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burritapal_1's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
informative
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
<Spoiler>
In this novel the author has created a future where humans can make copies of themselves called Dittos. They can do these so that they can release their organic cells to do whatever they care to. They're Dittos can do chores that we all hate to do. For an example a green doodle can be created to tackle that pile of dishes in the sink and then scrub toilets. Maybe clean the whole house while they're at it and vacuum. I would love this myself. There are ebony Dittos who are created for super intelligent work, who are buffered in the brain cells in some way to concentrate more organic intelligence in Ditto brains. There are gray Dittos who can do the mundane part of detective work of the protagonist Albert Morris. Things like stakeouts, or the dangerous work of chasing villains.
In this novel the author has created a future where humans can make copies of themselves called Dittos. They can do these so that they can release their organic cells to do whatever they care to. They're Dittos can do chores that we all hate to do. For an example a green doodle can be created to tackle that pile of dishes in the sink and then scrub toilets. Maybe clean the whole house while they're at it and vacuum. I would love this myself. There are ebony Dittos who are created for super intelligent work, who are buffered in the brain cells in some way to concentrate more organic intelligence in Ditto brains. There are gray Dittos who can do the mundane part of detective work of the protagonist Albert Morris. Things like stakeouts, or the dangerous work of chasing villains.
A favorite part of mine is where one of Albert's dittos, a gray, is hired to be a spy in the Universal Kilns factory. Universal Kilns is where the clay bodies used to make Dittos are created. He's equipped with a prion bomb, though he doesn't realize it.
He supposedly was healed of numerous wounds that happened to him in the nightclub that Queen Irene owned. In reality, while he was anesthetized, the bomb was planted in him.
So at the last second he was informed by another of his Dittos that he had to get out of the factory or he would kill actual organic workers. He ran outside and saw a forklift Golem and threw himself under its legs.
"ignoring our shouts, he searched frantically, then found what he was looking for - a place to die without hurting anybody.
Well, anybody except that poor forklift driver who never understood why a stranger suddenly wanted to burrow up his gloaca. And that was just the fellow's first Rude surprise. The giant dit worker let out a bellow, then began expanding to several times his former size, like a distended balloon... like some cartoon character blowing too hard on his own thumb. I thought the Unlucky forklift was about to explode! Then we'd all be finished. Me for sure. Everyone in the factory. Universal Kilns. Maybe every Ditto in the city?
...
Lucky for us, the hapless forklift stopped expanding at the last moment. Like a surprised blowfish, he stared about with goggle eyes, as if thinking, this was never in my contract. Then the Soul glow extinguished. The clay body shuddered, hardened, and went still."
This book lagged a bit for me. I expected some more dirty scenes, like what people did with their Dittos or did those they rented. Nah it was pretty tame. Cool idea though.
redlotus_andjoy's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
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? It's complicated
3.0
ein's review against another edition
4.0
Задумка отличная: с утра пораньше человек делает с себя несколько копий-големов для грязной работы, свежие впечатления которых можно через сутки влить в себя обратно. При этом големы, по сути, являются тем же самым человеком, который может вести повествование со своей точки зрения и которого - наконец-то! - не жалко убить. Открывались восхитительные возможности для написания оригинального и напряженного действа.
Могла бы получиться конфетка. Но получился мутный и запутанный детектив, продираться через который было откровенно скучно. Жаль.
Могла бы получиться конфетка. Но получился мутный и запутанный детектив, продираться через который было откровенно скучно. Жаль.
halibut's review against another edition
3.0
Some very interesting ideas neatly explored, but the plot becomes more and more far-fetched and less and less interesting as the book goes on. I loathe descriptions of action-packed sequences, and the last 25% of the book is basically the type of fast paced action scene that works as the climax of a movie, but drags interminably in text.
mrfrenchtoasts's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 / 5. I really enjoyed the first 4/5 of the book. The ending was a complete mess though... but I think it's worth a second read. Maybe it will make more sense after that!
titusfortner's review
3.0
This book started out with a great action sequence. Then we find out that the protagonist is a detective, and I've been craving a good detective story for a while. The concept of clay copies of yourself was promising.
Then things got convoluted. Albert made 4 copies of himself and the reader and spends the rest of the book bouncing back and forth between them for way too many long chapters. Lots of politics between multiple parties and trying to remember which character knew which details from which characters...
Then we started getting into the weird metaphysical nonsense surrounding the observer effect.
Every time you think the book is about to wrap up, you realize you still have a lot of book left.
There was a character referenced early in the book that I was extremely excited to meet, but that doesn't happen until the end and was utterly disappointing.
At the end, I'd mostly lost interest. There are some interesting ideas here, but this book would have been much better at half the size. 2.5 stars.
Then things got convoluted. Albert made 4 copies of himself and the reader and spends the rest of the book bouncing back and forth between them for way too many long chapters. Lots of politics between multiple parties and trying to remember which character knew which details from which characters...
Then we started getting into the weird metaphysical nonsense surrounding the observer effect.
Every time you think the book is about to wrap up, you realize you still have a lot of book left.
There was a character referenced early in the book that I was extremely excited to meet, but that doesn't happen until the end and was utterly disappointing.
At the end, I'd mostly lost interest. There are some interesting ideas here, but this book would have been much better at half the size. 2.5 stars.
kalldimma's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
mjfmjfmjf's review
4.0
A re-read. And better than I remember but also bigger and slower and more complicated. I'm also more accepting of Brin's generally not good endings - maybe because I expect less. I read this for a business trip I took to DC. Usually I'd expect to read a book on the flight each way and a book during the trip. But for this trip it ended up being just this one. Maybe I'm reading slower, maybe I'm not focusing as well. Or maybe it was the complexity of this book.
Basically this book is a detective book with a lot of ideas and twists, and a few more twists than it really needs. And with Brin's trademark one twist too far ending.
But the characters are always interesting and the version of daily clones enough different from everything else I've seen.
Basically this book is a detective book with a lot of ideas and twists, and a few more twists than it really needs. And with Brin's trademark one twist too far ending.
But the characters are always interesting and the version of daily clones enough different from everything else I've seen.
furicle's review against another edition
3.0
This book has an absolutely awesome backdrop with wonderful characters.
Brin has enough great ideas and possibilities here for a half dozen novels, not just one.
In so many ways it's Brin at his best... but it's still not enough to save this one from being mediocre at best I'm afraid.
In pacing it really reminds me of his Earth novel. It starts out interesting but moderately paced, then around two thirds of the way through starts spiralling out, getting wilder and wilder.
In Earth, it worked. The craziness was still believable, and never completely threw you off the ride.
Here, it just doesn't work.
There's two things that make it impossible to hold on.
First, the ditto concept is the coolest part of the novel, and spotting the differences between the almost identical characters is part of the fun, but it's tough sledding at times. You often end up feeling lost. The result is a centre which just can't hold you through the insanity coming.
Part two, (and the biggest sin) is the weirdo plot progression. It starts out a detective novel, wanders into an honest to god multi-party conspiracy theory I still don't understand, then caps it all off with a convoluted theology section
that bears almost no resemblance to the rest of the novel.
I wanted to love this book, but it's neither fish nor fowl, bread nor wine. It's just a big mishmash painted on a gorgeous backdrop.
Brin has enough great ideas and possibilities here for a half dozen novels, not just one.
In so many ways it's Brin at his best... but it's still not enough to save this one from being mediocre at best I'm afraid.
In pacing it really reminds me of his Earth novel. It starts out interesting but moderately paced, then around two thirds of the way through starts spiralling out, getting wilder and wilder.
In Earth, it worked. The craziness was still believable, and never completely threw you off the ride.
Here, it just doesn't work.
There's two things that make it impossible to hold on.
First, the ditto concept is the coolest part of the novel, and spotting the differences between the almost identical characters is part of the fun, but it's tough sledding at times. You often end up feeling lost. The result is a centre which just can't hold you through the insanity coming.
Part two, (and the biggest sin) is the weirdo plot progression. It starts out a detective novel, wanders into an honest to god multi-party conspiracy theory I still don't understand, then caps it all off with a convoluted theology section
that bears almost no resemblance to the rest of the novel.
I wanted to love this book, but it's neither fish nor fowl, bread nor wine. It's just a big mishmash painted on a gorgeous backdrop.
craftingrama's review against another edition
3.0
It wasn't bad but could have been edited down a lot like about a 1/4 of it at least .