Rainbows End
Jan. 4th, 2008 03:42 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
jackThis was another sequel I was looking forward to in the order I made in December. I'd heard mixed opinions on it. At least now I've read it I no longer get the title mixed up with "Gravity's Rainbow" :)
It's an extension of ideas in the short story "Fast Times at Fairmont High". I thought the world was wonderfully conceived. It's a middle ground between living in a cyber-reality and not. The cyber reality is overlaid on the real one: people wear glasses/contacts that overlay both straight information and enhancements to location on your vision.
For instance, people might present themselves as avatars instead of what they really look like, and everyone who's seeing the default view of the street will see that. Or project their avatar somewhere else, to visit other people without physically moving. And there are thousands of others, eg. fantasy world interpretations of places.
The world is fascinating, it's really good.
The story I didn't like so much. I quite enjoyed the characters, but the plot didn't seem as well balanced in the world as Vinge managed in the even-more sweeping worlds of Fire Upon and Deepness.
In fact, I think I prefer the short story as book, although the longer book expands a lot of things. The short story is better with the expanded (and only occasionally changed) view of the characters gained from reading the novel.
I'm curious to see what everyone else thinks, if they've read it.
I feel like I'd like to read another book in that world, but experience teaches me that sequels that take the most interesting aspects and then do them right are quite rare. (Although sometimes spawn whole series and genres when they get them right.)
It's an extension of ideas in the short story "Fast Times at Fairmont High". I thought the world was wonderfully conceived. It's a middle ground between living in a cyber-reality and not. The cyber reality is overlaid on the real one: people wear glasses/contacts that overlay both straight information and enhancements to location on your vision.
For instance, people might present themselves as avatars instead of what they really look like, and everyone who's seeing the default view of the street will see that. Or project their avatar somewhere else, to visit other people without physically moving. And there are thousands of others, eg. fantasy world interpretations of places.
The world is fascinating, it's really good.
The story I didn't like so much. I quite enjoyed the characters, but the plot didn't seem as well balanced in the world as Vinge managed in the even-more sweeping worlds of Fire Upon and Deepness.
In fact, I think I prefer the short story as book, although the longer book expands a lot of things. The short story is better with the expanded (and only occasionally changed) view of the characters gained from reading the novel.
I'm curious to see what everyone else thinks, if they've read it.
I feel like I'd like to read another book in that world, but experience teaches me that sequels that take the most interesting aspects and then do them right are quite rare. (Although sometimes spawn whole series and genres when they get them right.)
no subject
Date: 2008-01-05 06:10 pm (UTC)I can't remember what was where now, but while I preferred the short story overall, I don't think it had anything necessary for the novel.
so I'm sure I will be reminded of it by world events.
Charlie Stross (author of some similarly near-future books, as well as the awesome Atrocity Archives) was talking about watching technical developments. The world as a whole hasn't caught up, but a virtual-world bank heist, which sounded ridiculous, happened between his writing about one and it being published.