Will’s Reviews > Axiomatic > Status Update

The cutie: clever conceit but bordering on the farcical. Good twist, though a bit predictable. Would be a four starter of a lesser author, but that's an Egan ⭐⭐⭐
Into Darkness: excellent hard conceit and twist. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Appropriate Love: Shudder worthy body horror by way of captialism, but also arguably bit written-by-a-man. ⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Moral Virologist. Solidly executed - great punchline⭐⭐⭐⭐

The walk: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - as above: use tech to come up with a conceit with metaphysical implications, put a character in a situation where they arise, resolve with a twist. Very well done, if a bit paint by numbers (but then it is early Egan....)

The Moat: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Very well executed, touches on the concept without dwelling too much on it, teases and intrigues.

A kidnapping (⭐⭐⭐) and Learning to be me (⭐⭐⭐⭐) both feature the thorny questions of sentience, consciousness and self that were such a joy in Permutation City.

The safe-deposit box: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Quantum leap meet metaphysics. Applied dust theory (q.v. Permutation City)

Axiomatic : ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Tight little techno-moral fable.

Blood Sisters: ⭐⭐

Story 's got too much crammed into it, it makes the arc and the pacing unbalanced.

The Caress: ⭐⭐⭐
Efficient and full of potential, but I am discovering that 90s Egan's capacity for an excellent premise overtakes his ability to drive it home, plot-wise.

Bit like Eugene in this respect. Still very effective, though

Eugene: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
A very good set-up teeing off a surprising dénouement.

The Hundred-light-year Diary: 4 stars.
Also exploring looser conceit that wouldn't stand a longer format (though this one could yield several stories - maybe it will)?
Good Eganian collision of mundane realism and big sci-fi concepts. Very nice arc. Very tight. There's no fat on this text.