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Giraut #3
The Merchants of Souls
The sequel to A Million Open Doors and Earth Made of Glass
Special agent Giraut Leones, betrayed by his superior and closest friend, swore he would never work for the Office of Special Projects again--but now he must. A new movement on Earth seeks to use the recorded personalities of the dead as helpless virtual reality playthings, and to the worlds of the Thousand Cultures--where the reborn are accepted as normal citizens--it's a monstrous crime. If Giraut cannot stop Earth from ratifying its plans, the tenuous structure of interstellar human civilization will collapse.
Complicating matters, Giraut's brain now hosts a second consciousness-the revived mind of his long-dead friend Raimbaut. Together, Giraut and Raimbaut must confront their shared past while struggling with a deadly present.
Special agent Giraut Leones, betrayed by his superior and closest friend, swore he would never work for the Office of Special Projects again--but now he must. A new movement on Earth seeks to use the recorded personalities of the dead as helpless virtual reality playthings, and to the worlds of the Thousand Cultures--where the reborn are accepted as normal citizens--it's a monstrous crime. If Giraut cannot stop Earth from ratifying its plans, the tenuous structure of interstellar human civilization will collapse.
Complicating matters, Giraut's brain now hosts a second consciousness-the revived mind of his long-dead friend Raimbaut. Together, Giraut and Raimbaut must confront their shared past while struggling with a deadly present.
400 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2001
1 person is currently reading
141 people want to read
About the author
John Barnes
258 books198 followersJohn Barnes (born 1957) is an American science fiction author, whose stories often explore questions of individual moral responsibility within a larger social context. Social criticism is woven throughout his plots. The four novels in his Thousand Cultures series pose serious questions about the effects of globalization on isolated societies. Barnes holds a doctorate in theatre and for several years taught in Colorado, where he still lives.
See also http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Bar...
See also http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Bar...
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
February 9, 2010
Sequel to Earth Made of Glass. Disappointing. I wasn't terribly interested in the interactions between the characters (the major characters seemed obnoxious in uninteresting ways), and Barnes focused on them to the detriment of the plot. There was some food for thought about what humans will do after the Age of Scarcity (to borrow a Banks term), but the treatment is much less interesting than in an Iain M. Banks novel.
The way the plot wrapped up towards the end of the book smacked of a deus ex machina. I was left utterly unconvinced that such influential opposition could be so easily defeated, once the scheme was exposed.
The way the plot wrapped up towards the end of the book smacked of a deus ex machina. I was left utterly unconvinced that such influential opposition could be so easily defeated, once the scheme was exposed.
August 13, 2012
I'd actually read this before but somehow it never got added to Goodreads. 2.5. I could be wrong but ... this series has had its behind the scenes ups and downs I think. In the afterword to this one the author talks about continuity inconsistencies with the first two books, and promises two more books. But we only ever got one, The Armies of Memory. It's like Barnes was writing about two different sets of ideas in the first two and second two books. This is where he starts considering the second set of ideas, and I think the series is weakened by the course change.
September 26, 2014
John Barnes is a semiotician, meaning that he studies symbols. (Sort of like a "symbologist," but a lot less COMPLETELY IDIOTIC.) His books are all about the way that traditional cultures and postmodern culture interact, and the virtues and sins of both; but they do this by way of telling a very personal story of a spy who is also a musician. Plus, artificial intelligence and galactic empire.
The cover makes no sense-- teleportation is how people travel between the stars in this story. (There is one starship in the story, but it is in a memory of the main character's childhood.) The teleportation as described is actually consistent with relativity, a rarity even in Hard SF-- I count it as a virtue of the author that this fact is never even alluded to in the book.
His exploration of alternate morality is less convincing, so more sensitive readers should probably skip this author.
The cover makes no sense-- teleportation is how people travel between the stars in this story. (There is one starship in the story, but it is in a memory of the main character's childhood.) The teleportation as described is actually consistent with relativity, a rarity even in Hard SF-- I count it as a virtue of the author that this fact is never even alluded to in the book.
His exploration of alternate morality is less convincing, so more sensitive readers should probably skip this author.
June 24, 2010
Very good book, but not quite as good as the two before it in the series. The plot was not as tight, the character development not as organic, all in all, it wasn't nearly as immersive. Still, well worth reading if you've already enjoyed A Million Open Doors and Earth Made of Glass.
March 8, 2020
Barnes always makes me think although the journey may wear on my soul for a bit. The character, Giraut, cuts his own figure across the sky as his character develops. I appreciate the self-awareness, and thankfully it is not fully angst ridden.
As to Barnes' goal? It feels as if he is doing his own version of Brave New World here, and it is probably as good as anything else out there right now. It demonstrates a society that has everything and thus desires nothing but itself.
As to Barnes' goal? It feels as if he is doing his own version of Brave New World here, and it is probably as good as anything else out there right now. It demonstrates a society that has everything and thus desires nothing but itself.
August 19, 2017
How could I not read up on Giraut and Margaret. I still liked this book, but it lacked the liveliness of the first two books it felt as a sequel that a publisher wanted and only a few time I saw Barnes come out at his best
April 2, 2009
I liked this better than the last one - I read a review that said it was too talky, and while there were definitely elements of that, I found it the most compelling, emotionally, so far.
February 14, 2018
¡Disclaimer! no leí los dos primeros libros de la serie de "A thousand cultures", que son; "A million open doors" y "Earth made of glass". Lo bueno es que esto no impide la lectura de éste tomo, pues la referencia a sus antecesores no es vital a la trama. ¿Lo malo? es que de acuerdo a todos los reviews que he podido leer, parece ser que ésta novela es la más débil. Sin embargo, acá voy con la renovada "Crítica amateur", ahora disponible en goodreads para su comodidad.
Nos situamos en el Siglo XXIX, y la humanidad se ha extendido a través del universo conocido. Sin embargo el viaje espacial sigue tomando décadas, se realiza vía animación suspendida y es sumamente caro. El resultado es que los planteas colonizados más allá del "círculo interior" se desarrollan prácticamente aislados y generando su cultura e identidad propia respecto del resto.
Todo lo anterior cambia drásticamente con la creación del "Springer", una tecnología que permite el salto espacio/tiempo de manera instantánea, por lo que civilizaciones que llevaban siglos apartadas, comienzan a relacionarse con las otras, generando un conflicto cultural entre los distintos pueblos (al parecer, toda la serie es una gran analogía sobre los efectos de la globalización), razón por la cual, el Consejo de la Humanidad crea a la Oficina de Proyectos Especiales (OSP por sus siglas en inglés) que está dotada de diversas herramientas políticas (crear golpes de Estado, extorciones, asesinatos, etc.) a fin de preservar la cultura y estabilidad del hombre en la Galaxia (pensaron en la CIA, ¿cierto?).
A la anterior institución pertenece el protagonista de la saga; Giraut Leones, quien tiene asignada una nueva misión: dado que en la Tierra, la pobreza y diversos males han sido superados largamente gracias al continuo avance de la tecnología y se vive con suma comodidad, la principal epidemia al que se ven enfrentados sus habitantes es el aburrimiento en sí. Es por esto que diversas compañías desarrollaron una nueva entretención a utilizar; el uso con motivos lúdicos de los "psypix", que son recuerdos, sentimientos y personalidad de una persona el cual se almacena en una especie de chip después de que ésta muere y posteriormente es implantado en otra persona (si, dos conciencias coexisten en un cuerpo) hasta que un clon del cuerpo original del anfitrión cumpla 4 años, y pueda trasladarse el mencionado chip a éste.
Como el uso de psypix en juegos de realidad virtual es visto como herético por muchas culturas, pues los consideran que son verdaderamente personas, la OSP envía a Giraut a intentar prohibir éste uso ante el Consejo de la Humanidad por cualquier medio posible, pero en el camino, se va dando cuenta que hay un complot mayor del cual ocuparse.
Le di tres estrellas a éste libro, por que me pareció que pierde una notable arquitectura, geografía y trasfondo ya creados en las novelas anteriores (cuestión que queda la vista incluso si, como yo, no leíste los predecesores) en detenerse en disquisiciones amorosas y reflexivas de los personajes de manera desmedida y en desmedro de la trama política que es lo que realmente anima al lector en ésta saga. Sin embargo, el libro me deja lo suficientemente deleitado como para echar mis manos en los tomos 1 y 2 respectivamente, cuestión que espero hacer éste año.
Nos situamos en el Siglo XXIX, y la humanidad se ha extendido a través del universo conocido. Sin embargo el viaje espacial sigue tomando décadas, se realiza vía animación suspendida y es sumamente caro. El resultado es que los planteas colonizados más allá del "círculo interior" se desarrollan prácticamente aislados y generando su cultura e identidad propia respecto del resto.
Todo lo anterior cambia drásticamente con la creación del "Springer", una tecnología que permite el salto espacio/tiempo de manera instantánea, por lo que civilizaciones que llevaban siglos apartadas, comienzan a relacionarse con las otras, generando un conflicto cultural entre los distintos pueblos (al parecer, toda la serie es una gran analogía sobre los efectos de la globalización), razón por la cual, el Consejo de la Humanidad crea a la Oficina de Proyectos Especiales (OSP por sus siglas en inglés) que está dotada de diversas herramientas políticas (crear golpes de Estado, extorciones, asesinatos, etc.) a fin de preservar la cultura y estabilidad del hombre en la Galaxia (pensaron en la CIA, ¿cierto?).
A la anterior institución pertenece el protagonista de la saga; Giraut Leones, quien tiene asignada una nueva misión: dado que en la Tierra, la pobreza y diversos males han sido superados largamente gracias al continuo avance de la tecnología y se vive con suma comodidad, la principal epidemia al que se ven enfrentados sus habitantes es el aburrimiento en sí. Es por esto que diversas compañías desarrollaron una nueva entretención a utilizar; el uso con motivos lúdicos de los "psypix", que son recuerdos, sentimientos y personalidad de una persona el cual se almacena en una especie de chip después de que ésta muere y posteriormente es implantado en otra persona (si, dos conciencias coexisten en un cuerpo) hasta que un clon del cuerpo original del anfitrión cumpla 4 años, y pueda trasladarse el mencionado chip a éste.
Como el uso de psypix en juegos de realidad virtual es visto como herético por muchas culturas, pues los consideran que son verdaderamente personas, la OSP envía a Giraut a intentar prohibir éste uso ante el Consejo de la Humanidad por cualquier medio posible, pero en el camino, se va dando cuenta que hay un complot mayor del cual ocuparse.
Le di tres estrellas a éste libro, por que me pareció que pierde una notable arquitectura, geografía y trasfondo ya creados en las novelas anteriores (cuestión que queda la vista incluso si, como yo, no leíste los predecesores) en detenerse en disquisiciones amorosas y reflexivas de los personajes de manera desmedida y en desmedro de la trama política que es lo que realmente anima al lector en ésta saga. Sin embargo, el libro me deja lo suficientemente deleitado como para echar mis manos en los tomos 1 y 2 respectivamente, cuestión que espero hacer éste año.
July 4, 2023
The best SciFi has three components: characters you care about, world building, and the exploration of how new technologies would impact humans.
While the first two books were mostly about teleportation impacting isolated societies (constructed on questionable grounds*), this is about life recording, the resurrection of previously perished souls, and the rehabilitation step of bring the dead back by sharing consciousness with another.
In the process, the author manages to pull of a neat trick of tacking a throw away character from the first book who wasn't painted in a very flattering light, and making him far more sympathetic.
Oh, and dark unseen forces try to take over the world, and our hero manages to be standing at ground zero when it all goes down (though others behind the scene actually save the world, and pull other small victories from the mouths of defeat.)
Still lots of twists and turns, and our hero lives to fight another day, because of course there will be another book after this.
* A number of scifi readers think that if you create a spectrum of societies, that somehow someone will create some repressive ones, and yet talk people into joining it, who will then be miserable. This vastly discounts the ability of humanity to create misery with the best intentions, and of the individual to either resign themselves to their fate, or rationalize that they're not really miserable.
While the first two books were mostly about teleportation impacting isolated societies (constructed on questionable grounds*), this is about life recording, the resurrection of previously perished souls, and the rehabilitation step of bring the dead back by sharing consciousness with another.
In the process, the author manages to pull of a neat trick of tacking a throw away character from the first book who wasn't painted in a very flattering light, and making him far more sympathetic.
Oh, and dark unseen forces try to take over the world, and our hero manages to be standing at ground zero when it all goes down (though others behind the scene actually save the world, and pull other small victories from the mouths of defeat.)
Still lots of twists and turns, and our hero lives to fight another day, because of course there will be another book after this.
* A number of scifi readers think that if you create a spectrum of societies, that somehow someone will create some repressive ones, and yet talk people into joining it, who will then be miserable. This vastly discounts the ability of humanity to create misery with the best intentions, and of the individual to either resign themselves to their fate, or rationalize that they're not really miserable.
February 7, 2025
Giving up. A book can be boring but interesting, like Là-Bas and it can be a page-turner but silly, like Lee Child thrillers, and maybe this book eventually gets it together, but I'm over 100 pages in, they've finally landed on Earth with a mission, and it's boring and silly but not interesting or exciting. I remember really liking the first Giraut Thousand Cultures books. Maybe I've changed.
January 7, 2023
Laconic, philosophical sci-fi. It is good, just wasn't what I was looking for right now. DNF 50%
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews