Monday, December 19, 2011

The Quantum Thief -- Hannu Rajaniemi

In a way this was more like a fast tour of the post singularity world rather than a story set in it. I’ve been reading science and science fiction for a very long time, but I often felt the need to hold up a finger and say, ‘Hang on Hannu, if you could explain –’ … but no, he’s gone like a tour guide on speed. The ideas hit you like cars in a motorway pile-up giving you no time to deal with them, absorb them. And, of course, while the ideas are hitting you like that you’re not properly processing the plot and can fail to engage with it. My feeling is that before he leapt through the next q-dot membrane to begin his next adventure in some gaming virtuality he needed an editor to catch hold of his collar and force him to stop and smell the roses, even if those roses were laced with an optogenetic virus.

Now for the however... This was all very enjoyable, bubbling with fascinating technology and its resultant life-styles, and a book that really does feel like a glimpse into a post Vingean singularity world. I found myself caught up in the author’s enthusiasm with it all and by the end of it wondered if someone has slipped amphetamines into the printer’s ink. For me it is a book I would like to read again, but with the Internet running so I can track down and nail all that glorious weirdness. And in the end, just like with the previous book I reviewed here, the answers to the questions are mostly 'yes'.   

6 comments:

Phil M said...

Quite agree,I enjoyed the book but did have a few, what is he on about moments. Hopefully his next book will explain things in a little more detail, some background would be useful, that is if it's set in the same era/universe of course.

robann said...

This book is suggested by Amazon all the time with "If you enjoyed Neal Asher's XXXXX you might like...". It's weird to see you now reviewing it!

Neal Asher said...

He's a bright bugger:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hannu_Rajaniemi

alibaba said...

It definitely deserves a second read.

Martin Sommerfeld said...

You really nailed my reading experience. Half the time I was trying just to follow with my mouth open. In the end came some thoughts like "omg, if he had just worked out some more details to let me as the reader have more time to get it and thus made it a tick more accessible... this would be one of the greatest sf-books in a long time!"

As it is it was nonetheless filled to the top with brilliant ideas and I will surely read his next book.

Bob Lock said...

Just finished this, and wow, it sure gave what remaining brain cells I have a jolt!
For being a debute novel I thought it was very impressive and wonder how his work will turn out once he gets into his stride, looking forward to the sequel.