Scan barcode
spacecomics's review
4.0
Great science fiction. Fast read, likable characters, dark humor, sometimes cynical, but fun.
rayn0n's review against another edition
dark
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Oh yeah, this is a keeper
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual assault and Rape
bibliomaniac2021's review
adventurous
dark
funny
informative
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
“Clone,” a dystopian satire that Cowper set in 2071 when Britain has a ludicrous population count of 100 million, evolved apes with the powers of speech and thought, and cloning technology. I suppose an author has what could be called a prediction range: this book is set about hundred years away from when it was written; at such a distance technology would obviously be more advanced, and said technology would significantly alter the nature of the society.
Currently- in 2019- we’re still 60 years away from Cowper’s date, though certain trends in “Clone” are visible in our time: mass surveillance by machine; inter-species hostility, though it’s obviously racial today, and various other touches. Cowper has some nice ideas like the Samaritans whose is function is to offer euthanasia rather than salvation. This idea reminds me of Edmund Cooper, though Cowper is a more literary writer who can draw easily on the canons of traditional works- such as the picaresque novel- and mix them with the gadgetry of science fiction devices. Cowper’s background is more privileged than Cooper: he was the son of John Middleton-Murray- part of the Lawrence-Huxley circle-, attended boarding school and Oxford. In the 1960s he gave up mainstream fiction, and turned to S.F. earning stinging reviews from Martin Amiss!
Currently- in 2019- we’re still 60 years away from Cowper’s date, though certain trends in “Clone” are visible in our time: mass surveillance by machine; inter-species hostility, though it’s obviously racial today, and various other touches. Cowper has some nice ideas like the Samaritans whose is function is to offer euthanasia rather than salvation. This idea reminds me of Edmund Cooper, though Cowper is a more literary writer who can draw easily on the canons of traditional works- such as the picaresque novel- and mix them with the gadgetry of science fiction devices. Cowper’s background is more privileged than Cooper: he was the son of John Middleton-Murray- part of the Lawrence-Huxley circle-, attended boarding school and Oxford. In the 1960s he gave up mainstream fiction, and turned to S.F. earning stinging reviews from Martin Amiss!
More...