Undertow (edition 2007)

This is good, very good. There's a lot going on here, but it's worth the attention it requires. The characters are interesting and diverse and so damned complex. ( )

Great take on quantum uncertainty, the observer effect, and other modern physics as plot-driving elements. Also a good allegory of slavery and depletion of natural resources. A bit slow in the start, but great action in the second half. ( )

Andre Deschenes is a very good assassin—one of the best—but he wants to branch out into the field of “conjuring;” that is, manipulating events by calculating probabilities. He thinks he has the gift, but he can’t find an experienced conjurer willing to take him on as a pupil. Novo Haven, a floating city on the planet of Greene’s World, is the kind of frontier town where people go to hide. The city, and the planet itself, are controlled by the ruthless Charter Trade Company, who have their closely-guarded secrets: the lucrative mineral they’re mining may not be entirely natural, the mining operation itself is on the verge of destroying the planet, and the ranids (the native population species the Company uses as a labor force) are much smarter and more civilized than anyone gives them official credit for being. Meanwhile, Andre Deschenes accepts one last contract against Lucienne Spivak, one of the guerilla operatives attempting to free the ranids from the Company’s control. Unfortunately for Andre, Lucienne was not only the lover of one of the greatest conjurers in the known worlds, but was the best friend of Andre’s own lover. But Lucienne’s death sets into motion events of far greater importance than a few domestic squabbles and Andre and the others find themselves fighting on the same side, attempting to save the world before the Charter Trade Company can destroy it all.

Elizabeth Bear has a wonderful way of writing straightforwardly complex plots. Nothing is intentionally obscure or ambiguous, and yet a reader must pay close attention as the story unfolds and develops. A delightful challenge! ( )

I don't read much science fiction anymore, but this one caught my eye when my husband brought it home from the library, and I quickly got hooked. It was interesting and compelling; my main complaint is that things got so complicated that I had a hard time figuring out what was happening. I liked that she didn't over-explain all the technology, but there was so much of it that I found it difficult to keep track of everything. Most importantly, however, it was well-written, so I will be on the lookout for more of her books at our library.

This science fiction novel is a participant in the classic "anti-colonial" sub-genre (not unlike the recent film "Avatar"), but does some original things with the details. The world in the book exist almost entirely on water and has a Deep South sensibility alongside the smooth tech talk. While it's neither mindblowing nor intensely original, it does avoid the common pitfalls of "The Chosen One" and other overdone genre fallbacks. A nice, clean scifi adventure with an intelligent political component. ( )