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slow-paced
Slant is set in an all-too-possible future United States where people are constantly hooked (often physically) into an advanced version of the Internet and it is routine to undergo mental therapy, mediated and maintained by nanobots that float freely in one's bloodstream till the end of their days. Dataflow rules all, and people are generally consumed by information. Immortality is within reach ... or so a group of wealthy "Untherapied" aristocrats believes.
There is a lot going on in Slant, and that can be as much downside as bonus. It takes a while to get into the main storyline. The perspective jumps from character to character to character throughout the book, and this is especially confusing throughout the first Part. At first the threads are unconnected--is Bear simply weaving a setting for us to enjoy? Laying out themes to ponder and a cautionary tale of what humanity might become in fifty or fewer years? But sure enough, eventually the threads criss-cross, then merge into a focused storyline, which covers the latter third of the novel.
Overall, this is a solid piece of science fiction that's worth a read. But, I would advise being prepared to read in larger chunks--at first, you will need to in order to keep the plotlines straight; later, you'll just want to keep reading to find out how it all is going to play out.
There is a lot going on in Slant, and that can be as much downside as bonus. It takes a while to get into the main storyline. The perspective jumps from character to character to character throughout the book, and this is especially confusing throughout the first Part. At first the threads are unconnected--is Bear simply weaving a setting for us to enjoy? Laying out themes to ponder and a cautionary tale of what humanity might become in fifty or fewer years? But sure enough, eventually the threads criss-cross, then merge into a focused storyline, which covers the latter third of the novel.
Overall, this is a solid piece of science fiction that's worth a read. But, I would advise being prepared to read in larger chunks--at first, you will need to in order to keep the plotlines straight; later, you'll just want to keep reading to find out how it all is going to play out.
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Short version: my first exposure to Greg Bear; seemed a bit tedious (the pacing seemed a bit off -- like in fits and starts); the climax/wrap-up went well but seemed to start too early and fold in on itself, dragging out. Some neat concepts presented and certainly a chilling and plausible future (even if he seems to be beveling the edges of his science a bit (if you know what I mean)).
This book read more like a series of connected short stories than a novel. Each character got two to five chapters encompassing a relatively short period of their lives wherein one or two things happen. Most characters are fixated on sex for one reason or another. There was a preachy boring part in the middle about the interconnectedness of everything. Other characters I liked had relatively minor roles, and the characters I didn't like became starring characters.
Nanotechnology has solved every major disease, artificial intelligence handles the real problems, and nearly everyone is media addicted. Mental illnesses like depression can be therapied out too. Your social status depends on how much work you've had done with nano. The less the better. There's a group of crazy rich "natural" folks called Aristos who are scheming to wait out the world's predicted descent into chaos, of course giving it a helping hand down into it with some fancy engineered virus that causes nanotech implants to malfunction. They built a prison/compound called Omphalos to let them outlast the nanotech's "crutch" and sweep in after the world destroys itself with it. There are people--probably government--trying to blow this thing up. These are their stories.
We have the saboteur, a porn star, a therapist, a police detective, a family man, and they all get tangled up.
Interesting concept, and compelling enough during reading, but I give it a solid "eh".
Nanotechnology has solved every major disease, artificial intelligence handles the real problems, and nearly everyone is media addicted. Mental illnesses like depression can be therapied out too. Your social status depends on how much work you've had done with nano. The less the better. There's a group of crazy rich "natural" folks called Aristos who are scheming to wait out the world's predicted descent into chaos, of course giving it a helping hand down into it with some fancy engineered virus that causes nanotech implants to malfunction. They built a prison/compound called Omphalos to let them outlast the nanotech's "crutch" and sweep in after the world destroys itself with it. There are people--probably government--trying to blow this thing up. These are their stories.
We have the saboteur, a porn star, a therapist, a police detective, a family man, and they all get tangled up.
Interesting concept, and compelling enough during reading, but I give it a solid "eh".
I like Greg Bear a lot, because he definitely doesn't forget the "science" in "science-fiction". Darwin's Radio/Darwin's Children was, in my opinion, spectacular (although if I remember correctly the first one is better than the second one). For some reason, though, I enjoy them when reading them, but I usually can't remember them that well afterwards - Blood Music and Eon/Eternity are a good illustration of that - I know I liked them, but I just can't remember what/who they were about.
I guess Slant will have the same "impact" - I liked it, I don't think it will stay in my memory for long. The basic idea is that, in a pretty near future, nanotechnology is... everywhere. In particular, it's used on a fair fraction of the people as "therapy" - to correct chemical imbalances that are the source of diverse "suboptimal" mental states. Oh, and this is also a future where AI can become self-aware.
But what happens when therapy begins to fail on a large scale, a secret society builds a gigantic complex (supposedly a cryogenic facility), and AIs are not built the way they should be built? That's what Greg Bear explores in Slant.
He does that through a hanful of characters, whose point of views we follow alternatively along the book. What the characters have in common is not clear at the beginning - and the fact that the end is kind of confusing makes the relationships not that obvious at the end.
The depicted future is pretty believable in my opinion, but the characters are forgettable and the plot is kind of messy. So it's one for the "not bad, but not great" category.
I guess Slant will have the same "impact" - I liked it, I don't think it will stay in my memory for long. The basic idea is that, in a pretty near future, nanotechnology is... everywhere. In particular, it's used on a fair fraction of the people as "therapy" - to correct chemical imbalances that are the source of diverse "suboptimal" mental states. Oh, and this is also a future where AI can become self-aware.
But what happens when therapy begins to fail on a large scale, a secret society builds a gigantic complex (supposedly a cryogenic facility), and AIs are not built the way they should be built? That's what Greg Bear explores in Slant.
He does that through a hanful of characters, whose point of views we follow alternatively along the book. What the characters have in common is not clear at the beginning - and the fact that the end is kind of confusing makes the relationships not that obvious at the end.
The depicted future is pretty believable in my opinion, but the characters are forgettable and the plot is kind of messy. So it's one for the "not bad, but not great" category.
Characters and plot development: 2 stars
Universe building: 4 stars
Underlying philosophy: WTF
Do me please the favour of tolerating a small personal indiscretion, for the sake of further clarity down the road of this review. Many, many years ago, I finally gathered the courage to send The Great Love Of My Life on his merry way, explaining to him that, looking back, it was clear to me that we had been mutually toxic for virtually all the fifteen years of our relationship, and also that I had felt empty, un-loved, in need of more respect and trust, and desperately lonely for the best part of it. I also reminded him of how he was so unhappy himself that he had been constantly threatening to break up and complaining about my shortcomings for years. His answer was a boyish, pained look of disbelief and the unforgettable statement: "Why? Why do you want to throw it all away?! I AM SO HAPPY WITH YOU..."
Yes, he did. And yes, he probably was.
Great world-building and disappointing plot development with some glimpses of interest seem to be signatures of Greg Bear's narrative style. So is the veiled sexism poking out the futuristic sexual freedom like nettles through the fabric of an old blanket.
Here the first chapters promise a whole lot, that is not delivered by the end of the novel. The AI story arc is compelling and well concluded, while many other characters fizzle out running around without purpose after being introduced as main actors in the plot. One of them even opens one the introductory chapters only to be carried around as a dead weight, while another seems to be the protagonist, but in the end is just there to be substantially tortured by the plot, and to let readers revel into the aforementioned gorgeous world-building. Maybe even to show how women are fragile, but I am not sure about that.
Possibly the most unnerving quirk of Greg Bear's novels is the streak of sexism and broken psychology that makes some characters and their choices feel like a glitch in the matrix. One of the main plot devices arises from the necessity, for a woman scientist, to MODIFY HER OWN BRAIN BECAUSE THE FEMALE BRAIN IS NOT CREATIVE ENOUGH TO GIVE HER AN EDGE AS A RESEARCHER. Yes, you just read that. It's not all, and here we get to the reason for my little dirty confession above. One of the main characters is an insufferable, holier-than-thou, arrogant, puritan American yuppie convinced that life, wife, children and society at large all owe him more than they gave him. The Great Love Of My Life and our break-up exchange came immediately to my mind. Oh boy, did I savour his fall from grace (or the apocalyptic damage he may cause if victorious). I am a long-hating green monster, I know. By the way, much to my dismay, it became clear half-way through the novel that he was the good guy all along. We are even treated to a molassey happy family ending. People, Greg Bear IDENTIFIES with this guy. Shivers of uneasiness and cringe. Long, painful soul-searching and questioning of my literary choices and taste. Conclusion: I know I will go looking for the first installment of the series (this book is a stand-alone, but I understand it takes part in a longer story arc). This man Bear builds worlds so well. I will just write it down to Guilty Pleasures, together with watching dr. Phil videos on You Tube and reading the Guardian, knowing it will infuriate me.
Today I learned that there is such a thing as hate-reading.
Universe building: 4 stars
Underlying philosophy: WTF
Do me please the favour of tolerating a small personal indiscretion, for the sake of further clarity down the road of this review. Many, many years ago, I finally gathered the courage to send The Great Love Of My Life on his merry way, explaining to him that, looking back, it was clear to me that we had been mutually toxic for virtually all the fifteen years of our relationship, and also that I had felt empty, un-loved, in need of more respect and trust, and desperately lonely for the best part of it. I also reminded him of how he was so unhappy himself that he had been constantly threatening to break up and complaining about my shortcomings for years. His answer was a boyish, pained look of disbelief and the unforgettable statement: "Why? Why do you want to throw it all away?! I AM SO HAPPY WITH YOU..."
Yes, he did. And yes, he probably was.
Great world-building and disappointing plot development with some glimpses of interest seem to be signatures of Greg Bear's narrative style. So is the veiled sexism poking out the futuristic sexual freedom like nettles through the fabric of an old blanket.
Here the first chapters promise a whole lot, that is not delivered by the end of the novel. The AI story arc is compelling and well concluded, while many other characters fizzle out running around without purpose after being introduced as main actors in the plot. One of them even opens one the introductory chapters only to be carried around as a dead weight, while another seems to be the protagonist, but in the end is just there to be substantially tortured by the plot, and to let readers revel into the aforementioned gorgeous world-building. Maybe even to show how women are fragile, but I am not sure about that.
Possibly the most unnerving quirk of Greg Bear's novels is the streak of sexism and broken psychology that makes some characters and their choices feel like a glitch in the matrix. One of the main plot devices arises from the necessity, for a woman scientist, to MODIFY HER OWN BRAIN BECAUSE THE FEMALE BRAIN IS NOT CREATIVE ENOUGH TO GIVE HER AN EDGE AS A RESEARCHER. Yes, you just read that. It's not all, and here we get to the reason for my little dirty confession above. One of the main characters is an insufferable, holier-than-thou, arrogant, puritan American yuppie convinced that life, wife, children and society at large all owe him more than they gave him. The Great Love Of My Life and our break-up exchange came immediately to my mind. Oh boy, did I savour his fall from grace (or the apocalyptic damage he may cause if victorious). I am a long-hating green monster, I know. By the way, much to my dismay, it became clear half-way through the novel that he was the good guy all along. We are even treated to a molassey happy family ending. People, Greg Bear IDENTIFIES with this guy. Shivers of uneasiness and cringe. Long, painful soul-searching and questioning of my literary choices and taste. Conclusion: I know I will go looking for the first installment of the series (this book is a stand-alone, but I understand it takes part in a longer story arc). This man Bear builds worlds so well. I will just write it down to Guilty Pleasures, together with watching dr. Phil videos on You Tube and reading the Guardian, knowing it will infuriate me.
Today I learned that there is such a thing as hate-reading.
Super weird, but pretty damn compelling technology. The technology made some of the sappier parts totally worth pushing through. Had no idea until I wrote this review that this book was part of a series. I don't really see which of the characters could've been from a previous book, and that confused me. But as a standalone it's good.
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
A very slow starting book. 5 completely different character perspectives within the first 50 pages, and by the time you get back to the first character you don't remember anything about them!
It finally got better much later in the book, especially when the separate character threads starting merging and you got a better sense of the overall plot.
The ending was satisfying, but overall the book was just okay.
It finally got better much later in the book, especially when the separate character threads starting merging and you got a better sense of the overall plot.
The ending was satisfying, but overall the book was just okay.