Darwin’s Radio, Greg Bear
As warned by a friend, the ideas here are pretty fascinating — the book might be fifteen years behind in terms of science, but there’s nothing inherently ridiculous about the idea based on the scientific knowledge of the time — but the actual narrative is pretty deadly boring. Some of the writing is just… why would you let that slip past, editor? Hard SF isn’t just about the cool ideas: there has to be some element of execution there as well, or there’s no point in writing it as a novel — there’d be a non-fiction audience for speculation about the future too, undoubtedly.
It’s pretty unfortunate, since Bear did the work here in setting up the world, figuring out the details, making A lead to B without a gap in logic. Unfortunately, the prose is flat, most of the characters likewise, and isn’t there a song with lyrics that go I don’t care a lot? Because it’s in my head right now.
Rating: 1/5
The worst of it is that it seems like Bear deliberately avoided describing the more dramatic events that take place!
Yeaaah. It feels like it could be so good, if it was just… taken from a different angle.
Kim Stanley Robinson is much better at doing the politics of science and yet still making an interesting narrative.
I’ve only read one of his books and I wasn’t such a fan. I should try another.
Which one did you read?
In The Years of Rice and Salt, an alternate history one.
Hmmm…widely considered one of his best! If you really want to try another I would recommend Antarctica.
I’ll keep that in mind!