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3.59 AVERAGE
3.59 AVERAGE
I accidentally read the sequel before the first book. It's the weakest Stross book I've read.
OK characters. OK plot. Too close to present time for my SF tastes.
OK characters. OK plot. Too close to present time for my SF tastes.
A very compelling and hard-to-put-down crime novel set in 2023. Told from multiple viewpoints with some considerably adult scenes it was a great crime story. I easily gave it 8.5/10 on my personal scale.
I recommend it for crime and sci-fi/futurist fans.
-tpl
I recommend it for crime and sci-fi/futurist fans.
-tpl
Another book I finished in two days (vacations in poor cell-service areas are great for reading). Different from Scalzis Fuzzy Nation, in that it's not very (or, really, at all) funny. Sobering, though, in its plausibility. Highly recommended.
I can't say that I loved this book. The ideas are strong which makes it a great read for a science fiction novel. However, the ending somewhat closes abruptly and leaves the reader a little confused and disappointed.
A loose sequel to Halting State, Rule 34 finds DI Liz Kavanaugh on the trail of a whole slew of weirdness involving a newly created political state, a small time repeat offender, an experimental A.I. botnet, and an ex-girlfriend. All the pieces start to come together amidst a dozen connected murders and Liz sets out to find whodunnit.
This book is written in second person, a move which was a bit controversial in the first novel in the series, but seems more natural and more comfortable here. Whether that's because we, as the audience, have grown used to it or because of Stross' increased ease in writing it is impossible to determine. Regardless, it is an easy read of a novel, save for a few of the info-dump passages required to explain the futurism concepts of A.I. as a distributed network and the realization that there is no such thing as free will.
Rule 34 is a lot of fun, and it's fast. At heart it's a standard police adventure, albeit one laden with an odd point of view and high brow computing concepts.
Recommended.
This book is written in second person, a move which was a bit controversial in the first novel in the series, but seems more natural and more comfortable here. Whether that's because we, as the audience, have grown used to it or because of Stross' increased ease in writing it is impossible to determine. Regardless, it is an easy read of a novel, save for a few of the info-dump passages required to explain the futurism concepts of A.I. as a distributed network and the realization that there is no such thing as free will.
Rule 34 is a lot of fun, and it's fast. At heart it's a standard police adventure, albeit one laden with an odd point of view and high brow computing concepts.
Recommended.
apparently not my cup of tea, surprisingly since I like cyberpunk/mystery/futuristic crime. partly the language, partly the setting, and partly the writing have put me off.
I have added the author to my list however, maybe I just need an easier introduction to his style (yes, book optimist).
I have added the author to my list however, maybe I just need an easier introduction to his style (yes, book optimist).
dark
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
Though it says second in a series, this works perfectly well as a stand-alone novel and I found Halting State was a bit boring by comparison.
This story is in second person and follows a variety of police and criminal characters as everyone tries to figure out a series of murders set up to look like embarrassing household accidents. Great depiction of augmented reality and cybercrime. I feel the references to internet memes such as "goatse" may date the book going forward, but for now it feels fresh and futuristic.
This story is in second person and follows a variety of police and criminal characters as everyone tries to figure out a series of murders set up to look like embarrassing household accidents. Great depiction of augmented reality and cybercrime. I feel the references to internet memes such as "goatse" may date the book going forward, but for now it feels fresh and futuristic.
Very interesting book, all written in second person. I think some of the references that hit the current vernacular will not age well, but they are fun to read in this book.
Rule 34: http://xkcd.com/305/
Rule 34: http://xkcd.com/305/
I am usually a huge fan of Charles Gross, but I could not get past the first few chapters. The Scottish brogue, as presented in this novel, is worse than deciphering a novel in a foreign language (and I am bi-lingual). I could barely figure out what the heck was going on. He should have kept it in normative English if he wanted readers to enjoy the book.
I was a bigger fan of Halting State than this novel, but Rule 34 was quite good. I love the concept behind the book, which I won't really go into as it's kind of a spoiler. I do have to say, I'm a huge fan of this near-future sci-fi. It's a very realistic world, with tech that is completely possible. This book again uses that 2nd person narrative which still reminds me of playing a video game and switching characters.
The only reason I don't give it a better rating is that, for some intangible reason, it just wasn't as compelling to me as the previous book. I still liked it, but just not as much.
The only reason I don't give it a better rating is that, for some intangible reason, it just wasn't as compelling to me as the previous book. I still liked it, but just not as much.