The Artificial Kid
by Bruce Sterling
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Description
In a future world of rampant inequality, a martial-arts video star finds himself in a real fight for survival, in this novel by the author of Schismatrix. Founded centuries ago by the enigmatic genius Moses Moses, the planet Reverie can either be heaven or hell, depending on whether you live on or above it. The superrich orbit the world in luxury abodes, keeping their sometimes-lethal ennui at bay by watching homemade sex and violence videos created by the peons dwelling on the coral show more continents miles beneath them. The most popular entertainer of all is the Artificial Kid, an unbeatable combat artist whose bloody, self-produced martial arts videos have made him beloved both above and below. But the Kid is about to stumble onto something no one was ever meant to discover--a mind-boggling conspiracy of science and antiquity that forces him to run for his life into the strange and dangerous wilderness known as the Mass. And when Moses Moses returns to Reverie after seven hundred years of cryogenic sleep, things are about to get much worse. Written long before the era of YouTube, Ultimate Fighting, and reality TV, Bruce Sterling's prescient, thoughtful, and wildly satiric novel previews the nascent cyberpunk sensibilities of the acclaimed author's later works. show lessTags
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Member Reviews
This is it. The only Bruce Sterling novel I haven't read. So how does my guru's second novel hold up?
Well, it's original, aggressively stylized, and full of provocative ideas. In the distant future people are effectively immortal, with ennui a leading cause of death. The titular Artificial Kid inhabits the body of of a deceased politician, making his living as a combat artist, beating up other artists with his nunchuks and selling the tapes. He stumbles into a massive historical/scientific conspiracy, and a whole bunch of crazy stuff happens.
This isn't a perfect book. If the characters are a little flat, or the writing drags a little, then that's the price of journeyman work. But Sterling's obvious talent and energy is on display, and show more its definitely a fun read. show less
Well, it's original, aggressively stylized, and full of provocative ideas. In the distant future people are effectively immortal, with ennui a leading cause of death. The titular Artificial Kid inhabits the body of of a deceased politician, making his living as a combat artist, beating up other artists with his nunchuks and selling the tapes. He stumbles into a massive historical/scientific conspiracy, and a whole bunch of crazy stuff happens.
This isn't a perfect book. If the characters are a little flat, or the writing drags a little, then that's the price of journeyman work. But Sterling's obvious talent and energy is on display, and show more its definitely a fun read. show less
Kid is a 'combat artist' who enters arranged fights for money or honour. He is followed everywhere by his camera drones that record his every action. After a fight he edits and uploads his own tapes for the enjoyment of the masses. At the peak of his art, he is becoming very rich.
It all goes wrong after Kid encounters Moses Moses, the planet's founder returned after 500 years cryo-sleep. Forced to flee to the planet's untamed wilds, Kid meets his former mentor and understands the true nature of the planet that has become a playground for the indolent... http://icantstopreading.wordpress.com/2008/04/27/the-artificial-kid-by-bruce-ste...
It all goes wrong after Kid encounters Moses Moses, the planet's founder returned after 500 years cryo-sleep. Forced to flee to the planet's untamed wilds, Kid meets his former mentor and understands the true nature of the planet that has become a playground for the indolent... http://icantstopreading.wordpress.com/2008/04/27/the-artificial-kid-by-bruce-ste...
Kid is a 'combat artist' who enters arranged fights for money or honour. He is followed everywhere by his camera drones that record his every action. After a fight he edits and uploads his own tapes for the enjoyment of the masses. At the peak of his art, he is becoming very rich.[return][return]It all goes wrong after Kid encounters Moses Moses, the planet's founder returned after 500 years cryo-sleep. Forced to flee to the planet's untamed wilds, Kid meets his former mentor and understands the true nature of the planet that has become a playground for the indolent... http://icantstopreading.wordpress.com/2008/04/27/the-artificial-kid-by-bruce-ste...
Not Sterlings best work, but worthwhile. It's a book for transhumanists.
Didn't really understand this one...
The story was WAY too convoluted and I just didn't get it....
The story was WAY too convoluted and I just didn't get it....
Aburrido como película Iraní...
Worth a weekend.
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Author Information
Bruce Sterling is a recent winner of the Nebula Award and the author of the nonfiction book "The Hacker Crackdown" as well as novels and short story collections. He co-authored, with William Gibson, the critically acclaimed novel "The Difference Engine." He lives in Austin, Texas, with his wife and daughter. (Publisher Provided)
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Series
Belongs to Publisher Series
Présence du futur (341)
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Common Knowledge
- Original publication date
- 1980
- Original language
- English
Classifications
Statistics
- Members
- 563
- Popularity
- 52,287
- Reviews
- 9
- Rating
- (3.30)
- Languages
- 6 — English, Finnish, French, German, Italian, Spanish
- Media
- Paper, Audiobook, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 14
- ASINs
- 3
