A review by nwhyte
Counting Heads by David Marusek

http://nhw.livejournal.com/536633.html[return][return]Excellent. I tend to find myself unexcited by the possibilities of nanotechnology to change society; authors who are excited by it often write only characters who are equally excited, or else appalled, by it. David Marusek here has an entirely believable society, with love, parenthood, age, and death - and loneliness, in a world of material plenty - which happens to also have vast amounts of nanotechnology. (I confess I did find the summary of the setting inside the dust jacket helpful to orient myself, but probably needed it mainly because I started reading the book on my second transtalantic flight of the week.) Sure, there is also a plot - one of the oldest around, in that it's effectively aboout a political murder and an attempt to prevent another murder. And there's lots of whizz-bang action in the grand finale. But it's striking to find a nanotech book that actually has a plot and a real ending, something I've complained about of others with that theme.[return][return]Two other comparisons that occurred to me: some aspects of the mother/daughter relationship and its impact on the mother's company reminded me a bit of Cyteen, which I read almost exactly a year ago; comparisons are entirely in Marusek's favour. Also I thought I spotted some homage to the Zelazny/Saberhagen collaboration Coils, surely itself an example of cyberpunk before its time. I was pleased to see an overt reference to "The Wedding Album" making it clear that this is the same future; it seems tidier somehow.[return][return]Anyway, recommended.