Halting State

Virtual reality,Near future SF

If you want to have a taste of the near future read this book. It is a matter of time we live this kind of events. ( )

I really liked the beginning and end of this book, and I think Stross is smart about technology and geo-politics. In fact, I had trouble following the middle because I needed my hand held through some of the gaming-infrastructure discussion, not because it wasn't smart. The characters seem complex but are actually sort of TV style stereotypes (a quiet career woman who secretly kicks LARPing ass, a disheveled game designer who's secretly socially awkward, nasty suits, a dyke cop--shocking!). I guess I just wanted more showing of the near-future world he imagines and less exposition clunky characterization. But overall, decent. Oh, and I'm not a gamer (aside from my childhood adventures in D&D) so maybe this book is more exciting for gamers. ( )

It took awhile to get into this book as it is written in the second person and getting used to some of the terminology (I'm not a MMO gamer) but I enjoyed the book.

The book starts with a bank heist in an online game and the story is told through three characters: a police officer, an insurance investigator and a computer consultant. The world of Scotland in the year 2018 is much more wired than today but most of the technology discussed exists or has been discussed. The book starts a little slow but picks up speed about 100 pages in. It goes in a very different direction than I thought it was headed and that made it a much more fun book to read and a page-turner towards the end.

If you are a MMO gamer, this book would probably interest you.

Am writing this review in the light of having somewhat panned its sequel novel, [b:Rule 34|8853299|Rule 34|Charles Stross|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1306168574s/8853299.jpg|13728393], so there must have been something likeable in this book that led to my reading the 2nd book. Eh?

Stumped! Can't recall ... umm ... ahhh. Oh, right. It was nominated for the Hugo. Not to say that I read every novel on the Hugo ballot, but gee, this is written by the same author of [b:Iron Sunrise|101864|Iron Sunrise (Eschaton, #2)|Charles Stross|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171481833s/101864.jpg|1219293] and [b:Glasshouse|17866|Glasshouse|Charles Stross|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1309197136s/17866.jpg|930588], which could arguably have won Hugos.

And also, it's about gaming! But, alas, I've read [b:Ready Player One|9969571|Ready Player One|Ernest Cline|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1320550569s/9969571.jpg|14863741], and that's now the gaming-theme standard.

So, is it the Scotland-future backdrop? Or the whodunit aspect? Perhaps, the charming second person POV? No, no and no.

I have to admit this now, the hype led me to like this book. I was led on by the PROMISE (from all of those who said this is a great book) which carried me through the reading of the whole book up to the time when I gave it a 4-star rating. I know, this is intellectual dishonesty, to be so influenced on by what others think.

But, hey, the me that read it the first time is not the same as the me that is reviewing it now, isn't it? Tanstaafl, I am just so confused. How about a multiple rating scheme where we can put in additional ratings based on what we recall of a book at different time periods removed from the first rating? ( )