You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
A review by mlliu
Lockstep by Karl Schroeder
3.0
The premise of this book was so interesting. It began by omitting interstellar gates, warp speed, and other conventions of sci fi. If spaceships can never travel faster than the speed of light, then the only way people can populate the universe while maintaining contact with those elsewhere is by agreeing to enter hibernation for the length of time it takes to travel between worlds. By hibernating, people can extend the length of time they are alive while vastly increasing the distances they can travel. It also allows them to survive harsher environments—while hibernating, their bots mine for resources until there's enough for use the next time they're awake. The book also touches on game theory, personal freedom, and societal inequality. The technology it describes—the hibernation beds, the bots, the glasses, as well as some of these worlds—was so fascinating.
The reason I didn't give the book a higher rating, however, was because of the characterization and writing. I would have found it less implausible if Toby, the hero, were in his late teens or early 20s instead of 15. His friends were convenient tropes. I also had a hard time believing that most everyone Toby encountered spoke English. The writing was clunky, and it was sometimes hard to follow the action.
Still, I'd recommend the book to fans of speculative fiction who'd like to immerse themselves in another vision of the future. Despite the issues I had with the book, it was a quick and fun read overall.
The reason I didn't give the book a higher rating, however, was because of the characterization and writing. I would have found it less implausible if Toby, the hero, were in his late teens or early 20s instead of 15. His friends were convenient tropes. I also had a hard time believing that most everyone Toby encountered spoke English. The writing was clunky, and it was sometimes hard to follow the action.
Still, I'd recommend the book to fans of speculative fiction who'd like to immerse themselves in another vision of the future. Despite the issues I had with the book, it was a quick and fun read overall.