Protaganist with amnesia in a far future setting. Worked well. ( )

Fast paced science fiction book, full of fascinating ideas. I really enjoyed the story and the structure of the book; the way that at first, it seems that we are in an experiment for bored geeks, then maybe it is a more genuine social/cyber experiment, then maybe there is something more to this whole thing. It is kind of an SF thriller/espionage adventure....

I really enjoyed the way the experiment put features of late twentieth century British and American society and politics, with a few twists, under the microscope. These are then critiqued so much they are shredded.

Somehow, for me, the fictitious world brought the some of the "real world" things - gender dysphoria, war crimes, gender roles, the role of religion in politics - into stark relief. Social constructs like friends, family, and values about abuse, personal autonomy, civil liberties are shown to be inconsistent, and fatally flawed.

There were two science fiction ideas that were added into the mix of "real world" ideas that I found fascinating - uploading/backing up people, and body dysphoria. Of these, the one that seemed to have most possibilities to seep back into the "real world" is the idea of body dysphoria (tall person in short body, for example). I have no idea if such a thing will ever be discovered to be a real phenomenon, but it's the kind of thing which seems obvious (to me) as a logical possibility. Gender dysphoria is a real condition, so why not other body/chemistry/identity/personality mismatches?

I have only just noticed that this is the second book in a series. This book stands on its own. I will try and look out book one, and hope not to be disappointed! ( )

I’m not sure if the characters in Glasshouse should be considered spirits, software or just a bunch of electrons. For purposes here, let’s just call them “people.”

The novel contains a lot of the typical sci-fi trappings of barely thinkable technology, shape shifting and regeneration and resurrection. When you strip this all away, there’s actually an interesting story with a lot of social commentary.

As part of a “historical” experiment, a group of people are placed in a microcosm where they have to live as if in the “dark ages” which happen to be a recreation of the ancient Urth years around 2000. (The novel uses an odd time system based only on seconds, so you read references to times like “gigaseconds ago.” Just ignore it; it’s not important to the story.)

As participants, people gain and lose points for themselves and their team (cohort) based on how closely they act according to the socially acceptable practices of the times. This is where Stross gets to rip us apart and make us think of our value systems and what we hold important. For example, part of the story line is about an abusive husband that is raping and torturing his wife. There are no point penalties for either, however, others are afraid to interfere because there IS a penalty for “interrupting the sanctity of a marriage.” This situation is remedied by one of the characters in a bloody fashion.

Other ideas addressed include mob psychology, peer pressure, gender roles and autocratic governments. Overall, I enjoyed the book but the end wasn’t very fulfilling. It seems that Stross just got bored and ended it as quickly as possible. ( )

This is an interesting story about some people who agree to participate in an experimental polity, the glasshouse in a future that includes teleports for interstellar travel. Robin is fleeing from a ruthless pursuer and has to work at staying alive as well as trying to understand what the world he's in is all about.

It's interesting but just not me. ( )

Really interesting inventive book with a lot of plot twists hinging on imagined technology and future history. I really enjoyed reading through the twists and turns. ( )