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BLOOM
“ Bloom is one of the most fast-paced and powerfully dark visions of nanotechnology gone awry since Greg Bear’s Blood Music . McCarthy succeeds on many levels, combining a unique literary style with complex scientific speculation and political intrigue.”— Locus
technogenic life. Fast-reproducing, fast-mutating, and endlessly voracious. In the year 2106, these microscopic machine/creatures have escaped their creators to populate the inner solar system with a wild, deadly ecology all their own, pushing the tattered remnants of humanity out into the cold and dark of the outer planets. Even huddled beneath the ice of Jupiter’s moons, protected by a defensive system known as the Immunity, survivors face the constant risk of mycospores finding their way to the warmth and brightness inside the habitats, resulting in a calamitous “bloom.”
But the human race still has a trick or two up its sleeves; in a ship specially designed to penetrate the deadly Mycosystem, seven astronauts are about to embark on mankind’s boldest venture yet—the perilous journey home to infected Earth!
Yet it is in these remote conditions, against a virtually omnipotent foe, that we discover how human nature plays the greatest role in humanity's future.
Praise for Bloom
“[A] rousing yet thoughtful adventure story.” — The New York Times Book Review
“[A] view of mankind’s future and the universe reminiscent of Arthur C. Clarke.” — The Denver Post
“What clever and compelling science fiction! The Bloom future is all too believable.” —James Gleick, author of Making a New Science
“Wil McCarthy makes ideas jump. Bloom grabs you from the very first scene and doesn’t let go till the last page. It’s irresistible.” —Walter Jon Williams, author of City on Fire
“Swiftly paced, consistently inventive and tightly written.” — The Washington Post Book World
“McCarthy is an entertaining, intelligent, amusing writer, with Heinlein’s knack for breakneck plotting and, at the same time, Clarke’s thoughtfulness.” — Booklist (starred review)
“Bloom is tense, dynamic, intelligent, offering a terrifyingly vivid view of how technology can rocket out of our control.” —David Brin, Hugo and Nebula Award-winning author of Startide Rising
technogenic life. Fast-reproducing, fast-mutating, and endlessly voracious. In the year 2106, these microscopic machine/creatures have escaped their creators to populate the inner solar system with a wild, deadly ecology all their own, pushing the tattered remnants of humanity out into the cold and dark of the outer planets. Even huddled beneath the ice of Jupiter’s moons, protected by a defensive system known as the Immunity, survivors face the constant risk of mycospores finding their way to the warmth and brightness inside the habitats, resulting in a calamitous “bloom.”
But the human race still has a trick or two up its sleeves; in a ship specially designed to penetrate the deadly Mycosystem, seven astronauts are about to embark on mankind’s boldest venture yet—the perilous journey home to infected Earth!
Yet it is in these remote conditions, against a virtually omnipotent foe, that we discover how human nature plays the greatest role in humanity's future.
Praise for Bloom
“[A] rousing yet thoughtful adventure story.” — The New York Times Book Review
“[A] view of mankind’s future and the universe reminiscent of Arthur C. Clarke.” — The Denver Post
“What clever and compelling science fiction! The Bloom future is all too believable.” —James Gleick, author of Making a New Science
“Wil McCarthy makes ideas jump. Bloom grabs you from the very first scene and doesn’t let go till the last page. It’s irresistible.” —Walter Jon Williams, author of City on Fire
“Swiftly paced, consistently inventive and tightly written.” — The Washington Post Book World
“McCarthy is an entertaining, intelligent, amusing writer, with Heinlein’s knack for breakneck plotting and, at the same time, Clarke’s thoughtfulness.” — Booklist (starred review)
“Bloom is tense, dynamic, intelligent, offering a terrifyingly vivid view of how technology can rocket out of our control.” —David Brin, Hugo and Nebula Award-winning author of Startide Rising
320 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1998
27 people are currently reading
621 people want to read
About the author
Wil McCarthy
57 books87 followersScience fiction author and Chief Technology Officer for Galileo Shipyards
Engineer/Novelist/Journalist/Entrepreneur Wil McCarthy is a former contributing editor for WIRED magazine and science columnist for the SyFy channel (previously SciFi channel), where his popular "Lab Notes" column ran from 1999 through 2009. A lifetime member of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, he has been nominated for the Nebula, Locus, Seiun, AnLab, Colorado Book, Theodore Sturgeon and Philip K. Dick awards, and contributed to projects that won a Webbie, an Eppie, a Game Developers' Choice Award, and a General Excellence National Magazine Award. In addition, his imaginary world of "P2", from the novel LOST IN TRANSMISSION, was rated one of the 10 best science fiction planets of all time by Discover magazine. His short fiction has graced the pages of magazines like Analog, Asimov's, WIRED, and SF Age, and his novels include the New York Times Notable BLOOM, Amazon.com "Best of Y2K" THE COLLAPSIUM (a national bestseller) and, most recently, TO CRUSH THE MOON. He has also written for TV, appeared on The History Channel and The Science Channel, and published nonfiction in half a dozen magazines, including WIRED, Discover, GQ, Popular Mechanics, IEEE Spectrum, and the Journal of Applied Polymer Science. Previously a flight controller for Lockheed Martin Space Launch Systems and later an engineering manager for Omnitech Robotics, McCarthy is now the president and Chief Technology Officer of RavenBrick LLC in Denver, CO, a developer of smart window technologies. He lives in Colorado with his family
Engineer/Novelist/Journalist/Entrepreneur Wil McCarthy is a former contributing editor for WIRED magazine and science columnist for the SyFy channel (previously SciFi channel), where his popular "Lab Notes" column ran from 1999 through 2009. A lifetime member of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, he has been nominated for the Nebula, Locus, Seiun, AnLab, Colorado Book, Theodore Sturgeon and Philip K. Dick awards, and contributed to projects that won a Webbie, an Eppie, a Game Developers' Choice Award, and a General Excellence National Magazine Award. In addition, his imaginary world of "P2", from the novel LOST IN TRANSMISSION, was rated one of the 10 best science fiction planets of all time by Discover magazine. His short fiction has graced the pages of magazines like Analog, Asimov's, WIRED, and SF Age, and his novels include the New York Times Notable BLOOM, Amazon.com "Best of Y2K" THE COLLAPSIUM (a national bestseller) and, most recently, TO CRUSH THE MOON. He has also written for TV, appeared on The History Channel and The Science Channel, and published nonfiction in half a dozen magazines, including WIRED, Discover, GQ, Popular Mechanics, IEEE Spectrum, and the Journal of Applied Polymer Science. Previously a flight controller for Lockheed Martin Space Launch Systems and later an engineering manager for Omnitech Robotics, McCarthy is now the president and Chief Technology Officer of RavenBrick LLC in Denver, CO, a developer of smart window technologies. He lives in Colorado with his family
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews
September 25, 2021
A++, amazingly good. Very likely his masterwork. Pretty near flawless.
It's been twenty years since humanity was driven from Earth and the Inner System by a runaway Bloom of mycora, a [nano] "technologically generated lebensform" (TGL) that's eaten all of Earth's life, and most of its crust. Humans have retreated to the moons of Jupiter and the asteroids -- the Immunity (Munies) and Gladholders, respectively -- where constant vigilance is required to keep the Mycosystem at bay. The mycora are generally thought to have been created in an industrial accident, but human malice -- or an extrasolar origin -- can't be ruled out.
The viewpoint character is a part-time newsnet columnist in Ganymede, a member-state of the Immunity -- a rather Teutonic, no-nonsense culture, contrasted nicely with the more laid-back, Latinate culture in the Gladholdings asteroids.
The Munies are sending a well-protected (they hope) ship to the Inner System -- the first one since the Evacuation -- to plant sensors and scout the Mycosystem. The ship leaves early, after a sabotage attempt, and makes an unscheduled stop in the Gladholdings for fuel and supplies....
Beh. I didn't set out to write a plot summary. As in many SF novels, the plot and characters are there to support the Neat Ideas -- of which there are *lots*. And McCarthy writes in a crisp modern style that is more than adequate.
Did I mention the ladderdown transmutation reactors? The cryonic witch's tits? The Philusburg Optima (release 1.4) phage ?
Hmmph. Am I getting across here? Sometimes these reviews just about write themselves. Other times, like now, I end up with disjointed bits and pieces all over the screen.... What I'm trying to say is, this is a *really good* book. If you like the Good Hard Stuff, this is your kind of book. So go read it, OK? Or read it again, if it's been awhile....
This is my third reading of BLOOM. I read it in 2000, 2008 & 2015. BLOOM earns my highest possible recommendation. SF played with the net up! On my 100 Best Ever desert-island list.
[Review revised in 2015, from a 2000 review for SF Site: https://www.sfsite.com/08b/bl87.htm]
It's been twenty years since humanity was driven from Earth and the Inner System by a runaway Bloom of mycora, a [nano] "technologically generated lebensform" (TGL) that's eaten all of Earth's life, and most of its crust. Humans have retreated to the moons of Jupiter and the asteroids -- the Immunity (Munies) and Gladholders, respectively -- where constant vigilance is required to keep the Mycosystem at bay. The mycora are generally thought to have been created in an industrial accident, but human malice -- or an extrasolar origin -- can't be ruled out.
The viewpoint character is a part-time newsnet columnist in Ganymede, a member-state of the Immunity -- a rather Teutonic, no-nonsense culture, contrasted nicely with the more laid-back, Latinate culture in the Gladholdings asteroids.
The Munies are sending a well-protected (they hope) ship to the Inner System -- the first one since the Evacuation -- to plant sensors and scout the Mycosystem. The ship leaves early, after a sabotage attempt, and makes an unscheduled stop in the Gladholdings for fuel and supplies....
Beh. I didn't set out to write a plot summary. As in many SF novels, the plot and characters are there to support the Neat Ideas -- of which there are *lots*. And McCarthy writes in a crisp modern style that is more than adequate.
Did I mention the ladderdown transmutation reactors? The cryonic witch's tits? The Philusburg Optima (release 1.4) phage ?
Hmmph. Am I getting across here? Sometimes these reviews just about write themselves. Other times, like now, I end up with disjointed bits and pieces all over the screen.... What I'm trying to say is, this is a *really good* book. If you like the Good Hard Stuff, this is your kind of book. So go read it, OK? Or read it again, if it's been awhile....
This is my third reading of BLOOM. I read it in 2000, 2008 & 2015. BLOOM earns my highest possible recommendation. SF played with the net up! On my 100 Best Ever desert-island list.
[Review revised in 2015, from a 2000 review for SF Site: https://www.sfsite.com/08b/bl87.htm]
July 13, 2009
Good science, the read reminded me of Gregory Benford. This guy is obviously an engineer first and a novelist second. The characters were shallow and sort of unbelievable. The suspension of disbelief was too great. Blood Music by Greg Bear did such a better job of getting inside the potential mystery of this possible "singularity". A comparison t Arthur C Clark might be apt, but in the sense that Clark always had trouble with character as well.
September 23, 2023
Bloom by Wil McCarthy
https://www.amazon.com/Bloom-Wil-McCa...
It is less than one hundred years into the future and humanity is in a very bad way. We’ve abandoned the Earth and are precariously ensconced on a few moons of Jupiter and some asteroids, waiting for the final shove toward extinction. There is a desperate plan to complete a starship and send some of the survivors to another system where they might be temporarily safe. The inner solar system up to around the asteroid belt has been taken over by something called the Mycosystem.
What happened?
That’s not clear, but it appears that nano material was created, released, or arrived on Earth where it quickly used everything to replicate itself. Some humans evacuated to the Moon, but were shortly followed by the nanites that performed the same feat to the Moon. The Earth and the Moon have been turned into huge balls of nano material, except for the poles since the nanites – mycora – needs warmth and light.
The Jovian society has transformed into a society under siege – the Immunity – ready to react against any intrusion by mycora which could “bloom” like fungus into exponentially expanding fungus-like “technogenic life” that would reduce everything into more mycora. A bloom elicits a prompt response by counter-nanites, freezing devices called “witches tits,” and lasers.
The story opens when amateur “Berichter,” or reporter – Jovian English is heavily influenced by a German Swiss element - John Strasheim is recruited for a mission to return to Earth. Since this is deep in the Mycosystem where mycoran spores are being blown around by the solar winds. The ship Louis Pasteur has been built with material that might fool the mycora to allow it to pass without being converted into mycora. The accent is on “might.” The technology hasn’t been tested and if it fails, the ship is spore fodder.
There is also a human threat. Some humans have become infatuated with a crypto-religious belief that the Mycosystem is intelligent and potentially godlike. These people have organized themselves into the Temple of Transcendent Evolution, which may be performing experiments to upgrade mycora in a way that would make it effective against the Immunity.
Strasheim’s story involves a months long trip on a ship with six specialists and a living space that might be the size of a college dorm room.
Author McCarthy does a great job of baiting hooks of interest, tension, and adventure. There are questions about sabotage and espionage. There is a space battle of sorts. New facts are learned about the Mycosystem and the purpose of the mission as the story develops. Strasheim is very well developed as a character and we get to know a few other characters in a way that makes them likeable and sympathetic. I was pulled along by McCarthy’s story.
I particularly liked the “big think” element of the story, which was not really the question of the Mycosystem’s intelligence, but the idea of entire planets being consumed by a nanite plague. Venus swells up to the size of Neptune, for example. This is a far different setting than we commonly see in science fiction, although a similar disaster, involving “mataglap,” is the basis of the society that is presented in Walter Jon William’s Aristoi.
This was a fun read in a vein that was almost a throw-back to the hard science of earlier science fiction.
https://www.amazon.com/Bloom-Wil-McCa...
It is less than one hundred years into the future and humanity is in a very bad way. We’ve abandoned the Earth and are precariously ensconced on a few moons of Jupiter and some asteroids, waiting for the final shove toward extinction. There is a desperate plan to complete a starship and send some of the survivors to another system where they might be temporarily safe. The inner solar system up to around the asteroid belt has been taken over by something called the Mycosystem.
What happened?
That’s not clear, but it appears that nano material was created, released, or arrived on Earth where it quickly used everything to replicate itself. Some humans evacuated to the Moon, but were shortly followed by the nanites that performed the same feat to the Moon. The Earth and the Moon have been turned into huge balls of nano material, except for the poles since the nanites – mycora – needs warmth and light.
The Jovian society has transformed into a society under siege – the Immunity – ready to react against any intrusion by mycora which could “bloom” like fungus into exponentially expanding fungus-like “technogenic life” that would reduce everything into more mycora. A bloom elicits a prompt response by counter-nanites, freezing devices called “witches tits,” and lasers.
The story opens when amateur “Berichter,” or reporter – Jovian English is heavily influenced by a German Swiss element - John Strasheim is recruited for a mission to return to Earth. Since this is deep in the Mycosystem where mycoran spores are being blown around by the solar winds. The ship Louis Pasteur has been built with material that might fool the mycora to allow it to pass without being converted into mycora. The accent is on “might.” The technology hasn’t been tested and if it fails, the ship is spore fodder.
There is also a human threat. Some humans have become infatuated with a crypto-religious belief that the Mycosystem is intelligent and potentially godlike. These people have organized themselves into the Temple of Transcendent Evolution, which may be performing experiments to upgrade mycora in a way that would make it effective against the Immunity.
Strasheim’s story involves a months long trip on a ship with six specialists and a living space that might be the size of a college dorm room.
Author McCarthy does a great job of baiting hooks of interest, tension, and adventure. There are questions about sabotage and espionage. There is a space battle of sorts. New facts are learned about the Mycosystem and the purpose of the mission as the story develops. Strasheim is very well developed as a character and we get to know a few other characters in a way that makes them likeable and sympathetic. I was pulled along by McCarthy’s story.
I particularly liked the “big think” element of the story, which was not really the question of the Mycosystem’s intelligence, but the idea of entire planets being consumed by a nanite plague. Venus swells up to the size of Neptune, for example. This is a far different setting than we commonly see in science fiction, although a similar disaster, involving “mataglap,” is the basis of the society that is presented in Walter Jon William’s Aristoi.
This was a fun read in a vein that was almost a throw-back to the hard science of earlier science fiction.
July 26, 2020
IAfter some rather bad sci fi recently, it was a pleasure to read this book. Just 310 pages to tell the story with no need for prequels or sequels. Set in the early 21st century, Earth and the other inner planets have been absorbed by a self replicating organism, the mycora. The remnants of humanity have fled to the moons of Jupiter and to the asteroid belt. Those on Ganymede build a space craft, intended to land probes on both Earth and Mars to monitor the position. The story is narrated by John Strasheim who is a freelance journalist posting on what I think would now be called a vlog (the book dates from 1998, before such were heard of). He's asked to accompany the trip as official correspondent. What I particularly liked about the book was the realistic depiction of the space vehicle, the Louis Pasteur. No enormous craft, but one where 3 people in the control centre is too many and the private sleeping quarters smaller than a closet. There is a great deal of hard science in the book, in particular the ladder effect by which power is supplied to Ganymede and as a drive for the space ship. I can't pretend to have taken this all in, I'm no scientist, but it didn't lessen my enjoyment of the book
February 13, 2017
Cool situation, wild science. And, for a change, a hard SF novel with interesting characters instead of one-dimensional ones.
November 16, 2008
This is an easily-readable science fiction novel. It describes a society that has escaped earth, left it to be taken oven by fast-replicating and consuming nanomachines. The main character -- a shoemaker and sort of citizen journalist (I call em "bloggers") -- joins a mission to go back to Earth to place some detectors.
This book is good enough, but it doesn't really go into any depth about the issues it covers. There's a little bit on another society that split off from the main one, it probes an almost-religious aspect to people leaving their earthly form and merging into a mass consciousness, and so on. I would rather the book actually explore the interesting aspects of those in more detail, or just leave them out completely.
Some parts of plot seemed sort of bogus to me. Apparently, the main society has hardly any contact with the other one -- I understand they're split by huge distances, but no one would pay attention to the most interesting aspects? That in itself isn't that important, but enough little things like that interrupted my enjoyment of this book.
This book is good enough, but it doesn't really go into any depth about the issues it covers. There's a little bit on another society that split off from the main one, it probes an almost-religious aspect to people leaving their earthly form and merging into a mass consciousness, and so on. I would rather the book actually explore the interesting aspects of those in more detail, or just leave them out completely.
Some parts of plot seemed sort of bogus to me. Apparently, the main society has hardly any contact with the other one -- I understand they're split by huge distances, but no one would pay attention to the most interesting aspects? That in itself isn't that important, but enough little things like that interrupted my enjoyment of this book.
February 21, 2012
I've read this once before, many years ago, and liked it. I'd also forgotten most of the plot, and so I was able to enjoy it anew. I should confess I'm pretty burned out on hard SF, but Wil McCarthy took me places I enjoy going. He has a knack for making scenes come alive with interesting details and emotional trajectories. Like most SF, McCarthy unveils his plot points with a certain technical shorthand that would alienate non-SF readers, because it assumes a passing familiarity with certain scientific ideas. But I enjoyed the surprise at the end, which forced me to rethink everything I'd come to believe about the major conflict.
April 11, 2011
This was the second time i've read this book, and its a great depiction of possible Nano issues. It really makes me wonder if Nano technology is a good idea. After all, is there really any software thats perfect.... ?
September 21, 2008
A very fine book. Lots of adventure embedded in a rich sea of ideas. The whole concept was great, and McCarthy's prose is top-notch.
October 21, 2020
A strong precursor to a common theme explored by many over the last 20 years. Maybe too prescient in light of recent advances.
August 19, 2018
Humanity has fled Earth and the inner planets because the mycora have taken over. One group fled to the moons of Jupiter and call themselves the Immunity. The Gladholders colonized the asteroid belt. The mycora is a self-replicating technogenic substance that turns any matter into more of itself. Even with the cold of Jovian space the Immunity has had trouble containing blooms of mycora.
Vaclav Lottick has planned a mission to the inner system to plant some detectors. The ship has a special hull that will [hopefully] resist the mycora. Seven people are picked as crew members for this nine month mission. John Strasheim in his spare time is a berichter and has been chosen by Lottick to document and report what they do. John meets the other members of the crew and they begin training for the mission. Weeks before their scheduled departure extremists, most likely from the Temples for Transcendent Evolution, cause a bloom in the hanger and they have to leave early.
The ship is down a crew member and not fully stocked for the mission. Returning to base invites more attempts at sabotage so they start the mission early. They don't have enough fuel and supplies but a stop at Saint Helier is arranged. We get a glimpse of the Gladholder society before they go on their way to deploy the detectors.
Renata Baucom introduces John to the game of life. She convinces John to try to improve on the game, to find a condition that doesn't quickly die out to a static or oscillating state. He creates a world where a cell can be more than just alive or dead, and tweaks the rules, but no matter what he does the system always runs down, he can't get it to mimic the mycora.
Post apocalyptic settings seem to me a bit dismal, and there doesn't seem to be a real plan to save humanity from the mycora. Saint Helier has telescopes and free time to pursue science and they show the crew evidence of humans not only on Earth, but on Venus too. At that point I'm hoping that this isn't an I Am Legend thing where we are going to find out humans are being superseded by vampires.
Vaclav Lottick has planned a mission to the inner system to plant some detectors. The ship has a special hull that will [hopefully] resist the mycora. Seven people are picked as crew members for this nine month mission. John Strasheim in his spare time is a berichter and has been chosen by Lottick to document and report what they do. John meets the other members of the crew and they begin training for the mission. Weeks before their scheduled departure extremists, most likely from the Temples for Transcendent Evolution, cause a bloom in the hanger and they have to leave early.
The ship is down a crew member and not fully stocked for the mission. Returning to base invites more attempts at sabotage so they start the mission early. They don't have enough fuel and supplies but a stop at Saint Helier is arranged. We get a glimpse of the Gladholder society before they go on their way to deploy the detectors.
Renata Baucom introduces John to the game of life. She convinces John to try to improve on the game, to find a condition that doesn't quickly die out to a static or oscillating state. He creates a world where a cell can be more than just alive or dead, and tweaks the rules, but no matter what he does the system always runs down, he can't get it to mimic the mycora.
Post apocalyptic settings seem to me a bit dismal, and there doesn't seem to be a real plan to save humanity from the mycora. Saint Helier has telescopes and free time to pursue science and they show the crew evidence of humans not only on Earth, but on Venus too. At that point I'm hoping that this isn't an I Am Legend thing where we are going to find out humans are being superseded by vampires.
November 24, 2025
I liked the book fine. It's nice to read hard science fiction, which I think this qualifies as. Personalities take a back seat to events, and I didn't particularly like or dislike any of the characters. My major problem, as one reviewer said, is that I was unable to suspend disbelief about a bunch of things.
In the few decades since the mycora bloom took over Earth, humanity has expanded, mostly to the outer solar system, as the bloom in more active inside of the asteroid belt. But, the timeline seems too soon and too fast. How did they manage to get even a million people of Earth not that long after now? How have they already settled into such a routine, with apartments, factories, old folks homes, and a reasonable-ish government? Plus there's already a large religious cult that thinks the bloom is something like god. How are the outer system settlements barely in contact with other places, like the one the crew stops at to re-supply, which has lots more knowledge of the situation of the inner planets than the main settlements do?
The main character, John Strasheim, works in a shoe factory and dabbles in reporting, online of course. He's chosen as one of seven people to travel to Earth and its environs and check out current conditions. No spoilers here, except that they do finally get there, and the cult is a problem. There's a satisfying denouement having to do with the bloom, which is less satisfying if you can't suspend disbelief about the details, which I couldn't. Also problematic in that regard was was Strasheim's very high intelligence and speedy thinking and problem-solving. How could humanity afford to have someone that effective working in a factory?
Again, I did like the book, and would recommend it to anyone who likes old-style hard science fiction.
In the few decades since the mycora bloom took over Earth, humanity has expanded, mostly to the outer solar system, as the bloom in more active inside of the asteroid belt. But, the timeline seems too soon and too fast. How did they manage to get even a million people of Earth not that long after now? How have they already settled into such a routine, with apartments, factories, old folks homes, and a reasonable-ish government? Plus there's already a large religious cult that thinks the bloom is something like god. How are the outer system settlements barely in contact with other places, like the one the crew stops at to re-supply, which has lots more knowledge of the situation of the inner planets than the main settlements do?
The main character, John Strasheim, works in a shoe factory and dabbles in reporting, online of course. He's chosen as one of seven people to travel to Earth and its environs and check out current conditions. No spoilers here, except that they do finally get there, and the cult is a problem. There's a satisfying denouement having to do with the bloom, which is less satisfying if you can't suspend disbelief about the details, which I couldn't. Also problematic in that regard was was Strasheim's very high intelligence and speedy thinking and problem-solving. How could humanity afford to have someone that effective working in a factory?
Again, I did like the book, and would recommend it to anyone who likes old-style hard science fiction.
February 16, 2022
A re-read - I first read this book around the time it came out, either high school or college. While I didn't remember it being especially life changing, I have *remembered* bits of it a couple times a year since, which is no small feat for a 'pulp sci-fi' book. So I thought I'd revisit it.
To get the bad out of the way, it's no literary masterpiece. A lot of the character development is cliched, in the way lots of sci-fi was in the 90's, and it sometimes aspires to be deep but mostly isn't. I doubt the story has changed a lot of lives.
But wow this book is PACKED with cool ideas. In retrospect, I'm pretty sure it was the first place I *personally* learned about many of them, though I've since seen them all over. Nanomachines run amok, Conway's Game of Life, AR goggles, Ladderdown reactors, on and on. The clever details that kept this book on my mind for years are just the tip.
So if you want a quick paced sci-fi read with lots of cool ideas I'd definitely recommend it.
To get the bad out of the way, it's no literary masterpiece. A lot of the character development is cliched, in the way lots of sci-fi was in the 90's, and it sometimes aspires to be deep but mostly isn't. I doubt the story has changed a lot of lives.
But wow this book is PACKED with cool ideas. In retrospect, I'm pretty sure it was the first place I *personally* learned about many of them, though I've since seen them all over. Nanomachines run amok, Conway's Game of Life, AR goggles, Ladderdown reactors, on and on. The clever details that kept this book on my mind for years are just the tip.
So if you want a quick paced sci-fi read with lots of cool ideas I'd definitely recommend it.
October 12, 2019
Interesting concept but I'm not sure if it's well executed. Much of the book is bogged down in the hard-sf specs of the operation, which ultimately doesn't really carry the story forward, nor does it have as much impact on the story as I think the author thinks it has. The characters never really define themselves and I often had trouble telling each of the crewmembers apart.
But I wanted to read a SF about fungus-as-nanotech, and this certainly fit the prereqs I had in my head.
But I wanted to read a SF about fungus-as-nanotech, and this certainly fit the prereqs I had in my head.
February 6, 2023
An nanotech infestation has overrun the inner solar system. Humanity has escaped to the moons of Jupiter and the asteroids. A journalist goes with an expedition to the heart of infestation to place probes to monitor its progress. Interesting change to see the downside of nanotech. The expedition members are well fleshed out. There is possibility of a sequel. I would probably check it out
December 20, 2023
I wanted to like Bloom far more than the limited scope allowed me to. The opening chapter is an absolute banger, but the book quickly settles into listing non-events on a fairly tedious space journey. When the plot finally does come together, there aren't enough words left to do it justice. A real shame this one.
January 31, 2019
A deceptively fun little story about grey goo eating Earth. McCarthy takes some time in the middle to indulge in some fascinating expository bits about what exactly constitutes life while remaining grounded in scientific principles that still hold true.
April 27, 2024
Extremely interesting read, great sci-fi but definitely trying to fit the genre; lots of terms and knowledge not for the masses. Bit 80s wacky, could have been a bit more grounded but still INTERESTING read. Nice and short so worth the time!
September 21, 2017
A Nano scifi story that doesn't really deliver
August 15, 2021
A great premise but I did not like the execution.
Just an okay read.
Just an okay read.
May 18, 2023
Set decades after a techno-fungal apocalypse gives this an edge on most end of the world stories. A lot to enjoy technically and visually.
February 13, 2024
dnf: didn't like the prose.
November 28, 2024
Foolish techno jargon can’t make up for poor writing.
July 31, 2025
Great book, foundational for me, essential 90s tech fantasy reading. Makes me nostalgic with an emphasis of the algia.
July 10, 2015
I really wanted to rate this one higher, because so much of it is so good. The world that's set up in the first half, to two-thirds of Bloom is both unique and approachable: a solar system rotten with alien spores that have driven mankind to the outer planets, cities with immune systems, a cult that seems enthralled with the very alien force that's evicted humans from the inner planets--it's a great setting. But after a certain point, pretty far in, I started to realize there felt like an awful lot of plot to get through, in a rapidly-diminishing number of pages.
I equate the experience of reading Bloom with trying to get somewhere by climbing over a tall hill. The trip to the top takes a long time, but it's a nice hill, lots of scenery and wildlife, to make the trek quite enjoyable. Then, you trip on a tree root, and start tumbling down the other side. Whatever sights there might've been whiz by in a bewildering rush, until you suddenly hit the bottom and come to a stop. And I do mean suddenly.
You know how in sci-fi movies from the '50s, the army or the scientists would blow up the monster, and "THE END" would immediately come up on screen? The ending of Bloom is kinda like that, except it doesn't even go out with a bang. After heading out on their journey and being chased through half the solar system by mysterious ships, there's a span of about 20 pages, where a shocking discovery is made, the protagonists face a choice that could change the fate of humanity forever, the true nature of the alien spores is revealed... and then things just sort of trail off, with not much accomplished at all.
If the final act hadn't been such a jumbled mess, I could easily have seen myself rating Bloom a four, if not a five. But it's a perfect example of how a bad/rushed/lackluster ending can ruin a book. And boy, does the last act feel rushed.
Oh, and the book jacket lies to you: It says very clearly that the mycora (spores) are man-made, when every indication throughout the book itself suggests they're alien in origin. That's just sloppy.
I equate the experience of reading Bloom with trying to get somewhere by climbing over a tall hill. The trip to the top takes a long time, but it's a nice hill, lots of scenery and wildlife, to make the trek quite enjoyable. Then, you trip on a tree root, and start tumbling down the other side. Whatever sights there might've been whiz by in a bewildering rush, until you suddenly hit the bottom and come to a stop. And I do mean suddenly.
You know how in sci-fi movies from the '50s, the army or the scientists would blow up the monster, and "THE END" would immediately come up on screen? The ending of Bloom is kinda like that, except it doesn't even go out with a bang. After heading out on their journey and being chased through half the solar system by mysterious ships, there's a span of about 20 pages, where a shocking discovery is made, the protagonists face a choice that could change the fate of humanity forever, the true nature of the alien spores is revealed... and then things just sort of trail off, with not much accomplished at all.
If the final act hadn't been such a jumbled mess, I could easily have seen myself rating Bloom a four, if not a five. But it's a perfect example of how a bad/rushed/lackluster ending can ruin a book. And boy, does the last act feel rushed.
Oh, and the book jacket lies to you: It says very clearly that the mycora (spores) are man-made, when every indication throughout the book itself suggests they're alien in origin. That's just sloppy.
June 19, 2018
Awesome concepts, sci-fi hard as a brick, interesting themes, but...
And it's a big but.
McCarthy fails to really stick the landing on the concepts he's juggling. The ending was interesting, I suppose, but it didn't really serve to further the themes of anti-social working culture, government corruption and the need to be in control over nature. Do we have a right to be on top when we are so obviously inferior?
I feel like Wil shied away from hitting these things head on. The dynamic between the asteroid cultures and the munies was one of my favourite parts of the novel. The challenges it placed on the character's way of life was exciting, and it raised the possibility of a fairly totalitarian government back home. But that was dismissed, rather than engaged. The thing about the bloom being sentient was thrown in at the last minute with next to no exploration or commentary. 'Here let me finish off with a sci-fi cliche as a twist.'
The prose is simple, but entertaining. I read the whole thing in a day or so, so it's certainly gripping. The characters are interesting enough, but I feel the cast is slightly too large, to the detriment of developing them. Our main character, John, is pretty boring. He lacks some human motivation for the plot other than, 'shit, why not?'
I am torn between giving this book a 3 and a 4, but I'll err toward a 4. I know that with more time and ambition, this story could have been something really good, and I'm bitter it isn't.
And it's a big but.
McCarthy fails to really stick the landing on the concepts he's juggling. The ending was interesting, I suppose, but it didn't really serve to further the themes of anti-social working culture, government corruption and the need to be in control over nature. Do we have a right to be on top when we are so obviously inferior?
I feel like Wil shied away from hitting these things head on. The dynamic between the asteroid cultures and the munies was one of my favourite parts of the novel. The challenges it placed on the character's way of life was exciting, and it raised the possibility of a fairly totalitarian government back home. But that was dismissed, rather than engaged. The thing about the bloom being sentient was thrown in at the last minute with next to no exploration or commentary. 'Here let me finish off with a sci-fi cliche as a twist.'
The prose is simple, but entertaining. I read the whole thing in a day or so, so it's certainly gripping. The characters are interesting enough, but I feel the cast is slightly too large, to the detriment of developing them. Our main character, John, is pretty boring. He lacks some human motivation for the plot other than, 'shit, why not?'
I am torn between giving this book a 3 and a 4, but I'll err toward a 4. I know that with more time and ambition, this story could have been something really good, and I'm bitter it isn't.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 21, 2024
John Strasheim lives on Ganymede where he makes shoes to help people cope with the moon's low gravity. He also free-lances as a journalist and it is in this role that he is noticed and offered a job as recorder/writer on a mission to the inner solar system.
The inner system has been over-run by man-made, self-replicating organisms known as mycora. They consume all they come in contact with - organic and inorganic. The only places unaffected seem to be the polar caps of the inner planets. Strasheim was one of the lucky ones to escape to the outer reaches where the cold inhibits the spread of the mycora.
The mission of which he is a part is trying to determine if the mycora are developing a defence against the cold. The plan is to drop detectors onto the polar caps that will relay information back. Unfortunately, not everyone is happy with the mission. A group that believes the mycora are sentient, the Temples of Transcendent Evolution, believe the mission will harm the Mycosystem or possibly upset the current balance.
There's plenty of action and drama in this one. I enjoyed the race against time as the mission comes under threat from many different directions. The revelations at the end, which can sometimes ruin the tone of a novel, satisfactorily bring things to a close. A good introduction to an author whose work I shall keep an eye open for.
The inner system has been over-run by man-made, self-replicating organisms known as mycora. They consume all they come in contact with - organic and inorganic. The only places unaffected seem to be the polar caps of the inner planets. Strasheim was one of the lucky ones to escape to the outer reaches where the cold inhibits the spread of the mycora.
The mission of which he is a part is trying to determine if the mycora are developing a defence against the cold. The plan is to drop detectors onto the polar caps that will relay information back. Unfortunately, not everyone is happy with the mission. A group that believes the mycora are sentient, the Temples of Transcendent Evolution, believe the mission will harm the Mycosystem or possibly upset the current balance.
There's plenty of action and drama in this one. I enjoyed the race against time as the mission comes under threat from many different directions. The revelations at the end, which can sometimes ruin the tone of a novel, satisfactorily bring things to a close. A good introduction to an author whose work I shall keep an eye open for.
December 18, 2023
I've read this book before in paperback - I bought the eBook this time from ReAnimus Press. Very easy to read.
Humanity left Earth in a hurry when "technogenic life", nicknamed the "mycora" took over, converting all matter on the planet into more mycora and into spores which mostly can't spread beyond Mars because it's too cold. Humanity moved to moons of Jupiter and to the asteroid belt. This book describes an expedition made from Ganymede to the inner Solar System to see what has developed recently. On the way, they have to stop off in the asteroid belt, where they have telescopes that appear to show life still existing on the Earth and on Venus.
Humanity left Earth in a hurry when "technogenic life", nicknamed the "mycora" took over, converting all matter on the planet into more mycora and into spores which mostly can't spread beyond Mars because it's too cold. Humanity moved to moons of Jupiter and to the asteroid belt. This book describes an expedition made from Ganymede to the inner Solar System to see what has developed recently. On the way, they have to stop off in the asteroid belt, where they have telescopes that appear to show life still existing on the Earth and on Venus.
February 27, 2013
Interesting concept, but needed work with dialogue, characters, and execution. Of course I was reading the advanced reader's copy rough draft edition since it went out of print and it was the only one I could find. Many of these imperfections may have been fixed in the final version. It is odd though that some reviewers have praised it as a warning against letting technology get out of control, when the ending undermined that theme and the humans escaped without any real negative consequence. Imagine if at the end of Dr. Strangeglove it turned out that nuclear war doesn't kill people and we were all just worried for nothing. That is much how I felt about this ending.
February 22, 2015
This isn't a bad story and has some interesting ideas about the evolution of society in low gravity environments. I get a little annoyed at the hand waving around the computer science issues required for something like the mycosystem to function. This is especially true in the final chapters where it's implied that there's a super multi consciousness of billions of people somehow supported in a cloud of spores and clumps.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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