Cyteen (original 1988; edition 1988)

liked this a lot; what place in the world do the Azi have, who are the Azi of our time; what would it mean to replicate/clone a person, how closely would they resemble the original; why (other than ego) would we want someone to be replicated that completely; read it twice in 2010 -first & last book of the year ( )

In a nutshell: Great sf read! More specifically..... the story of Ariane Emory, the genius behind the 'programmed people' - the azi that make Union different from the other human colonies and cultures. Clones, essentially, and manipulated by deep programming into being quite different from 'flux' dominated 'born-men'. The azi operates from deep logic and the kind of seat-of-the-pants balancing act that 'we' do is what they have to learn. This makes them both tougher and more vulnerable than we are. Unless rattled emotionally they aren't distracted by non-task related thoughts and can focus, move fast, etc. But making decisions, dealing with the unexpected (unless they are alphas and 'programmed' to cope and improvise and have worked at it) is not in their 'skill-set' generally. It's very disturbing to contemplate for it turns out that both born-men and women generally end up with their life partner being azi...... eg, not a person who will question your judgment, but a person toward whom you have to behave a certain way (very humanely) or they will not function. Only very 'high-up' can get a license for an azi companion..... well, I'm getting distracted here, the main thing is that you can replicate yourself and it is decided that Ariane must be replicated so she is - then the question is how far do you/can you go replicating her childhood circumstances and how much does that affect who she (or any) replicate will become - Ariane2 does, of course, turn out differently, the question being for the first 2/3 of the book, which way will she go, better or worse..... and I won't tell! The drive behind this questionable ethical effort was to have 'more' soldiers and people who would work well, quickly, in difficult situations - but that is clearly bogus, these scientists are totally into the thrill of 'can it be done' - disciples of Morgoth/Sauron, really when you get down to it..... very dangerous play. There are wonderful characters and situations and as with all Cherryh, take nothing for granted and read carefully. I might change this to a five star.......****1/2

I'll be reading [40,000 in Gehenna] next - a book that is mentioned in Cyteen - Ariane Emory was 'forced' by the military to colonize a planet with mostly azi/born-men to ensure that it would end up being a Union planet - but it is abandoned for various reasons, to its own fate and then later rediscovered...... I'm looking forward to it! ( )

Ariane Emory is a certified genius - a Special. She runs a research facility called Reseune with the assistance of Giraud and Denys Nye. She is also a member of the Council of Nine, an elected executive body which governs the Union. Emory supports the Expansionists - who seek to enlarge the Union through exploration and continued cloning (for which Resuene is vital). She has many political enemies and is 120 at the start of the novel. This is possible through ‘rejuv’, an addictive substance that extends life. Her rival, and former co-worker, Jordan Warrick, is also a Special. He has a son, Justin, who is Jordan’s genetic clone. Jordan has also fostered an experimental azi named Grant, and brought up Justin and Grant as brothers. Ariane threatens to use Grant (who remains property of Resuene due to his experimental status) for testing unless Justin works for her. She uses this excuse to lure him to her apartment, where she sexually abuses him with the help of her two azi.

Justin attempts to keep his abuse from his father, but when Jordan finds out, he confronts Emory in her office. She is found dead later that day. Jordan is strongly suspected of Ariane’s murder, but due to his status as a Special he can not be punished directly. He is exiled to a research facility on another planet and forced to cut all ties with Justin and Grant. Emory’s last project has been the cloning of a young man in order to recreate his abilities. Earlier attempts at complete cloning have failed. Emory’s goal was to recreate herself by replicating her life as closely as possible. Emory also created a computer program to help guide her successor. Due to her sudden death, this project is initiated immediately and Ari is raised by a woman who is a close match to Emory’s mother.

The scope of this novel is huge: an in depth study of power, examination of the difference in the psychology of a ‘natural-born’ person and that of a manufactured mind, the story of a ruthless genius, her death and subsequent cloning, and the experiences of the clone herself, who is intended to replace the greatest mind in history and succeeds more completely than anticipated. The large scope makes the novel clunky in some places, but for the most part it is very engaging. Things are infinitely more interesting once the second Ariane has been born. The politics a sometimes dry, but moves the narrative along very effectively.

The relationship between the azi - artificially created beings who learn everything through ‘tape’ and have an artificial psychology called a ‘psychset’ - and natural born humans is examined in great detail. Sometimes the azi are no better than chattels, other times they are trusted fiends and even lovers, but in everything it is shown that azi have no choice - they are programmed to make their Supervisors happy. The plight of the azi was extremely disturbing to read; they have no adaptive skills and suffer deep depression when anything unexpected occurs - requiring extensive tape sessions to convince them that everything is alright. Although most characters in the book consider azi human, the question of humanity and what it means is a point of discussion between Justin and his azi Grant, with some surprising insights into human psychology.

Grant: Give me a chance, friend. I’m not a damn robot. Maybe my feelings are plastic, but they’re sure as hell real. You want to yell at me, yell. Don’t pull that Supervisor crap.

Justin: Then don’t act like a damn azi!

I also really liked the characterisation in the novel. Justin and Grant are lovers - and it is obvious through their mannerisms and how much they care for one another. Ari’s struggle to find a partner who both matches her intellect and understands her plight as a replicate fuels her attraction to Justin, which makes Justin increasingly uncomfortable as he is unable to forget the horrors which her predecessor inflicted on him. I felt sorry for all of them throughout the book and really enjoyed reading their interactions.

Cyteen is 680 pages long, with only 14 chapters. The chapters are thus very long and split up into 10 - 15 parts. Each part usually deals with a different issue, or a different character’s point of view. In the fast-paced sections the structure of the book is not so important. But in the slower parts, the long chapters become very hard to read and I found myself skipping large sections.

This a wonderful example of great science fiction. Although sometimes very hard to read due to the level of detail which creates a sluggish pace, the book is worthwhile to read at least once because of the issues it raises. This is a book of classic SF which many who like to read the genre will enjoy. Be warned though - this is a long read. ( )

Cherryh's best work. A gripping and psychologically intense study of the uncertain and malleable nature of human identity. Rewards multiple re-reading. ( )

Starts off strongly as a psychological thriller, then slows down a lot in the middle, before there's a brief burst o' action at the end. Would benefit from some editing, but is basically good. Don't bother with the sequel, tho'. ( )