The Caryatids by Bruce Sterling
reviewed by Rich Horton
Set in 2060, after the world has collapsed, more or less, both ecologically and politically, there
are three major players in this new world: the one remaining influential nation state, China; and a
couple of extra-national organizations: the Dispensation, a fairly Capitalist grouping; and Acquis, a
sort of techno-Socialist entity.
The latter two groups are explicitly (in their minds) engaged in "saving the world," while China
is being China.
The Caryatids by Bruce Sterling
reviewed by Derek Johnson
Told in three sections with a different clone sister as viewpoint character in each, the book opens
in the 2060s, thirty years after idealistic revolutionary Yelisaveta Mihajlovic has cloned seven daughters and
one son -- the caryatids of the title -- to save the world from ecological collapse. Dispersed by political
turmoil which results in the death of three, the surviving siblings are scattered throughout the globe, while
their mother escapes to Earth orbit.
Visionary in Residence by Bruce Sterling
reviewed by Greg L. Johnson
In the blink of an adult lifetime, Bruce Sterling has gone from fiery young literary radical to respected spokesman
and commentator. Works such as Schismatrix and Islands in the Net, along with editing Mirrorshades, the
defining cyberpunk anthology, quickly established his reputation in science fiction. Non-fiction like The Hacker Crackdown
and a continual presence on the internet have given him name recognition and influence outside his science fiction audience.
Visionary in Residence by Bruce Sterling
reviewed by Paul Kincaid
It is a curious thing when the cutting edge starts to become blunt, as if the future is no longer what we imagined it might
be. Bruce Sterling we remember as the author of "Taklamakan" and "Bicycle Repairman" and a dozen other stories that sliced so
deep into the future that they made it bleed. But in this collection, while Sterling remains as hip to new ideas as ever he
was, there is nothing that even breaks the skin.
|
A Good Old Fashioned Future by Bruce Sterling
reviewed by Donna McMahon
This collection contains seven stories set in the near future, all of which feature international
settings, clever high tech detail and interesting ideas. He certainly has a feel for globalization. In
"The Littlest Jackel," for instance, Russian mafioso hire Bosnian mercenaries to help Finnish separatists stage a
rebellion in the Aland islands, so the Russians can use the Alands as a handy site for various shady business
ventures, such as laundering rubles in Japan via Finnish toys.
Zeitgeist by Bruce Sterling
reviewed by David Soyka
Leggy Starlitz is a cynical, middle-aged, amoral promoter whose latest brainstorm
is G-7 -- an all-girl band of interchangeable and easily replaceable personalities known to their adoring fans only by
their country of origin, e.g. "The American One" or "The French One." The joke here is that G-7 is the term used to refer
to the 7 governments that comprise the world's economic powers. The less charitable would describe them as capitalist
countries looking to exploit less developed nations.
Zeitgeist by Bruce Sterling
reviewed by Hank Luttrell
This fantastic, hilarious novel provides a solid dose of nostalgia for Y2K. Remember when your brother-in-law
refurbished his ammo reloading gear and bought a generator? Which he kept in the living room? And everyone's spouse
had a job involving Y2K "compliance," as it was called? Including Marge Simpson?
A Good Old-Fashioned Future by Bruce Sterling
reviewed by Ken Newquist
The title brings to mind stratospheric buildings, automated dog-runs, sky cars and
robots, robots, robots. Then there is a Bruce Sterling future -- a post-cyberpunk dystopia where the Western
powers are in decline or fighting to hold the line and technology has become the world's
greatest liberator and curse.
Distraction by Bruce Sterling
reviewed by Ernest Lilley
It's 2044, and America just isn't what it used to be. Cities are privately
owned, Caucasians are a distrusted minority, and the country is governed by
permanent "Emergency Committees." Guest reviewer Ernest Lilley, editor of the
prestigious SF Revu, takes a look at what may be Sterling's best novel yet.
|
