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A review by platyphemus
Prador Moon by Neal Asher
3.0
I don't think I HAVE to read any more Polity novels.
This is not so much a rejection, but just the realization that came to me in the second half of this novel, having completed the Transformation trilogy last year, that this one hits a lot of the same notes with less of the exploration of identity and morality of the later series.
I like the futuristic, outer-space based human/AI setting of the Polity universe. The pacing comes at a fast clip, and there are five or so plots from various points of view that come together in a way I found satisfying.
I find the characters a bit arch- the war hero is a Very British John Wayne, the evil aliens are The Most Evil, and the female protagonist....thinks stuff. I also find it funny that in this future where humans can take on any appearance they want, control their physiology, opening up for a wide spectrum of expression, this society is rigidly cis/hetero. I guess despite the author's wide imagination, it didn't allow for the possibility that while people might want to look like snakes and cats or super buff, they always follow mainstream gender and sexual norms. Not so much a complaint, I just feel like the opportunity is a very logical place for this Polity universe to explore. Maybe the AIs that control everything are reactionaries in LGBTQ rights?
There's also another sociopath genius character in this novel, which was my least favorite part of the later 2/3 of Transformation. The characters were quite different on the surface and background, but the narrative hit the same creepy, nihilistic beats, and I found that to be the low point of this one too.
So, I finished this one, enjoyed it and am satisfied with my time in the Polity.
This is not so much a rejection, but just the realization that came to me in the second half of this novel, having completed the Transformation trilogy last year, that this one hits a lot of the same notes with less of the exploration of identity and morality of the later series.
I like the futuristic, outer-space based human/AI setting of the Polity universe. The pacing comes at a fast clip, and there are five or so plots from various points of view that come together in a way I found satisfying.
I find the characters a bit arch- the war hero is a Very British John Wayne, the evil aliens are The Most Evil, and the female protagonist....thinks stuff. I also find it funny that in this future where humans can take on any appearance they want, control their physiology, opening up for a wide spectrum of expression, this society is rigidly cis/hetero. I guess despite the author's wide imagination, it didn't allow for the possibility that while people might want to look like snakes and cats or super buff, they always follow mainstream gender and sexual norms. Not so much a complaint, I just feel like the opportunity is a very logical place for this Polity universe to explore. Maybe the AIs that control everything are reactionaries in LGBTQ rights?
There's also another sociopath genius character in this novel, which was my least favorite part of the later 2/3 of Transformation. The characters were quite different on the surface and background, but the narrative hit the same creepy, nihilistic beats, and I found that to be the low point of this one too.
So, I finished this one, enjoyed it and am satisfied with my time in the Polity.