If William Gibson attempted to combine Clockwork Orange with Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank redemption, the result might be something like Solitaire. Eskridge takes social engineering to new levels by placing a 'project manager' into the glorified role where we expect to see a hacker or a cowboy or a fighter pilot. This is speculative fiction that business majors can appreciate, and it's an impressive first novel. ( )

(sigh) I finished this books three days ago and I'm still thinking about it. I chose Solitaire from the bookshelf at the independent bookstore because it had glowing reviews by Nicola Griffith and Ursula Le Guin and I've enjoyed books by both women. I bought Solitaire because the blurb looked interesting. I read Solitaire solidly for a day, taking small breaks to help the story last and to give myself to process the story.

The book was in the sci-fi section and labelled as psychological thriller and I suppose it is both of those things but it seemed like more. It is written cohesively, the characters are interesting, and the things they do seem right for them.

Ren (JAckal) Segura is the Hope of her company, Ko, in more ways than one. As the story starts she finds that she has been lied to and she has been terribly wounded by her mother. She struggles to not let down her web of peers, her family, or Ko. Ren is pampered and given prime education and projects and then her world spirals out of control. She loses her web, her family, Ko, and her lover. Her sanity is severely tested as she struggles to find out who she is without all those things which had defined her life and status in the world.

There is a lot of people management theory used and referred to in the story. I'm only generally aware of the field of study and I found it fascinating and not overly didactic; all the theory is rooted in the characters of the story and there is no "bad guy" as all the people have views that ring true for themselves and which invite empathy.

http://www.wsfa.org/journal/j02/a/ind... ( )