Reviews

Kiln People by David Brin

thegrandnarrative's review against another edition

challenging fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

joelevard's review against another edition

2.0

I like sci-fi, but man, a lot of these dudes are long-winded (and how do they manage to write so freaking many books regardless? Fantasy authors too especially). I picked this one up because it was lauded and I loved the concept: a future society where people sit on their asses on the couch and send out disposable one-use-only clones (made out of clay and color-coded based on brain power and durability, from dumb-as-Gumby Greens to sleek, efficient Ebonies) to do the stuff they don't want to do: go to work, run errands, walk the dog. Then the clones, already starting to break down, come home and upload their memories to the main user and voila! A whole day's work AND you got to watch The View.

Though there are some nifty ideas at work (what if the clone decides he doesn't want to run your errands? what would a religion that catered to creations that live only a day look like?), they aren't nearly interesting enough to support a 600-page book, at least when they've been wrapped in a smartass whodunnit with too many shifting points-of-view (which are technically the same point-of-view since the clones all have identical memories to begin with, argh).

I read about a third of it, didn't care enough to find out what was going to happen. Who knows, maybe it got really cool at the end. Still probably wasn't as cool as this.

mitchellsack's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious medium-paced

4.0

My first David Brin novel. I really enjoyed the premise, and Brin explores it extremely thoroughly. It mixes a very solid detective story with notions of metaphysics, personhood, consciousness, etc. 

I found the politics of the book to be quite dated (published 2002). It’s full of a certain kind of neoliberal optimism that I found frustrating.

Otherwise, I really enjoyed this one! Pretty breezy read. I liked the puns sprinkled generously throughout, but I may be in the minority here. 

alannabarras's review

5.0

One of my favorite worlds created by a sci fi author. David Brin does an incredible job not just of fleshing out this alternate future, but following through on the logical consequences of living in such a world, at both small and large scale. The characters are not as three dimensional as I would like, but the plot and pacing are good enough to balance that out. This is not the first time I've read this and I'll definitely come back to it again in a couple years.

caseykc's review against another edition

5.0

This was one of the most fun books I've read in a while. Though it took a little patience getting used to the slang and culture of this book's setting, it was well worth it. I really enjoyed following the multiple threads of the story, character development, and multifaceted vision of a possible future world. Part detective, sci-fi, spiritual, and philosophical this had my brain tingling with possibility. Highly recommended.

robotowilliam's review

2.0

A fun story with a novel and interesting core concept, which I enjoyed exploring, but unfortunately delving into areas too crazy and mystical for me to appreciate it.

ramsfan1963's review

adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

In the future, people can make clay copies, called dittos, of themselves to do the things they don't want to do, like go to work or do house chores. PI Albert Morris uses his dittos to investigate, and often take on the dangerous parts of being a private eye. 

sobolevnrm's review against another edition

5.0

Excellent book about "disposable people" and (mostly about) the social ramifications.

shirezu's review against another edition

4.0

I thought this was a really good book, with a fascinating world concept that I'd love to see explored further. A post-internet technology without being alien, or space related. And sure the book did shove its head up its own ass towards the end and kind of lose its way it was still worth reading. I wish he, or others, would write more in this world.

remocpi's review against another edition

5.0

La historia narra las peripecias de un detective en un futuro no muy lejano, en una sociedad totalmente transformada por una nueva tecnología, la golemtecnología. Es posible en este futuro “imprimir” o imprintar copias de cerámica de uno mismo (llamados golems o ídems), que pueden dedicarse a hacer las tareas que se les encomienden, mientras el yo real, el de carne, se dedica a lo que le plazca. Hay copias de varios precios y calidades. los verdes baratos, aptos para limpiar el baño y cortar el césped (y algo más, pero no adelantaremos nada), los grises sobrios de alta calidad, los ébano cerebrales… Las copias viven un día, al final del cual pueden descargar los recuerdos en su original. Es posible de esta manera vivir varias vidas a la vez. El autor dedica bastante rato a explicar Y explicar muy bien) qué cambios produciría una tecnología así en la sociedad. Nos cuenta qué ocurre con los grupos fundamentalistas, con las leyes para golems, con el día a día de la gente, con las nuevas perversiones y diversiones que ofrece una sociedad así…

Nuestro detective, Albert Morris, especialista en violaciones de copyright (tranquilos, no es de la $GA€), se ve involucrado en un caso que será más grande de lo que había imaginado al principio. Bueno, en realidad se ve involucrado en tres casos simultáneamente, por lo que tiene a tres ídems trabajando en paralelo. Cada pista le(s) conducirá a algo mayor, hasta que llegamos a descubrir el vasto paisaje de lo que se oculta tras las levedades que investigaban los idAlberts al principio. El tratamiento formal de un ídem es añadirle un id al principio, por lo que los golems de nuestro protagonista son siempre llamados idAlbert o idMorris. Al prota humano se le lama todo el rato realAlbert. Está en todo, el autor.

La novela es estupenda. Es un relato de detectives que parodia en ocasiones a los relatos de detectives. En un punto de la novela el protagonista reflexiona sobre por qué no ha llamado a la policía, y se dice que todas las pelis de misterio o terror dejarían de exisitir si los protagonistas hicieran lo que deben hacer desde el principio: llamar a la poli. Pero él tampoco llama . El ritmo está bien llevado, con la posible excepción del final (qué difícil es hacer un buen final de novela), en la que se suceden una tras otra bastantes explicaciones de física cuántica (ondas de probabilidad resonantes, estados entrelazados, interferencia entre funciones de estado) mezcladas con conceptos de psicología que hacen un batiburrillo difícilmente comprensible. Pero cuando acaban esas explicaciones, la novela se propulsa de nuevo hacia su grand finale.

Hay alguna referencia clara al Mundo feliz de Huxley, como cuando habla de los trabajadores baratos, que ni sienten ni piensan, llamados epsilones (igual que en la novela de Huxley), y alguna otra referencia humorística que me arrancó una sonrisa:

Una cosa es ver la muerte venir a manos de tu creación. Eso forma parte de la tradición épica humana, después de todo. Edipo y su padre. El barón Frankenstein y su monstruo. William Henry Gates y Windows ’09…

Me ha encantado. Ciencia ficción de la buena. Mi nota: Muy, muy buena.