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dodecadron 's review for:
The Difference Engine
by Bruce Sterling, William Gibson
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This one didn't work for me. The book consists of 5+ separate kind of stories all revolving loosely around a set of punch cards for one of the big computers (the British one or the French one). Also some characters are present in multiple stories. Because of this there wasn't really an overall story.
The book is one of the first books set in a steam punk setting. An alternate victorian setting where Babbage managed to finish his difference engine sparking a revolution where steam powered computers become very common. In Britain they are building one big computer where everything about everyone is stored and they are planning to run simulations simulation the complete society. But these steam powered computers are also everywhere in everybody's lives. Also there has been e revolution where the power of the aristocracy has been replaced by a meritocracy. I can imagine that describing this setting was once very novel.
There was one part (where the professor with his friends tries to break into the headquarters of the organisers of the riots to stop them ) that was really unbelievable and was unsure whether this was meant as a funny part (which it wasn't really). Perhaps this reflects the same feeling I have with steam punk in general: it often feels a bit wacky.
In the book we have 21st century computing power combined with the 19th century culture. They are building, or perhaps have built, a computer that can simulate the entire civilisation -And it is slightly suggested that perhaps the stories are actually computer simulations. - which feels ominous ('the all-seeing eye'). Currently people are working on similar projects.
The book is one of the first books set in a steam punk setting. An alternate victorian setting where Babbage managed to finish his difference engine sparking a revolution where steam powered computers become very common. In Britain they are building one big computer where everything about everyone is stored and they are planning to run simulations simulation the complete society. But these steam powered computers are also everywhere in everybody's lives. Also there has been e revolution where the power of the aristocracy has been replaced by a meritocracy. I can imagine that describing this setting was once very novel.
There was one part (
In the book we have 21st century computing power combined with the 19th century culture. They are building, or perhaps have built, a computer that can simulate the entire civilisation -