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Title: Murder in the Solid State by Wil McCarthy ISBN: 0-8125-5392-6 Publisher: Tor Science Fiction Pub. Date: 15 November, 1998 Format: Mass Market Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $5.99 |
Average Customer Rating: 4 (6 reviews)
Rating: 4
Summary: Murder And Early Nano
Comment: I have never read anything by Wil McCarthy previously, and he seems to be a decent writer. This novel is a combination murder mystery and science fiction tale. David Sanger is a nanotechnology researcher (the science of manipulating the ultra small, in case you don't know) and during a trade convention becomes entangled with a murder he did not commit, and it gets intense and complicated from that point on..........no more here, no spoilers!
Although it was not a page turner for me (it almost was) still it is one of only a handful of science fiction novels that portray the coming era of nanotechnology, in this novel it is in only the nascent beginnings. This is hard science fiction without any fantasy whatsoever, completely to my tastes. Character and plot development were acceptable, although the ending seemed to be a trifle rushed. Also, the novel could have been a bit longer to flesh out the nanotechnology ideas more thoroughly.
Rating: 3
Summary: Good for a vacation read
Comment: I went on a trip down south this march and desired to get a couple of books that would not require a great deal of thinking and would keep me entertained. This book was one of them, and in that sense it did indeed fulfill the need I required. On the other hand, this does not say much for it as a book.
There is an interesting view of the future with the paranoid "Gray Party" seeking to control everything, the uncovering of a conspiracy and the cool gadgets that McCarthy comes up with. At the same time, I felt like the world he created made the mistake that many SF writers do...there is too much "Ooooh!Ahhh!" expected by the way it is written. It seems that it was to make us think it is all so neat. Now, if only I hadn't seen that in dozens of other books out there, not to say bad science fiction movies.
While I found the plot interesting, especially when our hero must hide from the authorities who wield their weapons of technology (hmmm...didn't I see that in Blade Runner?) it was too contrived and to unbelievable.
In terms of his writing style, McCarthy does seem to know some technical terms, but he throws them around and mixes it with "golly gee whiz" dialogue that makes for abrupt reading. His characters (especially Bowser) have some strange element about them that almost seems sinister - but I don't think he means them to have that.
It gets a three star because it did do the job *I* intended, but I doubt the job McCarthy intended.
Rating: 5
Summary: Great combination of thriller and science fiction
Comment: I loved this one-- it was, to me, the perfect combination of a thriller and a thought-provoking science fiction novel. The novel takes place in the research laboratories of the beginning days of nanotechnology (prefiguring the awesome nanotech of McCarthy's later novel BLOOM). There is some interesting speculation about the effects of longevity on society, and the effects of nanotechnology, but the science speculation is not overshadowed by the thriller plot and the realistic characterization. A definite rec if you like both thrillers and sf, as I do.
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Title: Bloom by Wil McCarthy ISBN: 0345424654 Publisher: Del Rey Pub. Date: 03 August, 1999 List Price(USD): $6.99 |
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Title: The Wellstone by Wil McCarthy ISBN: 0553584464 Publisher: Bantam Pub. Date: 04 March, 2003 List Price(USD): $6.99 |
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Title: Lost in Transmission by WIL MCCARTHY ISBN: 0553584472 Publisher: Bantam Pub. Date: 02 March, 2004 List Price(USD): $6.99 |
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Title: The Collapsium by Wil McCarthy ISBN: 055358443X Publisher: Bantam Pub. Date: 26 November, 2002 List Price(USD): $6.99 |
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Title: The Golden Age by John C. Wright ISBN: 0812579844 Publisher: Tor Science Fiction Pub. Date: 14 April, 2003 List Price(USD): $6.99 |
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