Counterweight: A Novel

A fun little sci-fi novelette, I read this in one evening. The idea of putting parts of one persons memories into another head is not new, but Djuna uses it effectively to structure this entertaining little mystery/crime novel. Forgettable, but fun.

‪SFnal corporate espionage thriller about a closely held corporate conglomerate involved in building a space elevator based in the island country of Patusan. The first-person narrator is the head of LK Group’s department of External Affairs, whose function is more that of fixers than PR. There’s a lot of James Bond–style escapades, convoluted double- and triple-crosses, and conspiracies real and invented. No one is who they appear to be, thanks in no small part to AI and implanted network devices called Worms. Our narrator also has a shadowy past and connections with nefarious underworld organizations. The personal intrigues of the Han family, owners and officers of LK Group, and the political intrigues among the Patusan show more government, the Patusan Liberation Front, and LK Group form the basis of the plot. I haven’t read Joseph Conrad’s Lord Jim, but I think there’s a tip of the hat to the “‬guilt and pursuit of redemption” ‪theme of that novel in the choice of Patusan as the setting.‬ show less

An unusual science fiction novel. Complex, creative, very Korean and yet universal. I quite enjoyed reading this.

I feel it's too terse. I couldn't catch some of what was going on.