Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.62 AVERAGE
3.62 AVERAGE
I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.
I seem to be on a run lately of reading weaker books by authors that I like. I ended up skimming this book after the first hundred pages.
While I loved the Virga series, many of the strengths of those books were not apparent in this one.
One: imagery: Virga was a really cool steampunk/singularity cross, with airships, gear-cities, and other great images. I didn't really get any of that with Lockstep.
Character has not been one of Schroeder's big strengths, and here his main character, Toby, seems to have almost no personality of his own. He's got problems, sure- he has ended up 14,000 years further forward in time! But really, he's the eyes through which the reader learns about the coolest part of the book- the Lockstep.
It turns out that on developing planets with limited resources, it makes the most sense for humans to cryogenically sleep for periods while machines work and make resources to make the planet more habitable. The ability to stockpile these resources makes the planets who use this technique richer than those that don't, to the point that everybody wants to do this if they possibly can. Lockstep societies can also avoid the aging-with-long-space-travel problem that means that a long journey is essentially a one-way affair, with those who cryogenically sleep the journey away remaining younger than those who stay behind. Lockstep means that everybody, traveling or not, is frozen for about 360 days and up for about one month, no matter which planet they are on. Those who can't afford lockstep are left behind in time and in resources.
So, a very interesting idea. There's just not a good story about it. And some holes in the idea: what if a technological breakthrough is made while the Locksteppers are sleeping? Or a singularity occurs? Or why can't people break in to the Locksteppers and simply take what they want?
There is a very cute otter-cat creature called a denner, which can help humans wake up from cryogenic sleep. They're very adorable. Denners, and the fact that Toby is seventeen, seem to be what makes this a teen book. But I'm not sure that most teens are going to have a lot of patience with this sophisticated Lockstep idea. I myself lost patience with the lack of plot progression and the "keep the main character in the dark about what's happening" thing to keep suspense- one of my greatest pet peeves.
I seem to be on a run lately of reading weaker books by authors that I like. I ended up skimming this book after the first hundred pages.
While I loved the Virga series, many of the strengths of those books were not apparent in this one.
One: imagery: Virga was a really cool steampunk/singularity cross, with airships, gear-cities, and other great images. I didn't really get any of that with Lockstep.
Character has not been one of Schroeder's big strengths, and here his main character, Toby, seems to have almost no personality of his own. He's got problems, sure- he has ended up 14,000 years further forward in time! But really, he's the eyes through which the reader learns about the coolest part of the book- the Lockstep.
It turns out that on developing planets with limited resources, it makes the most sense for humans to cryogenically sleep for periods while machines work and make resources to make the planet more habitable. The ability to stockpile these resources makes the planets who use this technique richer than those that don't, to the point that everybody wants to do this if they possibly can. Lockstep societies can also avoid the aging-with-long-space-travel problem that means that a long journey is essentially a one-way affair, with those who cryogenically sleep the journey away remaining younger than those who stay behind. Lockstep means that everybody, traveling or not, is frozen for about 360 days and up for about one month, no matter which planet they are on. Those who can't afford lockstep are left behind in time and in resources.
So, a very interesting idea. There's just not a good story about it. And some holes in the idea: what if a technological breakthrough is made while the Locksteppers are sleeping? Or a singularity occurs? Or why can't people break in to the Locksteppers and simply take what they want?
There is a very cute otter-cat creature called a denner, which can help humans wake up from cryogenic sleep. They're very adorable. Denners, and the fact that Toby is seventeen, seem to be what makes this a teen book. But I'm not sure that most teens are going to have a lot of patience with this sophisticated Lockstep idea. I myself lost patience with the lack of plot progression and the "keep the main character in the dark about what's happening" thing to keep suspense- one of my greatest pet peeves.
Don't be fooled by the Urban Fantasy-esque cover featuring a hero and a heroine likely to fall in love (they do) in an action-laden, straightforward plot where there's something valuable to get, or a person to save, or a place to get to (there is).
This is so totally NOT a pick-up-escapist novel.
It's an exacting, deeply-thought out rumination on one possible future of humanity in space with slower-than-light travel.
The story loosely revolves around Toby McGonigal, a young man from future Earth who has been lost in space for 14,000 years, cryogenically frozen in a "cicada bed."
He awakes to a different world...but one that still contains his family. How is that possible? Well here's where it gets mega-complicated. Apparently multiple worlds, and different cities on different worlds, have evolved a system to compensate for vast distances between those worlds coupled with scant resources. The solution: Lockstep, where these cities agree to "winter over" in cryogenic sleep for set amounts of time, and then waken for a short period (a day or a month or a week.)
So I could jump in my spaceship, sleep for a year, and on the other side of the galaxy the outpost where I'm going also is asleep. For both of us the journey takes but one day in our experienced time. While we're sleeping, robots continue to mine resources and stockpile goods we'll need when we awake.
Imagine a whole series of galaxies like that. But, and here's where I had to expand the mental effort equivalent to 3 bars of chocolate for each couple of pages: the frequency of the lockstep of the main "empire" that Toby's family is controlling is only one of many Locksteps. Some "winter over" for a year, some less or more time.
You see what I mean about this being complicated? And of course Toby has to get to the planet where his mother is still sleeping, and navigate through armies trying to stop him, and figure out his place in the new world (there's a lot of figuring out and less of action until the end.)
Enjoyable in the theoretical sense, I actually really enjoyed the last third of the book more than the first two thirds because that is where Toby starts to "game" the system as well as finally deal with his family. There's a small romance in this, but I was disappointed by the flimsy character of the heroine, who had a tendency to spout off informative lectures just like all the other minor characters.
Interesting concept, but be prepared for an education rather than escapist fun.
This is so totally NOT a pick-up-escapist novel.
It's an exacting, deeply-thought out rumination on one possible future of humanity in space with slower-than-light travel.
The story loosely revolves around Toby McGonigal, a young man from future Earth who has been lost in space for 14,000 years, cryogenically frozen in a "cicada bed."
He awakes to a different world...but one that still contains his family. How is that possible? Well here's where it gets mega-complicated. Apparently multiple worlds, and different cities on different worlds, have evolved a system to compensate for vast distances between those worlds coupled with scant resources. The solution: Lockstep, where these cities agree to "winter over" in cryogenic sleep for set amounts of time, and then waken for a short period (a day or a month or a week.)
So I could jump in my spaceship, sleep for a year, and on the other side of the galaxy the outpost where I'm going also is asleep. For both of us the journey takes but one day in our experienced time. While we're sleeping, robots continue to mine resources and stockpile goods we'll need when we awake.
Imagine a whole series of galaxies like that. But, and here's where I had to expand the mental effort equivalent to 3 bars of chocolate for each couple of pages: the frequency of the lockstep of the main "empire" that Toby's family is controlling is only one of many Locksteps. Some "winter over" for a year, some less or more time.
You see what I mean about this being complicated? And of course Toby has to get to the planet where his mother is still sleeping, and navigate through armies trying to stop him, and figure out his place in the new world (there's a lot of figuring out and less of action until the end.)
Enjoyable in the theoretical sense, I actually really enjoyed the last third of the book more than the first two thirds because that is where Toby starts to "game" the system as well as finally deal with his family. There's a small romance in this, but I was disappointed by the flimsy character of the heroine, who had a tendency to spout off informative lectures just like all the other minor characters.
Interesting concept, but be prepared for an education rather than escapist fun.
The world building in the book is amazing, but the plot ran dry for me. I pretty much predicted how the story would end; evil brother and all. Overall this was an enjoyable read.
The idea of the locksteps was really cool. Unfortunately, the character development wasn't enough to carry me through. It took me forever to finish this, and by the end I didn't really care what happened.
I loved this. Fantastic theories and wonderful execution. There was a little predictability at the end, a little cutesy stuff, but I would read this again.
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Very clever idea….
This surprised me in the way it makes economic sense to “winter over” without being driven to mass consume resources. I applaud this clever approach and recommend this book to all who might find this an intriguing idea.
This surprised me in the way it makes economic sense to “winter over” without being driven to mass consume resources. I applaud this clever approach and recommend this book to all who might find this an intriguing idea.
Toby Wyatt McGonigal is only an ordinary, if extremely smart, 17-year-old boy. He was morosely flying his ship out to comet Rockette under orders of his father one day, when disaster struck. The hull of his ship was holed by a speck of rock. The automatic mechanics and bots of his ship had taken over while Toby was in deep sleep in a Cicada. The bots fixed the damage while Toby stayed in deep sleep. Toby's parents had bought the hibernation beds and had vastly improved their technology. But now, with power critically low, the ship woke him. After getting the AI powered up, Toby learns he is not orbiting either Sedna or Rockette. It is an unknown earth-size frozen world with dead cities!
Toby is lost.
His family had left earth and was homesteading the dwarf planet Sedna with about a hundred volunteer hires and bots, far beyond the solar system. Sedna is an orphan planet, cold and not part of any sun's system. The rules of homesteading meant the family of five, Carter and Cassandra McGonigal, with their children Toby, Peter and Evayne, had to claim all of the world's moons by a McGonigal family member. He last remembers climbing into the Cicada on his way to Rockette, and now he is waking up from cold sleep orbiting a frozen orphan planet in the outer reaches of space beyond his knowledge, and the power of his ship is almost depleted. Toby knows he is a dead man. All he can do is return to the Cicada and hope he is found before his ship loses all power.
When he next opens his eyes, he is snuggled deep in a four-poster bed where an amber sunrise light is pouring in a window lighting a nice bedroom. Is it a simulation? Then, a dressing-bot is at the foot of the bed. He definitely isn't on Sedna, where accommodations are rudimentary. He gets up and looks out the window. There are towers, vehicles, trees and people. The sound of a voice behind him -
""Ah! So you're awake.""
This is an amazing brain-candy hard science-fiction novel. I absolutely loved it. I think, though, it won't be interesting for many unless hard science concept plots which explore a society based on a spectacularly speculative innovation, along with a intricate PG-13 space opera plot, is fascinating enough to hold your interest. There is suspense, but the plot is heavy with technology and many changes of scenery, combined with a slow mystery. Toby is a nice guy, but he seemed a little flat as a character, as do most of the others whether friendlies or enemies. The single exception is a very darling cat/otter called a denner, Orpheus, who saves Toby's life a number of times.
The denner is a designed animal whose powers of activating a human's internal hibernation implants will allow the two to go into deep sleep without a Cicada bed. It is a very useful adaptation when one must run from the authorities and try to keep from being captured. All of the Cicadas are remotely monitored, so the only way to travel and live secretly on what turns out to be an empire of thousands of orphan worlds and systems is a denner and implants.
Why does Toby have to run and hide? Well, it turns out he was in cold sleep for 14,000 years, and a lot of unexpected things happened after the family upgraded the old hibernation technology, one of which was to make the McGonigal family very powerful. It also turns out the rest of Toby's family is still alive - they are the dictators of this empire. For some reason, siblings Pete and Evayne want Toby dead. He doesn't have a clue why....
I have not revealed the really fun idea behind the McGonigal empire, gentle reader. But I will say I was gobsmacked. If I was to rate the novel on this innovation and how the author played it into the story, this book would be an easy five stars. However, the characters were a little too cardboard cutout and the ending was terribly off-center and flat. So, a three-star story with a five-star concept.
Toby is lost.
His family had left earth and was homesteading the dwarf planet Sedna with about a hundred volunteer hires and bots, far beyond the solar system. Sedna is an orphan planet, cold and not part of any sun's system. The rules of homesteading meant the family of five, Carter and Cassandra McGonigal, with their children Toby, Peter and Evayne, had to claim all of the world's moons by a McGonigal family member. He last remembers climbing into the Cicada on his way to Rockette, and now he is waking up from cold sleep orbiting a frozen orphan planet in the outer reaches of space beyond his knowledge, and the power of his ship is almost depleted. Toby knows he is a dead man. All he can do is return to the Cicada and hope he is found before his ship loses all power.
When he next opens his eyes, he is snuggled deep in a four-poster bed where an amber sunrise light is pouring in a window lighting a nice bedroom. Is it a simulation? Then, a dressing-bot is at the foot of the bed. He definitely isn't on Sedna, where accommodations are rudimentary. He gets up and looks out the window. There are towers, vehicles, trees and people. The sound of a voice behind him -
""Ah! So you're awake.""
This is an amazing brain-candy hard science-fiction novel. I absolutely loved it. I think, though, it won't be interesting for many unless hard science concept plots which explore a society based on a spectacularly speculative innovation, along with a intricate PG-13 space opera plot, is fascinating enough to hold your interest. There is suspense, but the plot is heavy with technology and many changes of scenery, combined with a slow mystery. Toby is a nice guy, but he seemed a little flat as a character, as do most of the others whether friendlies or enemies. The single exception is a very darling cat/otter called a denner, Orpheus, who saves Toby's life a number of times.
The denner is a designed animal whose powers of activating a human's internal hibernation implants will allow the two to go into deep sleep without a Cicada bed. It is a very useful adaptation when one must run from the authorities and try to keep from being captured. All of the Cicadas are remotely monitored, so the only way to travel and live secretly on what turns out to be an empire of thousands of orphan worlds and systems is a denner and implants.
Why does Toby have to run and hide? Well, it turns out he was in cold sleep for 14,000 years, and a lot of unexpected things happened after the family upgraded the old hibernation technology, one of which was to make the McGonigal family very powerful. It also turns out the rest of Toby's family is still alive - they are the dictators of this empire. For some reason, siblings Pete and Evayne want Toby dead. He doesn't have a clue why....
I have not revealed the really fun idea behind the McGonigal empire, gentle reader. But I will say I was gobsmacked. If I was to rate the novel on this innovation and how the author played it into the story, this book would be an easy five stars. However, the characters were a little too cardboard cutout and the ending was terribly off-center and flat. So, a three-star story with a five-star concept.
As sci-fi books go, this is one of the better ones I have read. It took a couple of chapters to get into, but once you're hooked, you're hooked! I found the family dynamic of the book to be a little bit confusing at first, but the last chapter explained everything perfectly. The worlds and characters were both extensively developed. I would definitely recommend this book!