5 comments about Islands in the Net.

1. Having read and liked The Difference Engine, I wanted to try something else by Sterling (writing solo). While I didn't find the book to be as bad as some earlier reviewers, I do have to say sheer stubbornness is what got me to the end. This book, by the way, is not cyberpunk or even science fiction, it is more political thriller ficton or whatever. In spite of the title, the few oblique references to the "Net" in the book seem to refer generally to modern communication technology including television and the phone. I was pretty bored until the main character got out of Texas, and even though you want to care about her, there is nothing about her that really grabs you. Some of the minor characters are a lot more interesting. Some intriguing socio-political ideas are hazily touched on, but this was NOT one of those books that are hard to put down, which may help explain why it is out of print as of this writing.



2. This is one of the gutsiest SF novels I know of. Bruce Sterling has set his novel in one of the most incredibly detailed, well thought out futures ever developed. He's thought about his world geopolitically, economically, ideologically, and on a host of other levels, including how people live on a day to day basis. His people have internalized genuinely different ideas because of the world that has shaped them. In this sense it is most like some of the best Heinlein novels.

   The world Sterling creates alone would make this worthwhile reading, but his characterization is strong and unconventional, and he tells an extremely interesting story that travels all over the world. This isn't really a fast-paced pageturner, and it isn't immersed in hard-science details about how things work in the future--it's more like real life for most of us, where technology is part of the background, and just works. So if those are the kinds of things you value in a SF novel, this may not be your book. But the traditional virtues of plot, characterization, and setting make this an outstanding novel.




3. The headline isn't entirely fair as the last third of the book gets pretty good. Sadly most of the book just drags along with characters that you don't like, political philosophies that should have died with Communism and a worldview firmly rooted in the 80s.

   Maybe it's just because I've read Bruce Sterling short stories and I know that he can write. Maybe it's because I've read Neal Stephenson and compared to Snowcrash, other books in the cyberpunk genre are plodding. But mostly it's just not a very good book.

   Set in the 2030 this book concerns a democratic corporation and the information pirates that it's trying to bring to heel. Instead of focusing on the pirates, as Gibson would do, this book concerns itself with the corporate types that are trying to figure out what's going on in the assassinations.

   The world set-up in this opening is dull. Most of the characters are talking heads to spout philosophical mumbo-jumbo. A church of goddess worshipping prostitutes was probably innovative in its time but Starhawk's fifteen minutes are up, and paganism has moved away from the hippie garbage finally.

   Halfway through the book it becomes a travelogue of the various places in this world. Here's where it begins to get good. Zelazny compares it to Candide. Sadly it's nowhere near as funny as Candide - which could be the fault of the main character whose nowhere near as innocent or cynical as she would need to be to pull off a Candide. Instead she's simply morally outraged.

   When the book gets to Africa it begins to pick up, but then the protagonist is rescued by a Noam Chomsky type reporter whose running a guerrila army. This is where the book again falls flat on its face - by presupposing that Noam Chomsky would actually be able to run a workable system - rather than criticize the unworkabiility of current systems.

   There are moments, but mostly this book is a lifeless remnant of the cyberpunk explosion.




4. I have read most of Sterlings other works of fiction and loved all them (The Difference Engine, Heavy Weather, Global Head, Holy Fire, Good old fashioned future, Zeitgeist).

   This book surprised me. The title has nothing to do with the book. I had to force myself to read the whole thing and I only did that because it was hard to get (I know now why was out of print).

   The main character, Laura, and those that surround her are probably the most annoyingly self-righteous cast of characters I've seen. They live in the future, think they know everything, have genetic engineering, yet they still do natural child birth. The criminal element in this book is way more interesting and believable.

   I re-read my favorite science fiction when I either see it on my self and forget what it was about or every couple of years. Islands in the net is a laborous read that I wouldn't repeat.




5. ...I found value in this work by Sterling. I don't remember a whit of the plot machinations or the characters ten years after reading it. I do remember, however, the author's gift for thoughtfulness about the mechanisms of the future--the "sunglasses" in particular are something I think about often, being used to confer with "board members" all over the globe.
   
   I think Islands in the Net is a valuable read in that the author put a lot of thought into the technology itself of his "future." It's regretful that the book itself is turgid, but an awful lot of cyberpunk at the time was plot- or "feeling"- heavy, with the technology needed by the plot just "there," and little thought given to how and if it would work and be used.
   
   This book was very interesting at the time I originally read it if you were thinking about how to build the future, and what to build and how it could actually be used in practical fashion, rather than say, the kevlar dusters and mirrorshades.

5 comments about Shadowrun 01: Never Deal with a Dragon (Shadowrun).

1. This was the first one. This book of Shadowrun is one of the best in the series (If not T H E B E S T). It is so good that I read it three times. In my opinion if you like the shadowrun books and have a collection This book must be in it. Enjoy the book



2. this book is the only shadowrun book ive read and it was one of the best books ive ever read anyone who likes shadowrun should read it



3. I recommend the entire series. Robert Charette's style isn't very much a departure from the usual Shadowrun format, but the story, characters, and concept come together for a very good read overall. A great introduction to Shadowrun in this series.



4. I enjoyed the plot concept for this novel. The mixture of magic and high technology was successfully merged. If you are a fan of shadowrun, or cyberpunk novels than this is a good choice for you.

   On the down side. Charrette had a difficult time making me care at all about any of his characters. Sam Verner is whiney and self-indulgent. He spends far too much time wallowing in personal angst when he could be doing something interesting.

   The plot was ok, if a bit shallow for the length of the book. I recommend it as a good 'mindless' read, but anyone past seventh grade reading level shouldn't expect too much.




5. This book is the least engaging of the three, but is still a good read. I find its place in the series to be satisfactory. Everything gets better as the series progresses. The best shadowrun series.

5 comments about Battle Angel Alita, Volume 2: Tears Of An Angel (Battle Angel Alita (Graphic Novels)).

1. If "Battle Angel Alita" merely introduced us to the amazing cyber world of Yukito Kishiro, then "Battle Angel Alita: Tears of an Angel" builds upon that world and, more than likely, sets in motion the plot.

   After her victory over the all-powerful "King of the Maggots" in the first manga volume, Alita now faces her toughest challenge yet: love. Yes, love. While that phrase usually sounds cliched, it applies perfectly in this second manga volume. Alita has it tough to begin with, but when things start to spiral down even further, she must make a choice that could end up destroying her.

   Like before, the artwork is beautiful and very detailed. And, like before, "Tears of an Angel" is riddled with violence and blood and gore that sticks it in the section of mature readers who have very strong stomahchs. The story is a superb, miniature masterpiece, and it undoubtedly adds to the internal conflict of Alita trying to find her identity.

   This second volume is also featured in the "Gunnm" two episode OVA anime series ("Gunnm" is the original name of the "Battle Angel Alita" series.) Like before, I advise you to read the manga before watching the series, as comparisons will most likely decrease the enjoyment of the manga. But with that said, enjoy "Tears of an Angel". Along with the first volume, the second volume is a superb triumph.




2. the love story in this book is beautiful, it's wonderful, and i luv it because of this. it's sad, rythmatic, and stays this way through the entire book. it DOES end a little suddenly, tho, but don't they all?



3. As is true of almost any tale of cyborgs the question of the difference between mechanical consciousness and mechanized humanity is one of the driving forces behind the Battle Angel Alita series. At what point does a combination or brain, spinal column and hardware gain or lose its human nature. In this second stanza in the series, Alita, who was brought back to life in the first volume, re-finds her capacity for love when she meets Hugo, a human boy. Hugo's goal is to make his way from the traps of the Scrapheap to the upper city of Tiphares.

   Hugo and Alita seem made for each other, despite the gulf of artificiality that separates them. But Hugo, despite being a complete human is willing to steal the spines out of their original possessors if it brings him closer to the day he can go to Tiphares. This gruesome sideline, and the ghouls he works for gradually eat away at his own humanity until it is clear that he and Alita are really going in opposite directions. Alita will discover her spirit as Hugo gradually loses his soul.

   In the meantime, we get a close introduction to the grim nature of life below the city in the sky. Hunter Killers take heads for bounty, people feed on scraps while anything good is sent to Tiphares, and black market ops farm the neighbors for profit. For such as Hugo and Alita there is really no escape, only a dark struggle that can only lead to insanity and death if the dreamer refuses to waken.

   Balancing what is almost a post-apocalyptic vision, is Yukito Kishiro's wonderful artwork. He has the same eye for detail that made 'Ghost in the Shell' such a compelling spectacle. The cover art made me wish, for the second time that this series had made it as a feature film or OAV series. If you have been feeling drawn deeper into the world of manga, Alita is a great introduction to Japanese science fiction.




4. In this second poignant volume of Battle Angel Alita, Alita falls in love with a young street urchin named Hugo. Hugo's dream is to make enough money to move to Tiphares, the mid-air city where all your dreams can come true. Unknown to Alita, Hugo is making his money by assaulting and stealing body parts from cyborgs, a crime punishable by death. A character from the first volume, Zapan, who was humiliated by Alita, finds out about Alita's feelings for Hugo and begins to conspire a plot that will destroy Alita's heart. Will Alita's next bounty be Hugo?
   
   This manga was fantastic. While I compared Battle Angel Alita to Ghost in the Shell in my review of the first volume, there really isn't a comparison. Alita operates in a more savage world, where laws don't function unless bounty hunters enforce them. It is a place where your fellow man will let you die on the street without lifting a finger. It's such a horrible world that Alita's love stands out in even starker contrast to the evil that surrounds her. Yes, there are scenes of "ultra-violence" but what makes that different from our world? The thing I like about Alita is that there are horrible scenes of graphic violence but there are also scenes of philosophic thought and tenderness. Just like real life. Horrible beauty.



5. Tears Of An Angel shows another side of Alita that you don't get to see in the first graphic novel. The cyborg "Battle Angel" is in love. However, the person she's in love with lives a dangerous life. The ending may or may not suprise you. It's basically a sad love story. Tears Of An Angel is a great and I hope you enjoy it.

5 comments about Flashpoint: Book One of The Underground.

1. As both an author and reader of fiction, I was impressed with Flashpoint. Maybe it is because I have always enjoyed a book that could hold my attention and make me think at the same time. In a nutshell, the characters are believable and yet a little out of the ordinary and the story line interesting. Give this book a try.
   Tommy Taylor
   Author - The Second Virgin Birth



2. I met Frank Creed a few years ago through some writers groups and have followed his rise to published author with great interest. Frank is a thinker and he provokes one to follow him into thinking. Too many of us don't think anymore, we simply react. I guess that's why Frank has chosen a sub-genre of speculative fiction called cyber-punk to make his mark.
   
   By now, it should be no secret that Flashpoint has won many accolades. I'm not surprised. It's an imaginative potpourri of ideas and ideology that keeps one involved in the process as they read.
   
   I do like this book even though I'm only giving it three stars. Most of my problems with it have nothing to do with Frank's writing or the story itself and anyone who likes apocalyptic stories with technology and supernatural elements is going to love this book.
   
   My problems were with the book itself. My copy is an advanced reader copy so these problems may have been resolved. The Writer's Cafe (co-owned by Frank) is a small press with not much history in the making of books and it shows. A larger font would accomplish a couple of good things for this work. It would be more readable. I had a hard time with the font. Too many lines per page I think was the deal. A different font size would put less lines on the pages. Which leads me to the other issue I had. This copy has the story at 169 pages. That's not a novel. I'm not even sure it'd qualify as a novella. With this being book one of a series I felt more of the story could've been added and the novel could've been separated into sections. I see this all the time.
   
   I see from the Amazon page that the edition for sale is 216 pages so maybe they did some of this and my criticisms or moot. I hope so. I wanted to like this book more. I think Frank has a promising future as a storyteller and look forward to not only his growth, but that of The Writer's Cafe.



3. Great book. Besides entertainment, the story goes non-stop from beginning to end, I found the character of Calamity Kid to be inspiring! Despite his faults (he does suffer from pride and can be condescending) this character is superbly drawn.
   
   The author, Frank Creed, writes in a tight highly descriptive style -- every word is precise and there is no superfulous verbiage. The fight scenes are written to make one feel they are in the room, if not the character of CK.
   
   Highly recommended -- and I don't usually read sci-fi, let alone cyberpunk.



4. 2 of the 3 reviews are written by the author. No place in the description of the book do they describe what the novel really is -- a propaganda piece for fundamentalist beliefs.
   
   There is nothing wrong with this type of novel. If those are your beliefs and you chose to engage in reading this type of material -- please enjoy. If you do not want to read a book with a strong pro-fundamentalist christian slant then do not read this book.
   
   With apologies to Mr. Creed it is also fairly poorly written. I tried to hang with it despite my discomfort with the subject material but in the end the terrible writing did me in and I had to put it down. Left it in a hotel room next to the bible figuring that's where he would like it to be anyhow.
   
   One word version of this review = drivel.



5. Bloodline Christians have no idea what the future may bring. Let's hope we will be up to the challenge!

5 comments about Looking Glass.

1. Reviewed by Peg Brantley
   
   Shroud lives and works in the year 2025. Otherwise known as Dr. Catherine Farro, her job is overseeing the security for OmniMart, a large chain of discount stores. A paraplegic, she spends here workdays in a virtual reality tank, communicating with her team.
   
   On Friday morning, her group suffers an attack by hackers, and each member is brutally murdered. It's up to Shroud to exact justice.
   
   Strickland has built a story world that's consistent and connective. You know there's a brilliant plan and pattern playing out before your eyes, and you can appreciate the author's high-tech background.
   
   The only thing that disappointed me, with respect to character development, is that our language, even in 2025, doesn't appear to have evolved much beyond our reliance on four-letter words for descriptive emotion. Not a big enough issue to thwart the story--just an interesting societal development question that nagged at me a bit.
   
   I felt decidedly dense reading this book, but anyone more cyber-savvy is going to love it. I appreciated the movie, The Matrix, but didn't understand the details. The same goes with Looking Glass. But here's a tip: there's a Glossary at the end. Of course, I didn't find it until I got there.
   
   James R. Strickland is a new author with potential for great success in this genre. If you (or someone you know) enjoy high-tech fantasy with the ring of reality, get your cyber hands, or hands with actual fingers, on this book.
   
   Armchair Interviews says: This is a good book for the right readers.



2. This book is so full of acronyms, L33t speak and its own futuristic Technobabble that its almost unreadable to most of us. Unless your a Hacker or very technologically savvy. Personally I understood most of it but pushing through so much I barely understood, and translating most of what I did understand made the book far less enjoyable and I have a degree in computer sciences.
   Here is a sample of a paragraph I picked by flipping to random page and searched for the most difficult paragraph on that page:
   
   "The San Jose Team drops out of the gestalt twenty-three seconds after the end of passdown. That happens sometimes when the I-link pirate crew gets busy chewing on a script kiddy and one of their routers goes down."
   
   If this kind of thing makes sense to you, then you might enjoy this book. Though I thought some of the ideas had been done more sucessfully by different authors (most sci-fi's have similar plots in a very general way wich I dont want to give too much away in case you havent read this yet).
   
   The character who is wheelchair bound is somewhat compelling, and I like the fact that author is commenting on powerless people using the online world to become powerful in their own ways, however he promptly goes on to ruin this with a trite ending that quite litterally signs off with happily ever after. The tin man finds his heart so to speak, and dorithy had her shoes the whole time.
   
   On the whole I read this in a afternoon, it was cheap, and lightweight, and would be suitable for a long flight etc.
   Not the worst book Ive read, but certainly not what I would consider the best.



3. You've already read the details of the plot in other reviews, so mostly what I wanted to say was this: I really, truly enjoyed his book -- the pacing is dead-on, and the details are as believable as I've ever read in sci-fi. If you've been looking for authors who are carrying on the mantle of cyberpunk into the 21st century, start with Strickland.



4. 
   
   ________________________________________
   This book is full steam ahead cyber punk goodness. I think there is a misstep at 3/4 of the way in. At that point some of the reveals felt more like tricks to me and I started to get disappointed. Before I could flip the off switch, "Looking Glass" revved back up. I really enjoyed the ending. A tough-as-nails female protagonist, secret conspiracies that make sense, and a future world that I can almost touch. Wonderful debut by James Strickland.
   
   The story is basically about a female network administrator who fights hacking of the worst kind. If you fail, you die. And if you succeed then you wipe someone's mind away. It's a terrible case of job burn-out. Everything is going normally, burning the baddies until one day someone appears that can read their minds. At least it seems that way. Jump left, get burnt. Jump right, already waiting there for you. What do you do? And the worst part is that it's hard to tell what/who is real anymore.
   
   It might seem like a retread of older cyberpunk novels if you're looking just on the surface, but "Looking Glass" is not. This reflection goes much deeper.
   
   Overall one of the most satisfying reads in a long time. I really do recommend this book, even to non-techies.



5. As a fan and reader of the cyberpunk genre, I strongly recommend Looking Glass. I won't go into a plot synopsis, as others already have. The writing style is tight, and focused through the window of Shroud's perception and life experiences, and her shift into an increasingly uncomfortable and dangerous situation, both mentally and physically. It is this revelation of her inner life, with its defensive limitations and powerful motivations that keeps the focus on the human, despite the seeming technological focus of the plot.
   
   The dystopic setting of the splintered second world North America is revealed as is needed by the narrative. The technology is speculative, but much more soundly grounded in current technologies that give a sense of competence to the characters actions, and satisfaction to the reader familiar with the topics.
   
   In the end, to me, Science Fiction is a human story. It asks what will we do, what will we become, when technology has changed our society, our horizons, our bodies and challanged the limits of what is possible. Looking Glass does this, with a good touch for personal tension, evolving character awareness, and human weakness.

2 comments about Full Metal Apache: Transactions Between Cyberpunk Japan and Avant-Pop America (Post-Contemporary Interventions).

1. When I first heard of this book, I preordered and awaited it breathlessly. When it came earlier than I expected, I was thrilled. After I opened the pages, I found myself emerged in a dry, difficult-to-follow, academic book that is full of more quotes from other books than it has original text.
   
   I am not saying that Takayuki Tatsumi isn't knowledgeable on his subject, quite the opposite. I think perhaps he is too close to the subject to be able to write to a layman audience and it shows.
   
   My difficulties with the book ranged from it's style to references. Perhaps it is more for the academic minded; it was definitely published via an academic press, and definitely reads like a dissertation. I believe the author is somewhere between 10 and 15 years older than myself, creating a gap in the information streams in which we were exposed to. He makes reference to far too many movies/books/relevant figures (authors, playwrights, directors), etc, that I am simply not familiar with. And while normally this is not a problem, he fails to explain to my understanding who these people and their works are. I felt in the completely dark throughout this book.
   
   But perhaps the worse part was, it was a slow, painstaking read for the 200-odd pages of half-page text that graced the pages. It didn't help that I would have to stop again and again to consult online references to who people or their works were.
   
   Normally, I would give this kind of book only 1 star, but it covers two subjects I am very fond of: Japan and cyberpunk. So it gets an extra star, for anyone NOT deeply interested in these subjects, I recommend to steer clear away. This is not a casual read by any stretch of the imagination.



2. This book is the cultural critic's equivalent of a richly textured and nuanced novel. It is full of startling juxtapositions and imaginative leaps; it can transform the familiar into the strange and wonderful; and its point of view is witty and ironic and generous. It is as valuable to me for its insight into the complex relationship between Lafcadio Hearne and Japanese folklore as it is for its explication of the intricacies of twenty-five years of contemporary Japananese/American post-post-modernism. As I read it, I looked forward with pleasure to re-reading it with deepened understanding.

5 comments about The Zenith Angle.

1. ..
   Bottom line: Sterling's obligatory 9-11/dot-bomb novel/rant. Entertaining almost to the end, where it suddenly flies off the rails. Rating: overall "B-" "A-", if you skip the last chapter.
   
   ""Ignore the techno-thriller packaging ...what you're getting here is still Sterling's patented, hi-octane brand of gleeful, shrewd, speculative, cynical, closely observed, micro-detailed analysis of how the world works..." --Paul di Filippo, in his 2004 Washington Post review
   
   So anyway, I was having a great time, grooving on Sterling's wonderfully-observed technospeak, skimming over the odd bobbles (like a weird little jump-cut to Chechnya, fortunately short, which reminded me how much I loathe Leggy Starlitz). Then I got to the ending, where Sterling goes completely off the rails, out into la-la land. This is chapter 13, the last, and you should *seriously* consider stopping after chapter 12.
   
   I have no idea why Sterling went so far wrong at the finish. As Di Filippo wryly notes, the ending is "a set-piece that is not extensively foreshadowed." Yup. Reads like a really bad Tom Clancy wrapup. The ending, well, *sucks*, bigtime. IMO, anyway.
   
   But whatthehell-- it's short, you can read it in one sitting, forewarned is forearmed, it isn't Leggy Starlitz.... go for it. Just don't expect HOLY FIRE or "Taklamakan" or "We See Things Differently." And don't read this as your first Sterling novel!
   
   Happy reading--
   Peter D. Tillman
   (review first posted at rec.arts.sf.written 12-12-04)



2. A peculiar book. Sterling's descriptions of technological gadgets and governmental processes are convincing, but Zenith Angle seems to be missing some things. An obvious or compelling plot, for one - you can read 3/4 of the way through the book without figuring out what exactly is the point of the book. The characterizations are weird - a mixture of colorful, dull, and just plain odd. For a hundred or so pages it seems like it might be a good read, and then after a couple hundred pages more you realize you have just about run out of pages, and it hasn't become a good read yet.
   
   Each page is well written, but taken as a whole, the book's pages add up to surprisingly little.



3. This is way down on the boring end of Sterlings' writing. Three-fourths of the way through and pretty much nothing has happened. I mean literally no narrative events have occurred, and the characters have advanced no conflict. Amazing considering the story takes place around 9/11 and is supposed to be about some kwel l33t hackers' responses to it.
   
   Sterling vaguely attempts to include real human emotions but they are wedged in pretty clumsily. The main character is separated from his wife and child for much of the book--there are occasional reminders of how desperately he misses them! And how he's trying to save the world for their sake! Sadly, it's impossible to care about the human emotions of these cardboard cutouts Sterling arranges around metal government desks to discuss federal funding disputes.
   
   Really, this is sort of bureaucracy-fiction, not science-fiction (or "design fiction" as Sterling now calls it.) I half expected the story to turn on the filing of some form in triplicate, though it never really even got that interesting. The brief good parts actually read like Sterling's non-fiction essays, and characterize the over-funded paranoiac surveillance State in some chilling ways. So, a star for that.



4. This might be the worst book I've ever read. A refund isn't enough, I want those wasted hours back.
   
   I know Bruce Sterling can write - I've read his articles in Wired and elsewhere. Despite the byline, I don't know who wrote this book. Was it Drunk Bruce Sterling, Bruce Sterling's Roomfull of Monkeys? A Spambot that calls itself Bruce?



5. Being a programmer and a geek, I really enjoyed reading this book. Yes, some of it is implausable, and there a few rants in there, but I didn't like the book less because of that. I liked the characters - Van, his wife Dottie, Michael Hickock, etc. There's also some dry humor in there. It's not a super action-packed story for the most part, but I liked reading about what Van and Dottie worked on. I also liked the ending.
   
   I have read some of Bruce's other books (and enjoyed them too), and this book is a little different than them. And not everyone will like every book that an author writes. I for one am glad Bruce wrote "The Zenith Angle", and am searching for more books like it.

5 comments about Shadowrun 02: Choose Your Enemies Carefully (Shadowrun).

1. The second book in the Secrets of Power trilogy. In this book, the main character (Sam Verner) learns the true fate of his sister, and struggles to find out more. He begins to lose trust in even his closest friends. Read the book to find out more. An entrancing novel. Again I find myself lost in the writings of Robert N. Charrette.



2. I am going to start by saying that I like Charrette's books, but not on account of this one. Almost no convincing attempt is made to explain why the characters act and feel the way they do. Sam's reaction to Dodger's "betrayal" makes no sense, he was acting in Sam's best interests. Coincidentally, the lies he betrayed Sam with turn out to have the same effect in the end as if they were truth. Hart, the exotic elf and top knotch shadowrunner, who betrayed and tried to kill Sam, for some reason falls in love with him. Sam is constantly labeled to be average looking, but he becomes the lover of two beautiful women in this trilogy. I found the magical scenes boring, the best parts of this book were the Matrix runs, which Charrette does well in all of his books that I have read. This book has rushed feel to it, as middle books of trilogies sometimes do.



3. This book has to be one of the best I've read since I finished the previous book in the seiries. An interesting plot (though all the threads do not join together at the end) and good characters. All around a good book.



4. This book was absolutly SLOW! Compleatly different from the first, it features random violence and contrived romance. Not worth more than a buck.



5. The second book of Robert Charrette's 'Secrets of Power' series is better than the first novel. He weaves several sub-plots into an at least semi-coherent whole, but many of the flaws present in his first book are present in this as well.

   There are few characters for the reader to really identify with. His 'hero' Sam Verner is a whiney, pedantic, and obtuse. He possesses few character traits that lead you to care about him, but we are forced to follow him nevertheless.

   If you enjoyed the first book, or are a fan of shadowrun then you will love this. The concept is interesting, and the writing style is adequate, if not particularly memorable. The reading level for this book (as with his other two) seems to be about seventh grade level. If you are seeking a deep, meaninful novel that makes you think, then I suggest that you pass this one by. Otherwise dig in. It is a nice 'mindless' read that I pull out from time to time when I don't want to tackle anything more compelling.

5 comments about Mirrorshades: The Cyberpunk Anthology.

1. Now, I'm not saying that Mirrorshades was bad. Not only did it contain one of the most definitive PR essays on cyberpunk (Sterling's introduction) but it also conains some very good stories. On the other hand, it could have been much, much, MUCH better.

   Bruce Sterling, who edited Mirrorshades and similarly hand-picked the stories, clearly has his own agenda to the particular stories...at least, in some cases. Sterling assembled this almost as if it were an extension of his short-run newsletter, Cheap Truth (which he wrote under an assumed name of Omniveritas). In Cheap Truth, he attacked the existing science-fiction structure. He continues this trend in Mirrorshades.

   The clearest example would be his choice of Gibson short work. Of the possible short stories, he picked The Gernsback Continuum and Red Star, Winter Orbit. Gernsback Continuum is, simply, not cyberpunk. It is Gibson's attack on Gernsbackian science fiction (Hugo Gernsback was really to blame for the "fantastic" science-fiction which used amazing gadgetry and no actual ideas). Sterling's view of the Movement (cyberpunk lit) was to erase the old Gernsbackian sf and replace it with real life rather than daydreams, so he picked this story as Gibson's contribution. This is absurd. The definitive cyberpunk short story is Burning Chrome. It is clear that Sterling chose to further his own political ends as opposed to providing a good overview-the best of the best-of cyberpunk fiction.

   I could also have done without Sterling's final story, Mozart with Mirrorshades. This was, of course, an attempt to weave in the token item of the genre, the mirrored sunglasses. Sterling would have been much better off to include one of his Shaper-Mechanist stories, especially Spider Rose or Swarm. These stories are much better realized-and much more cyberpunk-than his choice. I would also have liked to see a more appropriate Rucker story...Rucker is great, but Tales of Houdini just wasn't appropriate.

   Still, there are some great stories in here. Cadigan, Shirley, Shiner, Bear, Maddox, and others all contribute great works. If anything, Mirrorshades should be a starting point; find authors you like here, and then read the really groundbreaking stuff by them; John Shirley's Eclipse trilogy, everything by Gibson, Bear's Blood Music, Cadigan's Synners, Mindplayers, and Tea from an Empty cup, Rucker's Software trilogy, Sterling's Schismatrix, Maddox's Halo, and so forth.

   However, if you want to simply read good cyberpunk short fiction, get the short story collections by the individual authors. As I said before, this is just a jumping-off point.




2. This book is a collection of cyberpunk stories assembled by Bruce Sterling. It is supposedly the definitive cyberpunk fiction collection. There are some really good stories in the book such as the Gernsback Continuum, Solstice, Freezone, Till Human Voices Wake Us, Stone Lives, and Mozart with Mirrorshades. These tales had advanced technological concepts and more importantly, good stories. The stories touched on gene engineering, time travel, cybernetics, and other popular cyberpunk themes. Some of the other stories were pretty interesting, but some just didn't seem to fit. For example, Tales of Houdini and Petra seemed out of place in this collection. Though they were both sci-fi tales, they didn't seem to be cyberpunk.



3. This is simply a fantastic collection of the best stories of my favorite literary subgenre, the Cyberpunk Movement in the 1980s and early 1990s. While I may not like William Gibson and Bruce Sterling, I am not ignorant when it comes to their importance in popularizing and shaping the genre. Also here are Rudy Rucker, the acting grandfather of the genre; and Pat Cadigan, the Queen of Cyberpunk (even though she had very little, if any, real competition).

   While there are a couple newer Cyberpunk collections, The Ultimate Cyberpunk coming to mind, the first is still the best. Not only are the stories fantastic, but the anthology didn't have to rely on a nostalgia effect, like those that are being published now.

   A good introduction to the genre, as well as an essential item for one's collection.




4. Bruce Sterling's anthology Mirrorshades announced the existence of cyberpunk. A more modern type of street level, urban science fiction in a lot of cases. While the authors here have done better work elsewhere this is still a very interesting and influential collection, and certainly of use to people with an interest in that sort of science fiction.
   
   Cadigan, Gibson and Shirley are all here, for example.
   
   Mirrorshades : The Gernsback Continuum - William Gibson
   Mirrorshades : Snake-Eyes - Tom Maddox
   Mirrorshades : Rock On - Pat Cadigan
   Mirrorshades : Tales of Houdini - Rudy Rucker
   Mirrorshades : 400 Boys - Marc Laidlaw
   Mirrorshades : Solstice - James Patrick Kelly
   Mirrorshades : Petra - Greg Bear
   Mirrorshades : Till Human Voices Wake Us - Lewis Shiner
   Mirrorshades : Freezone - John Shirley
   Mirrorshades : Stone Lives - Paul Di Filippo
   Mirrorshades : Red Star Winter Orbits - William Gibson and Bruce Sterling
   Mirrorshades : Mozart in Mirrorshades - Bruce Sterling and Lewis Shiner
   
   
   
   Not a fan of retro sf design.
   
   4 out of 5
   
   
   Serpent brain wartech is problematic.
   
   4 out of 5
   
   
   Direct mental music.
   
   3.5 out of 5
   
   
   Escape master movie.
   
   2 out of 5
   
   
   Team survival is tricky.
   
   4 out of 5
   
   
   Bioguru woman's Stonehenge drug binge unhinges into cryogenic desperation.
   
   4.5 out of 5
   
   
   Gargoyle boys and girls.
   
   3.5 out of 5
   
   
   Mermaid clone affair ends quite fishily.
   
   4 out of 5
   
   
   America losing, rock is dead, gay bar's an escape.
   
   3.5 out of 5
   
   
   Corporate anarchy watching brief blackout provides relative promotion.
   
   4.5 out of 5
   
   
   Cosmonaut crapout space station hitchhikers.
   
   4 out of 5
   
   
   Let them wear leather bikinis and crave recording deals.
   
   4 out of 5



5. A battered copy lives in my nightstand at all times. Between novels, I always come back to this, flipping through the pages until a word catches my eye. Such a diversity of talent, mixed together quite well here.

5 comments about Zeitgeist.

1. I totally have no idea that what I have in my hand is actually a sci-fi novel until I get right in the middle of it, because it was one of the rare occasions I never read the spine as it is indicated there. I also have no idea that the lead charachter Leggy Starlitz is actually the authors vehicle to several other stories of his.

   The story filled with political intrigue amidst the backdrop of fictional scenarios, turned to centralize its storyline with the lead charachter when the said charachter was subjected to take care of his telekenetic daughter who appeared halfway on the book.
   The novel have a thing about Princess Diana's death, a parody of the Spice Girls, mentioning Osama Bin Laden way before the 9-11 attacks... although the book may not hold your attention for all of the time while you try to read right through it - its quite an ambitious fine novel set in a sort of a parallel universe to the one where we are.

   In the meantime, im still a pair of chapters short to finish it as I type away right here...




2. Not necessarily one of my favorite books, this one has enough "alien elements" to it to, as another reviewer said, to join the sci-fi ranks, such as the Old Masters who gave us "Rendezvous with Rama", "Childhood's End", "I,Robot", "Ringworld", "Foundation", as well as cyberpunk books like "Mona Lisa Overdrive", "Neuromancer", "Snow Crash", "Cryptonomicon", and "Cyber Hunter".



3. Zeitgeist is an absolutely fascinating book. But let's face it, Sterling doesn't have half as much interest in the plot as he does in making observations of the modern world. This is pop culture, mass consumerism and culture war wrapped up in a brilliant package, but it seems a lot less like a novel than it does a series of modernistic philisophical conversations.



4. For anyone new to Bruce, you should know that many readers, myself included, think most highly of Bruce's short stories, at least as much as the full novels. I myself couldn't have had a better introduction to him than "Hollywood Kremlin," where Bruce first began the misadventures of modern-day picaroon, Leggy Starlitz.
   
   This late novel, "Zeitgeist," is a continuation of the series of short stories which began with "Hollywood Kremlin," and developed through 3 or 4 others now found in the collections, "Crystal Express," "Globalhead," and "A Good Old-Fashioned Future," in that order. And so if you are new to Bruce Sterling, those are the books I would recommend, rather than this one. Bruce has displayed an extremely sharp wit over the years I have been reading him, and his short stories demonstrate this best, perhaps. You also need to read the earlier Leggy Starlitz episodes to be able to get your bearings in this novel. Me, I would love to see all the Leggy stories gathered together in one publication.
   
   Among many clever, outrageous remarks Bruce has made over the years, I remember reading that nobody has anything useful to contribute after they are 40 (rough paraphrase, sorry.) If I remember correctly, Bruce turned 40 right around this book's publication. So as well as all that everybody else has said, I might add that the book appears to be about Bruce. There has always been a little of himself in Leggy Starlitz.
   
   Bruce is seeking his own transformation as well as that of the world around him. He has reached the age he predicted he will no longer be relevant, yet now approaches the age where a writer should be "coming into his own." Where now? That is the question Bruce is faced with -- or the "People" magazine version of the question: Is there life after 40, Bruce? The end of this story puts me in the mind of the "Schismatrix" story or stories, in a number of ways. The characters all seek to transcend their own limitations and mortality, and one presumes become better people as well. But does "better" mean the same thing to a butterfly as it does to a caterpillar?
   
   I believe the final transformation of Leggy in the end, this represents the challenge we are faced with as modern, post-modern, whatever ... human beings. Can we open our minds and our hearts, or do we continue on with the shallow 20th Century agenda? Or will the question be answered for us soon anyway? Me, I'm putting my ZZ Topp records up for sale right now!
   
   On a side note, several of the reviewers here outdo themselves in demonstrating how far they excel beyond Bruce in semiotics, epistimology, structuralism this and that. Bruce has always attracted such wannabees, and probably always will. He is not so different from them, after all. For me, to say that the writing is no longer intellectual cutting-edge has little to do with whether what Bruce has to say is valid, or more to the point, entertaining. Some reviewers seem to differ on that point.
   
   So if you want Good Bruce Sterling and are unfamiliar with his writing, look elsewhere; my recommendation: "Crystal Express." But I doubt anybody that has read a book of his wouldn't find a laugh or two here. But prerequisite are "Hollywood Kremlin," "Are you for 86?" and "The Littlest Jackal," available in short story collections elsewhere.



5. It has this crazy half-superman anti-hero.
   Sterling is good at throwing out literary names and facts
   I've never heard of.
   Examples:
   1) Pelevin ( Russian author) wrote Omon Ra and The Yellow Arrow
   2) Turkish cabaret music
   3) America is basically nine different cultural regions
   The book is humorous but somehow too negative.
   It is basically a satire on made for pop groups.
   Bruce Sterling is sort of a cyberpunk James Barrie.
   I think it it is his lack of integrity that bothers me most?