Pollen

I'm already a big fan of Jeff Noon and this novel has solidified it for me. Any problems of sheer enjoyment I might have had in the one that precedes it, in Vurt, has disappeared.

Maybe it's because I've learned the world and maybe it's because the pacing has improved a great deal and we're not forced to ride the storm of dreams from the PoV of a junkie.

This is more of a detective novel, quite similar to Noon's later novels.

It still showcases the world of dreams, a doggy world, men and women of shadow, androids, and plant people. :) It's still weird fiction, but it's also literary. I've never seen Persephone become a bad guy. And so many literary characters (and movie stars) dragged out of the dream to walk reality. :)

For something show more that was written '95, it has all the spirit of Gaiman's Sandman and the spunk of the best metafiction and the verve of what is now called the New Weird. :) He's definitely on the forefront of it all.

But how did I like this novel? It was fun and above all, super imaginative. For all of you who bemoan the lack of creativity in novels these days, I would direct you here. :)

It's all about sex and lust and sneezes and cabbies and the Law and going down into Hades and it's also about half-zombies and doggie nature. :) It's fascinating as hell. :) show less

On re-read, just as good as ever. Dream-like and disturbing, mind-expanding and gripping. You want to know what happens next to whom, and you want to live in that world. Maybe.

This is the first book by Jeff Noon I've read; and, I now consider myself a fan.

This is a book that I would classify as one of the 'truer' cyberpunk books out there. What I mean by that is the setting in Noon's book plays a central role in the story itself. Make no mistake this isn't some romance, western or sleuth story thrown in a cyberpunk setting. What I like so much about this story is that Noon explores the implications of his hybrid technological/drugged-up setting through the viewpoints of his characters, the society in which they reside and through the story itself. Indeed all three of these elements are symbiotically linked to the weird and unique world Noon has created. It's great to read a cyberpunk book where the cyberpunk show more elements actually ENHANCE the story being told.

Another wonderful thing that Noon considers in his story is the concept of balance. In particular, characters with uncanny strengths also have genuine vulnerabilities. Noon puts his characters into situations where their 'strengths' become completely benign or detrimental, while their 'weaknesses' become strengths. Noon understands when you merge a dream world with reality, rules and balance are needed to maintain the literary strength of your story. Without rules, powers go unchecked and the characters have no real conflicts. Noon does an excellent job of making his setting TRULY interesting because he respects the rules he lays out for his story and thus maintains an idea of consistency in his plot and characters.

Lastly, I love the prose and punctuation Noon uses in this book. It is rare that an author can pull off a first-person perspective that actually enhances the story. I believe Noon did this very well indeed. Even though the perspective bounces around a bit--and some of the transitions are a bit rough--Noon does a noteworthy job of handling his first-person perspectives. Noon's artistically rhythmic use of punctuation fits in perfectly with the tone of the book; and his use of simple but VERY effective vocabulary make even the most stream-of-conscience sequences easily readable. Despite the extreme setting and ideas present in this book, Noon's mastery of the English language makes this work much more timeless than less-risque works in science fiction.

Normally, I am a very harsh critic of science fiction; but Noon's work I believe to be truly exceptional. Not only are his ideas really unique and interesting, he fully explores the implications of his ideas. Also, Noon is a wordsmith. No, he doesn't rip out the fifteen letter words for even the most benign conversations. Noon is a master of simple and effective language that is riddled with subtlety. I really enjoyed reading this book, and I can't wait to get my hands on Noon's other works. show less

Although this is a sequel to Vurt, it is not a by-the-numbers repeat of that earlier work. This one takes some of the elements that were briefly touched upon and develops them much more comprehensively and we get to learn more of what vurt is and also the diversity of beings that inhabit both worlds. There's pretty much a whole new cast of characters this time around as well. From shadowcops to dog-men and x-cabbers that will take you anywhere you want to go as long as it's on the map and you have the fare.

Coyote, the last of the independent cabbies gets a pickup from one of the places the x-cabbers won't go. Limbo, home to the half-dead, is where he meets Persephone who just wants a ride into the city. But is this young girl more than show more she seems? The ride doesn't end well for the driver but he's only the first. His body is found with flowers growing out of his throat but when he is probed by Sybil, the shadowcop, it's found that he died with a smile on his face. Not long after there's an infestation of exotic flora that is causing the pollen count to rise to astronomical figures and the hay fever that results is crippling the city's inhabitants. Only those who can't dream are immune to the effects. What's causing it all and why does the chief of police seem to be obstructing the case and working with Columbus, owner of the x-cabbers?

This book could be read as a stand-alone work but I wouldn't really recommend doing so. Some of the concepts here were first introduced in the previous book and I doubt that the reader would gain the understanding without reading Vurt beforehand. Considering this falls under the cyberpunk banner, there isn't a lot of tech or science with the story heading into more fantastical and phantasmagorical ways with the vurt world wanting to expand into the real world. show less

A proper curates egg of a book. Interesting in large measure, exhilarating in many respects, but the overall impression is of a book trying too hard to live up to the reputation of its predecessor.

Great sweep of prose of course. A problem with stylists is that emotional content tends to get lost - or, more rarely - is there but is overlooked by the readers. I thought the family story of Sibyl and her children was affecting and strong. Although I thought the ending fell off into more 'normal' sf adventure story territory.

Very interesting premise of a pollen count so high that people sneeze themselves to death but this just isn't a patch on Vert.

Perhaps Vert had such an effect on me that none of his books can compare. I'm not sure. I did have a long gap between reading the first 200 pages and finishing the book and perhaps that played a part.