Trumping the gender issues raised, trumping the sexual issues, the political issues, the relationship issues, and the moral issues, this book was my first introduction to a cosmogony that required human consciousness, and so I was kept fascinated throughout. This is the second Greg Egan book I have read, slightly preferring "Diaspora" but both are highly recommended to hard science fiction and philosophy lovers. Dense and wonderful like Chris Moriarty. Fun with physics like Benford, fun with bioengineering like Bear, "Distress" is well-written with some very strong moral issues.

I tagged this book: Science Fiction, Australian Fiction, Epistemology, Eschatology, Bioengineering, Bioterrorism, Anarchism, Physics, Cosmogony, Gender, Feminism, Post-Singularity, Journalists, Hard SF, Cyberpunk, Transgender, Transhumanism, Novel, Fiction ( )

http://yet.org/2008/03/lenigme_de_lun... ( )

http://bactra.org/reviews/distress/ ( )

A journalist living in a decentralised, seven gendered world is asked to make a documentary of an important conference on an island that is sort of a big version of Sealand, but bioengineered. A famous physicist is set to unveil her Theory of Everything.

Needless to say, the loons are out in force for this, whether quasi scientific or quasi religious nuts, and some of them are violent. A particular version is worried that if this is actually presented the universe will go bye-bye. It seems there is a non-zero probability they are right.

Philosphy, media, inland diving, and a bit of offhand savage political criticism of Australia make this an excellent novel.

http://notfreesf.blogspot.com/2007/05... ( )

SF novel set in and near 2050s Australia.