Lost in Transmission

The Queendom of Sol #3

by Wil McCarthy

In a novel that challenges our expectations at every turn, acclaimed author Wil McCarthy sweeps us into the future as only he can imagine it. Here is a thrilling odyssey of discovery and adventure aboard a ship of exiled rebels coming of age in an eternity that may be a lot shorter than anyone ever guessed.

Brash and idealistic, they were rebels without a cause in a world governed by science, reason...and immortality. Banished for their troubles to the starship Newhope, they now face a bold future: to settle the worlds of Barnard’s Star. Now King Bascal Edward de Towaji Lutui, former prince of the Queendom of Sol, together with Captain Xiomara “Xmary” Li Weng and her lover, first mate Conrad Mursk, face a perilous voyage with thousands of their fellow exiles. The journey will last a century, but with Queendom technology it’s no problem to step into a fax machine and “print” a fresh, youthful version of yourself. But what this crew of rebels will find is far from the paradise they seek. Before long, their optimistic young colony has started to show signs of strain. And worst of all, death itself has returned with a vengeance.

Genres: Science Fiction, Fiction, Hard Science Fiction, Space Opera, Audiobook

384 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 2004

About the author

Science 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

Reviews

[Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

McCarthy, Wil. Lost in Transmission. Queendom of Sol No. 3. Spectra, 2004.
This is a close sequel to The Wellstone and continues the development of characters and plot issues introduced there. The series loses a little steam in this one, although it does have some interesting things to say about the difficult economics and politics of setting up a high-tech colony in a hostile environment with a population that expects technological immortality and post-scarcity to be easily achieved. Recommended if you liked the first two. 3.5 stars.

[Mike Ehlers · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting concept with immortality, but I remember it feeling like a middle book in a series (which it is) - the reader is really more interested in getting through to the concluding volume than what's going on in the story. As I recall, there were also some good hard sf ideas in there.

[Shhhhh Ahhhhh · Rating 5 out of 5]

i still don't know how he became General Radmer. Maybe I missed that part. I also thought they would explain what happened to Pascal in some greater detail. It's a shame he went nuts again though. They probably should have purged his pattern the first time they noticed it, but they covered the ethical vagaries associated with that in this book already. I suppose I have to reread the next one in the series so I can have the story in order.

[Casper H · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book 3, series is ongoing with one more to follow. The pacing sometimes slows down to a crawl in this book, which made it a bit harder to finish it. And mentioning every odd page that Planet 2 lacks metal was a bit much. Still, a good story and an interesting one.

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

The children have to grow up and face adult decisions and responsibilities.

[Ryan Work · Rating 3 out of 5]

A slower sequel.

[Daniel Roy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked up this book on a whim, based on the strange summary of immortals cast out of their home, and unaware that there were two previous books tied to this story. I would recommend that you pick up 'The Collapsium' and 'The Wellstone' before delving into 'Lost in Transmission', but know that the book stands formidably on its own.

I tend to avoid so-called 'hard scifi' books because I prefer a good story to a clever bit of scientific extrapolation. I find hard scifi books to dwelve too much into scientific exposition, as they seem to be too much in love with their own concepts to care about their characters.

This is partly true of Lost in Transmission, but it's far from annoying. The science displayed in this novel is, to be frank, absolutely stunning and well worth the expositions, especially as its workings have major consequences on the rest of the story. Not only does McCarthy tackle a frighteningly original and awe-inspiring concept, but he takes the time to think on its consequences on human life.

And that's what stands so perfectly at the core of this novel... It's the way the technology forms the basis of a fascinating study on human psychology, of a humanity that has no more material need and knows immortality. The protagonists are given this gift, then it slowly falls away from them as the story progresses.

The structure of the novel might seem disjointed, but it is perfectly appropriate for the nature of the story, that of the life of an immortal. The main character changes his mind a few times, gets close then drifts away from friends and lovers... In that regard, the story's pace is perfect for an immortal life, if quite unconventional.

Another thing I found awesome with this novel is the fact that there is no Bad Guy and Good Guy in this story. This means less drama at times, but as a whole, the story is much more satisfying for it.

All in all, I found much more than I expected from Lost in Transmission, and I heartily recommend it to fans of good scifi, hard or otherwise.

[AJS · Rating 4 out of 5]

Shows promise of the 4-book series. 1st was phenomenal, 2nd was an "OK" letdown, 3rd had balance of 1st and 2nd, but finishes strong, and creates expectations for 4th.

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

The third book. By know I'm just reading to finish it out. I'm more interested in what is going to happen to the fourth novel that I'm just not as interested in this one. There has been enough foreshadowing that all you know is doom. That being said the characters are getting better, the writing is getting better and it is a pretty interesting ride if you let you self enjoy it.

[Micheal · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent story of humanity in an utterly believable future. Perhaps the best science fiction I've ever read.

[Jeff · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very interesting book. Reminded me of Alistair Reynolds but in a totally different vein. Did not have a satisfactory ending, in my view, but an intriguing read.