a book review by Jeff DeLuzio

"You live in a time that thinks it can ignore the human condition."

Rainbows End took the 2007 Hugo Award -- Vernor Vinge's fifth -- for best novel. While it's arguably not Vinge's best work, it suggests directions for his writing that bode well for the readers of this extraordinary writer.

In the near future, people routinely keep themselves wired to cyberspace, often overlaying the real world with the one they'd prefer to see. Characters literally exist in a different reality than their neighbours. Instant messaging has evolved into virtual telepathy, and the potential to manipulate public events and private individuals has increased exponentially. It's a world Vinge visited previously in his short story, "Fast Times at Fairmont High." In this foray, media manipulation, library politics, cutting-edge technology, overlapping conspiracies, and a virtual Bugs Bunny collide.

At the center of a fairly complicated plot (in both senses) we find Robert Gu, a poet who, thanks to advanced medicine, returns to full consciousness after years with Alzheimer's disease. In this second life, he must adjust to changes in the world and regain knowledge he lost to his condition. He also tries to recapture the ineffable spark that once made him successful: a situation familiar to many artists.

The chapters which depict Robert Gu's awakening engaged me, and represent something seldom tried in fiction. I find the potential here fascinating. A man returning to life in a world of overlapping realities should be enough for any writer. Vinge adds several other layers, however, a permutation of the standard thriller plot, unraveled by a brave (if somewhat misguided) band of individuals. It's a fascinating story. The climactic battle over a library ranks as one of the strangest scenes in recent SF, strange even by Vinge's standards. I found myself wondering, however, if Rainbows End couldn't have succeeded at least as well if it had remained a speculative novel of character. The various thematic concerns could have been addressed through Gu's everyday experiences.

In addition to Gu, the novel also features Zulfikar Sharif, another in SF's recent parade of characters who lead multiple lives of a kind familiar to a wired generation. He has been rendered believably. Astute readers should be able to distinguish among Sharif's various incarnations. Other characters have not been handled as well. For a book concerned with the human condition, I found humanity singularly lacking in the secondary players.

Few writers can match Vinge for his ability to imagine how technology does and could affect humanity, as it becomes not merely a part of our lives, but a part of ourselves. About these matters he writes fluidly and effectively. Most readers should enjoy Rainbows End whether they accept his predictions or not. His style becomes clunky with exposition in places, however, particularly when he depicts the novel's high-level conspirators.

Rainbows End, then, may not be Vinge's best novel, but he remains among the most consistently fascinating contemporary SF writers. Those who read their way through chapters such as "Bob Contemplates Nuclear Carpet-Bombing" and, of course, "The Missing Apostrophe" should find this novel a rewarding experience.



Title: Rainbows End
Author: Vernor Vinge
ISBN: 978-0812536362
First published: 2006.

This book also has been made available online as a free download.

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Reviewer Jeff DeLuzio has published one collection of short fiction, Snow-man's Land (1996), a few hundred reviews and articles (many of these online under the name "Timeshredder"), workshopped seven original plays with teens, and served on panels at a number of conventions.

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A book review by Daniel R. Robichaud

Dark Hollow by Context Horror GoH Brian Keene (Leisure Books, February 2008 release).

Though this story first appeared as the limited edition novel The Rutting Season, first published in hardcover/trade paperback by Bloodletting Press, I haven't had the pleasure of reading it until this Leisure Books mass market paperback release.

While Brian Keene's reputation seems cemented in his wildly popular zombpocalypse novels (The Rising, City of the Dead, Dead Sea), I enjoy his other works a more. Zombies are a wee bit tiring for me, and though Keene invigorates that subject (and subgenre) with verve and skill, I find the writing in works like Fear of Gravity (an exceptional collection) and Ghoul (novel) more to my liking.

Though I'll offer a more detailed review at www.HorrorReader.com, here's my capsule review:

With Dark Hollow, this reader found something of a familiar premise:
A small town (located in Pennsylvania), which is caught up in its populace's petty evils and desires, suddenly finds itself beset by a monstrous, supernatural presence. Author Adam Senft and his neighbors discover the nature of this evil and must unite if they hope to defeat it. Does that sound like Salem's Lot to anyone else? Sure it does. As well as Bethany's Sin by Robert McCammon and a host of other horror novels. The setup is familiar. The execution is not.

Keene's characters are his greatest strength; sure, the gruesome bits, the suspense, the plotting, and the action are well executed, but I really like his characters. They seem like folks I wouldn't mind hanging out with, which is good, since, in effect, that's exactly what I'm doing whenever I open the book. Beyond protagonist and narrator Adam Senft, there are several other imperfect, multi-dimensional personalities on display, but the stand out creation has to be Big Steve, the protagonist's loveable (if cowardly) dog.

Thematically, this novel is something of a bookend to the aforementioned Ghoul, though with stronger female presences (which was my complaint about that previous work). Fans will spot plenty of references to Keene's other works, including his overarching mythos of The Labyrinth. Ultimately, these references are unnecessary for the enjoyment of the work, but Keene's variety of Constant Reader will certainly enjoy fitting this book into the patchwork puzzle of his oeuvre.

I, for one, cannot wait to see where all this Labyrinth stuff is leading ....

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a review by Jerry Robinette

Mainspring by Jay Lake (Tor, 2007, ISBN-10 0-7653,-1708-7) is the debut novel by a young writer who has established himself as a fixture in the field with his short stories and editing. Lake won the John W. Campbell Award as Best New Writer in 2004 and is co-editor of the highly-regard anthology series Polyphony.

It's taken him a while to get his first novel on the shelves, but it was worth the wait. Mainspring starts as a highly-readable "steampunk" novel, set in a universe where the clockwork Earth orbits the sun on massive brass gears. The protagonist, Hethor, an apprentice clockmaker, receives a visit from the archangel Gabriel. It seems the Earth is winding down, and guess who has been chosen to find the Key Perilous and rewind the planet?

Ensuing adventures take Hethor across the world, including much time spent on a steam-driven zeppelin, across the great Equatorial Wall and, ultimately, to a host of unexpected lands and cultures, all drawn with Lake's considerable imagination and ingenuity. The storyline transforms in unexpected directions, but never loses its essential identity.

The jacket blurbs (John Scalzi, Greg Bear, Paul Di Filippo, among others) all play the dangerous game of comparing Lake's work to past masters, and all mention Edgar Rice Burroughs. There are elements of the novel which remind me of ERB. But to my taste, it feels more like a different Edgar -- undeservedly obscure master Edgar Pangborn. Lake draws his characters with clarity and writes of them with compassion that reminds me of The Company of Glory. Which is not too shabby for a first-time novelist.

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written by David Wyatt


Assistant Professor James Own Mega had a problem. He had an unresearchable idea about the potential effects of sunspots on "polymer acrylic on capacitive interaction among high frequency microcomponents in thick film circuits".

Knowing the academic press would never take it, he wrote his idea into as a hard science fiction novel, ably assisted by his girlfriend, Assistant Professor of English Marion Farley. He even submitted it to a publisher, and low and behold Alien Books put it in print. But the editor changed a few things. The cover had been adorned with barbarian women in fur bikinis, none of which had anything do with the book. The title was also new. It had metamophosized into Bimbos of the Death Sun. Which was strange, because the book had been certified "bimbo free" by the redoubtable Dr. Farley.

Now Dr. Mega was the proud author of a book he dare not show the Engineering department, or lose all chance at tenure. But you don't write a book unless you want people to read it. How do you promote such a book? Especially where no one you know will see you? At a science fiction convention!

Bimbos of the Death Sun is actually a novel by mystery writer Sharyn McCrumb. It is a screamingly funny send up of science fiction fandom, of which Ms. McCrumb is apparently a recovering member. Think of Spinal Tap for science fiction and fantasy fans. The books is as beloved by fen - - the plural of fan-- as Tap is among rock'n'rollers. The portrait of SF's enthusiasts and misanthropes is both loving and scalding, and this saga of "RubiCon" an excellent primer for anyone who has never attended a con.

The book has everything the reader could want. The Guest of Honor is spoiled and abusive, and obsessive fans dress in elaborate costumes and assume fantasy personae. A Scottish folk singer learns what it means to "filk". Geeks and a Star Trek wedding. And, of course, there is a murder, which Dr. Mega must solve in his nom de plume, Jay Omega. 'Mundanes' will be introduced to 'fannish' terminology and fans themselves. Some are tragic characters whose escape into fantasy covers dreary and inadequate lives. But others are bright, accepting people who don't see why the imagination need be confined to this universe.

And you will laugh. Bimbos of the Death Sun earned McCrumb the Edgar Allan Poe Award in 1988, when it was named best original paperback mystery.

It has one sequel, Zombies of the Gene Pool which returns Jay Omega to solve a murder at a slanshack reunion.

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written by David Wyatt


The Uplift Series of books began when science fiction writer David Brin noticed that in the literature, almost every time humans engaged in genetic manipulation it was for ill. Frankenstein, The Island of Doctor Moreau and others were all cases where science messed with life and it turned out wrong. So Brin asked himself a question, "what would happen if Doctor Moreau were to do his thing for totally ethical reasons?" In other words, if humans didn't want half-human slaves, but partners?

In Brin's uplift universe humans had actually done that. We'd matured, learned to clean up our own environmental messes, to preserve genetic diversity on our planet, and had be begun monkeying with two other pre-sentient races: chimpanzees and dolphins with the idea of creating equals.

That led to a second question. On earth science teaches that intelligence is the culmination of a long evolutionary process. Yet, despite that thing called evidence many today persist in believing evolution is not possible. Yet, by engaging in the very act of uplift humanity had thus created an alternative path to sapience.

It is useful to remember the universe itself is quite old. So Brin took forward another postulate: What if that alternative path, uplift, became the normal path to sapience? If said process went on long enough, uplift would become enshrined, even a form of dogma. Perhaps the galactics themselves might come to see uplift as the only path to sapience. In essence, an orthodoxy would form around uplift, so many would see the evolution of intelligence as impossible, because they knew no one who had done it.

This is the setting for David Brin's uplift universe. Humanity has learned wisdom at home, and begun uplifting chimps and dolphins toward intelligence, and partnership in our complex, but diversity-loving civilization. And we'd begun to take baby steps outside our solar system.

And there we encountered the aliens.

Humans are different in Brin's universe. Humanity uplifted itself, learned to build a worthy civilization the hard way, through bitter experience and error. History is our teacher, and everything we have: language, religion, culture, science, mathematics, all scratched out of the dust. Yet there we encounter peoples who have had everything handed to them, as answers are handed down by a pedantic schoolteacher to his students.

The history of a galactic race is the precise opposite of our own. A presentient species would be found by a patron species, who would control and guide them on their journey to sapience. Client species, as the former presentients were known, would be indentured to their patrons for 100,000 years (which isn't that long by galactic standards). They would have knowledge handed to them by their patrons and the great Galactic Library, a neutral instutution which contains the sum of all knowledge collected over a billion years on thousands different worlds. The relationship between patron and client species is almost familial, with a different 'clan's acting is forces within galactic politics. However, the great library's very richness can become a handicap, because galactics tended to look there rather than try and figure their own answers.

To many, the 'wolfling' humans would represent apostasy, an unfinished species abandoned by irresponsible patrons. Yet because we had uplifted both chimps and dolphins, humanity had to be granted patron status, an important step in the hierarchy of the Five Galaxies. It would be resented, humanity would begin with enemies, and all the resources of a weak, third world planet because we had no library and our homebuilt technology lagged behind the billion year old galactic civilization. Outsiders, we would make diplomatic mistakes.

The universe offered Brin a lot of options to explore. First of all, the process of uplift allowed him a metaphor for human civilization, to show how the road to utopia is full of fits and starts, and missteps. The neo-chimpanzee Fiben Bolger is everything you could want, a fully realized personality fully capable of taking his place in the highest circles. But others are not, and left behind by the process of taking an animal and making it well, human in every way that matters. It also allowed him to ask the question 'What kind of future is appropriate for an uplifted species?" Brin's humans sincerely want their clients to become shining examples, perhaps even better than we are. (Well, most humans anyway). But some aliens, like the Soro see their clients as property, that this species shall specialize in war, another in entertainment.

To date there are six novels set in the Uplift universe;

Sundiver was the first novel Brin published, and a decent introduction to uplift and galactic politics, Worth reading, but the weakest of the first three books.

Startide Rising won both the Hugo and Nebula awards for best novel, and is a space opera full of war, internal conflict, and the issues of uplift itself. Highest recommendation, and the best book to start with.

The Uplift War is set after, or during, Startide Rising. The Gubru have invaded the Earth colony world of Garth, and humanity's neo-chimpanzee clients have to walk through a minefield of political punctillio to fight a guerilla war for liberation. it won a Hugo for best novel, and is a great read.

The first trilogy is three separate stories, set on different worlds, with essentially totally unique characters. The second trilogy is not, but rather set after the first series on the abandoned world of Jijo, a world declared fallow and at the far edge of galactic civilization. There six different alien species live as near primitives, trying to recapture their 'innocent' pre-sapience. Humans live there as well, but not to re-capture innocense. Rather humans have been stashed on Jijo in case their galactic war goes badly and we face extinction.

Brightness Reef is an introduction to the conflict-ridden but co-operative world of Jijo, where the peace is shattered when galactic pirates come, and they are humans who believe they have found humanity's long lost patrons.

Infinity's Shore the humans who had come to raid Jijo's gene stock had been careless, and brought other Galactics, the composite Jophur species. The Jophur hold to an ultra-orthodox view of uplift and are sworn enemies of all humans. Worse, they have a particular interest in two of Jijo's other species, one of whom represents an alternative path might have looked like for them. On top of those problems the Jophur sense that their greatest prize might be hiding in Jijo's oceans.

Heaven's Reach is the finale of the this uplift trilogy, strongly metaphysical work where the residents of Jijo and their Earthling allies realize that sapience is a one way journey.

In addition there is a reference book: Contacting Aliens: An Illustrated Guide To David Brin's Uplift Universe is pretty much what the title says. Brin has published two short stories "Afficianado" and "Temptation" in that universe. A game set in the Uplift Universe. Uplift was written by Stefan Jones. The game uses the GURPS system of Steve Jackson and is now in a second edition. It can be reached through his site at: http://www.io.com/~stefanj/uplift_gateway_home.html

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written by David Wyatt

The Uplift War a Hugo-winning novel by science fiction writer and scientist David Brin. Set in Brin's uplift universe, it is one of many tales of a war set off when the dolphin-crewed ship Streaker discovers something upsetting out on the Galactic rim.

The Uplift War is set on the planet Garth, one a few leaseholds granted to Earthclan after they bundled into space and became surprise members of a billion-year old galactic civilization. Earth didn' get the planet because it was good, but rather because it was a catastrophe world, with almost all animal life wiped out due to the group madness of an uplifted species, the Bururalli. The resulting holocaust was an ecological disaster, and so it was dumped off on humans, and their neo-chimpanzee clients. Most of Garth's population consists of uplifted chimpanzees. Many, like ecologist Fiben Bolger and sociologist Gailet Jones are tremendous successes. But uplift is very new, and like many engineering projects, full of fits and starts. For every Fiben or Gailet there are ten more who can't meet the standard. And these lesser chimps damned well know it.

The War is occasioned by the Gubru an avian species of enormous power in the galaxy. They are also conservative, dour and very much the enemies of Earth. The Gubru are divided at home, and have three sexes, with the dominant females decided after a mating 'competition' between two others. Three Gubru are chosen to lead this expedition, one from the priesthood, one soldier and one bureaucrat of Cost and Caution. Each represents a faction in Gubru society. They are to be mated, and their mating on Garth is also intended to provide a crystallization of policy, a direction for their clan to take as it negotiates galactic politics.

So Garth is invaded, supposedly to force Earth to reveal the secrets uncovered by its neo-dolphin clients serving on Streaker. The Gubru are clever, and come with overwhelming force. They win, quickly and decisively. And so, almost without guidance, humanity's very young clients, the neo-chimpanzees find themselves forced to conduct a guerrilla war on behalf of their patrons.

The Uplift War is more involved with galactic politics than any other of the books or stories in Brin's uplift series. It's about racism with neo-chimpanzees and humans standing in for the underclass in the eyes of the Gubru. It's about propriety, and about the dangers of excess inside a complex culture. And it's about a staple of Brin's universe, what it means to be human.

It's also a damned good read. There are many great characters. Fiben, Gailet, the Tymbrimi Athacleanna, and her father Ambassador Uthacalthing, and stoic, hulking Kault of the Thennanin. The plotting is tight, and full of stunning twists. And there are some laugh out loud parts, of cleverness tinged with Irony.

The Uplift War won the Hugo and Locus awards for best novel of 1988. it was a nominee for the Nebula award.

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