you can see a tangible reality forming. Some readers will find it difficult to read but the trick is to suspend your need to understand every nuance immediately. Either understanding will come later or you will get bogged down in something created solely to lend a depth of reality and a specific tone to the overall story unfolding.
Different in style but along a similar predictive future theme I also enjoyed and recommend
David BrinEarth
Possible futures based upon current world trends fascinate me. Books written when certain types of technology are in their infancy; those that seem to be a self-fulfilling prophecy 10 years later on; are a fantastic read, almost a horror story where you can see a tangible reality forming. Some readers will find it difficult to read but the trick is to suspend your need to understand every nuance immediately. Either understanding will come later or you will get bogged down in something created solely to lend a depth of reality and a specific tone to the overall story unfolding.
Different in style but along a similar predictive future theme I also enjoyed and recommend
David BrinEarth
September 29, 2013
Slant, is a aequel to Queen of Angels, but, I would say, is much less ambitious and also a much better book.
Policewoman Mary Choy is back, after a few life changes (divorce, move from LA to Seattle, job change). When she's called on to assist in an investigation of sex workers killed through botched back-alley nanotech operations, she does not expect to be launched into a far-reaching conspiracy to bring down society. But a billionaire investor's mysterious suicide, a virtual-reality murder, and an unprecedented epidemic of mental disturbances and general crime all seem to be somehow related...
With diverse characters that include a has-been porn star, a scientist with self-induced Tourette's syndrome, a renegade AI, and a heist mastermind without a past, Bear discusses many of the same themes as in the previous book, but in the context of a complex, entertaining and action-filled novel.
Policewoman Mary Choy is back, after a few life changes (divorce, move from LA to Seattle, job change). When she's called on to assist in an investigation of sex workers killed through botched back-alley nanotech operations, she does not expect to be launched into a far-reaching conspiracy to bring down society. But a billionaire investor's mysterious suicide, a virtual-reality murder, and an unprecedented epidemic of mental disturbances and general crime all seem to be somehow related...
With diverse characters that include a has-been porn star, a scientist with self-induced Tourette's syndrome, a renegade AI, and a heist mastermind without a past, Bear discusses many of the same themes as in the previous book, but in the context of a complex, entertaining and action-filled novel.
July 28, 2011
This was really bad - ok - a couple of good ideas - but dreadful prose and completely unlikeable/ forgettable characterization. And his BIG idea is just - WRONG! - the writer talks about autopoietic systems, but he has confused these with morphogenetic processes. He has obviously read a tiny bit of science, and got the wrong end of the stick - and since this is the entire point of the book ..... its a tiny bit disturbing that the writer doesn't understand what he is attempting to write about. embarrassing mr bear! I wish SF editors employed a tame science grad to filter the shit that gets through!!!"
February 2, 2016
If you're not thoroughly steeped in hard sci-fi idiom and technological understanding, don't even try.
If you're a braniac who seeks bragging rights for having fought through a dense, intricate and challenging novel, don't make excuses. Just read it.
I wasn't aware when I picked this up that it's the fourth in a series. Now I have to find the others and read them, in order. Bear doesn't insult your intelligence. He doesn't offer exposition or explication or definitions. He just throws you, a hapless real-world Fry, into the future, and expects you to figure out the slang, the labels, the meanings on your own.
Enjoy.
If you're a braniac who seeks bragging rights for having fought through a dense, intricate and challenging novel, don't make excuses. Just read it.
I wasn't aware when I picked this up that it's the fourth in a series. Now I have to find the others and read them, in order. Bear doesn't insult your intelligence. He doesn't offer exposition or explication or definitions. He just throws you, a hapless real-world Fry, into the future, and expects you to figure out the slang, the labels, the meanings on your own.
Enjoy.
August 9, 2020
Changed My Mind
I started this book some time ago and could not finish. Coming back to it I finished and rated it a 5. So I guess you have to be in the right mood. It’s story still hangs together even though it’s future is today our past. This is because the characters are believable and act in a consistent manner.
I started this book some time ago and could not finish. Coming back to it I finished and rated it a 5. So I guess you have to be in the right mood. It’s story still hangs together even though it’s future is today our past. This is because the characters are believable and act in a consistent manner.
April 2, 2021
Me gustó más la primera vez que lo leí (entonces 3 estrellas). La primera mitad del libro es un lío que parece no llevar a ninguna parte.
November 2, 2012
Had to abandon this...I was never sure what I was reading, who was doing it, and why all the sex (I think) seemed so yucky.
November 14, 2021
I have read and admired a lot of Greg Bear's work in the past. If you want to get into him (which I encourage) I want to discourage you from starting here. For that matter, I think he's a much better short story writer than a novelist. Go with something shorter like Blood Music or Hardfought, not a 500 page tome like this monster.
There's so much that's brilliant about this book with all its ideas about nanotech, complexity theory and artificial intelligence, that I really wanted to like it. Unfortunately, it's defects are simply too substantial to overlook. Spoiler alert for a thirty some odd year old book you'll probably never read.
The problem with this book is with its characters. First, there are too many of them. Secondly, they are all the wrong characters from a storytelling standpoint. Now let me unpack each of these.
There are seven POV characters in the book, each of which is given roughly equal weight in the story. This means that there's no psychological center for the book. There's too much "head hopping" from one character to the other, which disrupts any possible sense of intimacy or rapport we might develop with any of these people. And that means that they're a gallery of faceless ciphers.
Secondly, what do I mean when I say that they're the wrong characters? I mean that no one out of this cacophony of voices has any agency in the story. The story, btw, is kind of cool and concerns a group of asshole billionaires who contract a brilliant female scientist to devise an advanced artificial intelligence using bacteria as its computational substrate. The scientist is then to use this AI to devise this insane virus to give everyone in the world Tourettes, which will cause society to collapse, and end the world. Then the rich assholes will come ouf of their cryogenic slumber and inherit the earth.
The problem here is that Bear's POV characters are all really far from the center of the action. The female scientist, for example, is not a POV character, but her ex-boyfriend is for some reason, despite the fact that he has nothing to do with the story, i.e. he could be eliminated without changing anything. The AI who is being used in this evil scheme isn't a POV character, but this other AI who gets taken over by the first AI is for some reason. So we never get to be inside the head of the character who's actions are pushing the story along; we only get to hear about them from someone who is a passive observer along for the ride.
I can't imagine a more perverse narrative strategy for a writer to take.
Anyway, let's go over the POV character's individually.
Nathan, ex-boyfriend of the mad scientist mentioned above. Designed the AI Jill. Notices weird stuff happening and goes looking for his exgirlfriend the mad scientist. He doesn't stop her though. She basically gives up without a fight.
Jill, the AI taken over by the AI named Roddy; seems to be there to witness Roddy's actions.
Giffey, mercenary who's there to raid the fortress of the rich assholes; however his identity if false and he was clearly sent there by some top secret government agency or something, someone trying to accomplish something. Who? We never find out, and Giffey doesn't know either.
Mary. police officer. Peripherally related to the story, but there for some reason. Does nothing.
Alice. Porn actor who is in the wrong place at the wrong time and almost dies. Does nothing significant. Whines a lot about being miserable.
Martin. Therapist who gives us a bird's eye view of the weird string of psychological breakdowns that start effecting people in this supposedly perfectly balanced utopia.
Jonathan. An engineer who tries to join up with the rich assholes. Eventually he changes his mind and smashes a computer with a pickaxe, but this is after the mad scientist has decided she screwed up and starts shutting everything down. So he does nothing significant either.
There's so much that's brilliant about this book with all its ideas about nanotech, complexity theory and artificial intelligence, that I really wanted to like it. Unfortunately, it's defects are simply too substantial to overlook. Spoiler alert for a thirty some odd year old book you'll probably never read.
The problem with this book is with its characters. First, there are too many of them. Secondly, they are all the wrong characters from a storytelling standpoint. Now let me unpack each of these.
There are seven POV characters in the book, each of which is given roughly equal weight in the story. This means that there's no psychological center for the book. There's too much "head hopping" from one character to the other, which disrupts any possible sense of intimacy or rapport we might develop with any of these people. And that means that they're a gallery of faceless ciphers.
Secondly, what do I mean when I say that they're the wrong characters? I mean that no one out of this cacophony of voices has any agency in the story. The story, btw, is kind of cool and concerns a group of asshole billionaires who contract a brilliant female scientist to devise an advanced artificial intelligence using bacteria as its computational substrate. The scientist is then to use this AI to devise this insane virus to give everyone in the world Tourettes, which will cause society to collapse, and end the world. Then the rich assholes will come ouf of their cryogenic slumber and inherit the earth.
The problem here is that Bear's POV characters are all really far from the center of the action. The female scientist, for example, is not a POV character, but her ex-boyfriend is for some reason, despite the fact that he has nothing to do with the story, i.e. he could be eliminated without changing anything. The AI who is being used in this evil scheme isn't a POV character, but this other AI who gets taken over by the first AI is for some reason. So we never get to be inside the head of the character who's actions are pushing the story along; we only get to hear about them from someone who is a passive observer along for the ride.
I can't imagine a more perverse narrative strategy for a writer to take.
Anyway, let's go over the POV character's individually.
Nathan, ex-boyfriend of the mad scientist mentioned above. Designed the AI Jill. Notices weird stuff happening and goes looking for his exgirlfriend the mad scientist. He doesn't stop her though. She basically gives up without a fight.
Jill, the AI taken over by the AI named Roddy; seems to be there to witness Roddy's actions.
Giffey, mercenary who's there to raid the fortress of the rich assholes; however his identity if false and he was clearly sent there by some top secret government agency or something, someone trying to accomplish something. Who? We never find out, and Giffey doesn't know either.
Mary. police officer. Peripherally related to the story, but there for some reason. Does nothing.
Alice. Porn actor who is in the wrong place at the wrong time and almost dies. Does nothing significant. Whines a lot about being miserable.
Martin. Therapist who gives us a bird's eye view of the weird string of psychological breakdowns that start effecting people in this supposedly perfectly balanced utopia.
Jonathan. An engineer who tries to join up with the rich assholes. Eventually he changes his mind and smashes a computer with a pickaxe, but this is after the mad scientist has decided she screwed up and starts shutting everything down. So he does nothing significant either.
February 23, 2022
Characters and plot development: 2 stars
Universe building: 4 stars
Underlying philosophy: WTF
Do me please the favour of tolerating a small personal indiscretion, for the sake of further clarity down the road of this review. Many, many years ago, I finally gathered the courage to send The Great Love Of My Life on his merry way, explaining to him that, looking back, it was clear to me that we had been mutually toxic for virtually all the fifteen years of our relationship, and also that I had felt empty, un-loved, in need of more respect and trust, and desperately lonely for the best part of it. I also reminded him of how he was so unhappy himself that he had been constantly threatening to break up and complaining about my shortcomings for years. His answer was a boyish, pained look of disbelief and the unforgettable statement: "Why? Why do you want to throw it all away?! I AM SO HAPPY WITH YOU..."
Yes, he did. And yes, he probably was.
Great world-building and disappointing plot development with some glimpses of interest seem to be signatures of Greg Bear's narrative style. So is the veiled sexism poking out the futuristic sexual freedom like nettles through the fabric of an old blanket.
Here the first chapters promise a whole lot, that is not delivered by the end of the novel. The AI story arc is compelling and well concluded, while many other characters fizzle out running around without purpose after being introduced as main actors in the plot. One of them even opens one the introductory chapters only to be carried around as a dead weight, while another seems to be the protagonist, but in the end is just there to be substantially tortured by the plot, and to let readers revel into the aforementioned gorgeous world-building. Maybe even to show how women are fragile, but I am not sure about that.
Possibly the most unnerving quirk of Greg Bear's novels is the streak of sexism and broken psychology that makes some characters and their choices feel like a glitch in the matrix. One of the main plot devices arises from the necessity, for a woman scientist, to MODIFY HER OWN BRAIN BECAUSE THE FEMALE BRAIN IS NOT CREATIVE ENOUGH TO GIVE HER AN EDGE AS A RESEARCHER. Yes, you just read that. It's not all, and here we get to the reason for my little dirty confession above. One of the main characters is an insufferable, holier-than-thou, arrogant, puritan American yuppie convinced that life, wife, children and society at large all owe him more than they gave him. The Great Love Of My Life and our break-up exchange came immediately to my mind. Oh boy, did I savour his fall from grace (or the apocalyptic damage he may cause if victorious). I am a long-hating green monster, I know. By the way, much to my dismay, it became clear half-way through the novel that he was the good guy all along. We are even treated to a molassey happy family ending. People, Greg Bear IDENTIFIES with this guy. Shivers of uneasiness and cringe. Long, painful soul-searching and questioning of my literary choices and taste. Conclusion: I know I will go looking for the first installment of the series (this book is a stand-alone, but I understand it takes part in a longer story arc). This man Bear builds worlds so well. I will just write it down to Guilty Pleasures, together with watching dr. Phil videos on You Tube and reading the Guardian, knowing it will infuriate me.
Today I learned that there is such a thing as hate-reading.
Universe building: 4 stars
Underlying philosophy: WTF
Do me please the favour of tolerating a small personal indiscretion, for the sake of further clarity down the road of this review. Many, many years ago, I finally gathered the courage to send The Great Love Of My Life on his merry way, explaining to him that, looking back, it was clear to me that we had been mutually toxic for virtually all the fifteen years of our relationship, and also that I had felt empty, un-loved, in need of more respect and trust, and desperately lonely for the best part of it. I also reminded him of how he was so unhappy himself that he had been constantly threatening to break up and complaining about my shortcomings for years. His answer was a boyish, pained look of disbelief and the unforgettable statement: "Why? Why do you want to throw it all away?! I AM SO HAPPY WITH YOU..."
Yes, he did. And yes, he probably was.
Great world-building and disappointing plot development with some glimpses of interest seem to be signatures of Greg Bear's narrative style. So is the veiled sexism poking out the futuristic sexual freedom like nettles through the fabric of an old blanket.
Here the first chapters promise a whole lot, that is not delivered by the end of the novel. The AI story arc is compelling and well concluded, while many other characters fizzle out running around without purpose after being introduced as main actors in the plot. One of them even opens one the introductory chapters only to be carried around as a dead weight, while another seems to be the protagonist, but in the end is just there to be substantially tortured by the plot, and to let readers revel into the aforementioned gorgeous world-building. Maybe even to show how women are fragile, but I am not sure about that.
Possibly the most unnerving quirk of Greg Bear's novels is the streak of sexism and broken psychology that makes some characters and their choices feel like a glitch in the matrix. One of the main plot devices arises from the necessity, for a woman scientist, to MODIFY HER OWN BRAIN BECAUSE THE FEMALE BRAIN IS NOT CREATIVE ENOUGH TO GIVE HER AN EDGE AS A RESEARCHER. Yes, you just read that. It's not all, and here we get to the reason for my little dirty confession above. One of the main characters is an insufferable, holier-than-thou, arrogant, puritan American yuppie convinced that life, wife, children and society at large all owe him more than they gave him. The Great Love Of My Life and our break-up exchange came immediately to my mind. Oh boy, did I savour his fall from grace (or the apocalyptic damage he may cause if victorious). I am a long-hating green monster, I know. By the way, much to my dismay, it became clear half-way through the novel that he was the good guy all along. We are even treated to a molassey happy family ending. People, Greg Bear IDENTIFIES with this guy. Shivers of uneasiness and cringe. Long, painful soul-searching and questioning of my literary choices and taste. Conclusion: I know I will go looking for the first installment of the series (this book is a stand-alone, but I understand it takes part in a longer story arc). This man Bear builds worlds so well. I will just write it down to Guilty Pleasures, together with watching dr. Phil videos on You Tube and reading the Guardian, knowing it will infuriate me.
Today I learned that there is such a thing as hate-reading.
August 26, 2022
An interesting book about mainly western society and including a battle between two powerful AIs. It’s emphasis on sex is definitely overly stressed imho and has to be endured to hear the authors message that private and inimate thoughts and actions motivate people and groups and are related to mental health and political and economic systems. The breakdown of the nano-medically therapied classes endemic to this nightmare view of the future leads to a moral vacuum and a battle between the oligarchs and the disaffected populace that is perhaps never quite resolved, despite the climatic convergence of events described by the conclusion of the book. As an amateur person long interested in AI I was pleased by the description of their moral differences and the battle and the implicit warning that they will lie and act in their own self interest. Currently AI the hype is intense as Dalle2 has just wowed the world and made artists and photographers jobs less secure. AIs can’t see objects like we do yet - Teslas FSDs are on the road now currently with a propensity to run over cardboard kids, few people are concerned that they are supremely dumb and cannot infer danger when they use superhuman skills to recognise a moving ball and a child on opposite sides of the street.
November 13, 2018
I recently read Queen of Angels and while Goodreads calls this the fourth book in the series, Wikipedia emphatically states this is the sequel. Where Queen of Angels was an ambitious exploration of race, and perhaps the thornier Jungian concept of race memory, Slant takes the same approach to sex. In both meanings: gender (or gender roles) as well as copulation. And while Bear is plenty daring with that theme, Slant doesn't quite reach the heights that Queen of Angels did.
The basic problem is the characterization. None of the characters, men or women, really sing out. The women are foils or plot devices; the men are driven by dim sense of family or obligation, with the protagonist Jonathan seeming particularly milquetoast. Toward the end of the book, Bear collects all his characters together without giving the reader a good sense of why: Giffey wants to blow shit up for some unnamed reason; Mary is a Seattle police officer but goes to Idaho because, well, just because she should be there. That robbed the story of some emotional impact.
Slant makes up for those flaws with lots and lots of CYBERPONK! You want nano, virtual sex, cryogenic sleep, artificial intelligences, they're all there. While the rising action doesn't quite ratchet up to true potboiler levels, there's a heist story at the center of the tale with a fine twist at the end. And some details, the disenfranchised god-and-guns underclass, seem prescient (and give Slant a little bit of a satirical edge). If you're willing to overlook a clumsy take on sexual dynamics, you're left with a perfectly entertaining cyberpunk novel.
The basic problem is the characterization. None of the characters, men or women, really sing out. The women are foils or plot devices; the men are driven by dim sense of family or obligation, with the protagonist Jonathan seeming particularly milquetoast. Toward the end of the book, Bear collects all his characters together without giving the reader a good sense of why: Giffey wants to blow shit up for some unnamed reason; Mary is a Seattle police officer but goes to Idaho because, well, just because she should be there. That robbed the story of some emotional impact.
Slant makes up for those flaws with lots and lots of CYBERPONK! You want nano, virtual sex, cryogenic sleep, artificial intelligences, they're all there. While the rising action doesn't quite ratchet up to true potboiler levels, there's a heist story at the center of the tale with a fine twist at the end. And some details, the disenfranchised god-and-guns underclass, seem prescient (and give Slant a little bit of a satirical edge). If you're willing to overlook a clumsy take on sexual dynamics, you're left with a perfectly entertaining cyberpunk novel.
July 26, 2017
Too long and contains a bizarre mix of ideas which don't always gel (porn, Tourette's syndrome, eugenics, AI). Also, I hate books which hide the fact that they're actually sequels. I think this one more or less stands on its own, but nothing on the cover tells you that it's actually the fourth in a series, which is annoying.
Having said that, some of the ideas are interesting, although there's a lot of murky plotting to get through before you realise what's really going on, and then the ramifications of the "baddies"' plans aren't really explored. Sometimes I feel like it'd be more interesting to let the villains win, just so we could get to see what they do next.
It's also a little uneven in how it deals with the characters: some are mere ciphers fulfilling a plot function, while others are treated in much more depth (to an extent unusual for this kind of book).
Having said that, some of the ideas are interesting, although there's a lot of murky plotting to get through before you realise what's really going on, and then the ramifications of the "baddies"' plans aren't really explored. Sometimes I feel like it'd be more interesting to let the villains win, just so we could get to see what they do next.
It's also a little uneven in how it deals with the characters: some are mere ciphers fulfilling a plot function, while others are treated in much more depth (to an extent unusual for this kind of book).
April 29, 2023
Disappointing after the first two novels. Too much action and not enough plot for me. Past events were glossed over. How did Martin Burke recover from the voodoo possession? Why does no-one care about the massive solar system chamge brought about in Moving Mars? What happened to the inhabitants of Omphalos between Moving Mars and Slant? Omphalos seems empty in this book, unless it's a different Omphalos.
There's lots of sex and porn from the start. In some respects, one scene reminded me of Fairyland by PJ McAuley, except that humans rather than artificial people were converted into sex slaves.
One good thing about this series is that you can read each book on its own. There's usually continuity, but you don't need to worry about missing something.
Green Idaho represents a vision of the future desired by Conservative elements - lots of guns and no oversight.
There's lots of sex and porn from the start. In some respects, one scene reminded me of Fairyland by PJ McAuley, except that humans rather than artificial people were converted into sex slaves.
One good thing about this series is that you can read each book on its own. There's usually continuity, but you don't need to worry about missing something.
Green Idaho represents a vision of the future desired by Conservative elements - lots of guns and no oversight.
June 27, 2017
This book starts disjointed, lonely, a series of meaningless vignettes. By the end, the author weaves each thread into a masterfully told tale. If you can hang in for the first part, the payoff is a rich, thought-provoking read that will stay with you long after.
Sadly, the e-book edition I read was a travesty of editorial errors. By the end, I was convinced it had been converted from paper to electronic by using a scanner and OCR - with little or no human editing afterward - which explains the randomly dropped or added commas, quotation marks, and hyphens. It also explains misspellings like "arid" for "and", which occur throughout.
The irony of a book whose themes include over-reliance on technology being butchered by over-reliance on technology is so very meta-.
Sadly, the e-book edition I read was a travesty of editorial errors. By the end, I was convinced it had been converted from paper to electronic by using a scanner and OCR - with little or no human editing afterward - which explains the randomly dropped or added commas, quotation marks, and hyphens. It also explains misspellings like "arid" for "and", which occur throughout.
The irony of a book whose themes include over-reliance on technology being butchered by over-reliance on technology is so very meta-.
February 8, 2023
In the mid 21st century great social and technological progress has been made. Nanotechnology and psychotherapy have been perfected. Yet is there something sinister lurking in this ideal world? There seems to be a wave of mass hysteria. The apparent suicide of a powerful magnate sets events in motion. Mary Choy's investigation leads to a conspiracy of monstrous proportions. Bear return us to world introduced in Queen of Angels. It is an incredibly designed future. The idea of therapy being treated as critical field of study fascinating. Bear is able to take three independent story lines and have them meet with the force of dynamite.
December 22, 2024
In a future where everyone is more-or-less happily sane because a large percentage of them are therapied, one conservative group decides to take away all the crutches all at once. It's an elaborate story line, with five independent groups of characters introduced in the first five chapters, and more later on. (They come together slowly but eventually.) The world is passably depicted, but does not have a life of its own. The sex scenes are overdone. The characters, by and large, are well developed, and I was drawn to care about most of them. Rarely, a character would philosophize, but I still never got a sense of any overall comment about society.
April 27, 2022
Kind of undecided between 3 and 4 stars: as usual GB's ideas are big and very intriguing.
But the book seems to unravel towards the end, and I find the stereotypical handling of gender roles somewhat disappointing -- perhaps not worse than one's average sci-fi writing from the time period, but compared to futuristic ideas of technology and some other cultural aspects, this part of writing feels quite dated.
Still, as with its predecessor (Queen of Angel), I did enjoy the book for the most part.
Just wish it had more cohesive ending.
But the book seems to unravel towards the end, and I find the stereotypical handling of gender roles somewhat disappointing -- perhaps not worse than one's average sci-fi writing from the time period, but compared to futuristic ideas of technology and some other cultural aspects, this part of writing feels quite dated.
Still, as with its predecessor (Queen of Angel), I did enjoy the book for the most part.
Just wish it had more cohesive ending.
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