SimonChamberlain's reviews from LibraryThing

The Night Sessions by Ken MacLeod

Sun, 21 Jun 2009 16:39:06 -0400

SimonChamberlain's review: "This is the other 'science-fiction/detective story set in future Edinburgh' that I've read this year. MacLeod is one of the most intelligent sf writers out there - just reading his work you'll get an introduction to politics, technology, etc. This one's set in the 2020s, following a major war between the west and Islam, leading to a general loss of faith and second Enlightenment. Christians are officially ignored by the government. But then a priest is murdered...linked into the story is an American fundamentalist living in New Zealand, and a load of sentient robots. Another good story, with several twists that I didn't see coming."
Orbit (2008), Hardcover, 324 pages

Halting State (Ace Science Fiction) by Charles Stross

Sun, 21 Jun 2009 16:39:39 -0400

SimonChamberlain's review: "Seems like now Rankin has retired you-know-who, the science-fiction writers of Edinburgh have stepped in to replace him. This is the second book I've read this month which melds science-fiction and detective themes in a near-future Edinburgh. This one's pretty good; it starts with an in-game robbery in a future version of World of Warcraft, and proceeds to get more serious, fast. It moves along at a decent pace with a few plot twists, lots of inside-jokes and references that you'll need to be a tech geek or at least a casual gamer to understand. Stross is a decent writer and he's created a believable and entertaining future world. I'm glad to see that he's writing a sequel."
Ace (2008), Edition: Reprint, Paperback, 336 pages

Dawkins vs. Gould : Survival of the Fittest by Kim Sterelny

Fri, 06 Jan 2006 06:17:10 -0500

SimonChamberlain's review: "Short discussion of the differing theories of evolution proposed by Richard Dawkins and Stephen Jay Gould. Quite readable and informative."
Icon Books UK (2001), Paperback

Transcendent (Gollancz SF S.) by Stephen Baxter

Tue, 27 Dec 2005 01:03:18 -0500

SimonChamberlain's review: "[Minor spoilers ahead] Third book in the Destiny's Children trilogy, which overall I found disappointing compared to his earlier work (I loved the Manifold trilogy, and Evolution was pretty good too). Transcendent is still a lot better than Coalescent and Exultant, though. I'd almost suggest skipping the first two, and going with the third. Although it contains elements drawn from the first two novels, they are in the background rather than being essential to the plot. Familiar Baxter elements are present, such as the impact of global warming, the divergent evolution of humanity far in the future, future humans watching and/or interfering with present-day humans, hive minds, and a protagonist who references earlier heroes (he's Michael Poole, ancestor of the eponymous hero of the Xeelee sequence, and (like Malefant in Manifold), is haunted by memories of his dead wife). He's also related to the protagonists of Coalescent, though not much is made of this. The Friends of Wigner, from Exultant, are also mentioned in the background. Overall it's a good enough book, worth a read, but not really one of Baxter's best."
Gollancz (2005), Hardcover