Accelerando
2005 • 415 pages
Ratings41
Average rating3.6
15
Ratings41
Average rating3.6
The Singularity. It is the era of the posthuman. Artificial intelligences have surpassed the limits of human intellect. Biotechnological beings have rendered people all but extinct. Molecular nanotechnology runs rampant, replicating and reprogramming at will. Contact with extraterrestrial life grows more imminent with each new day.
Struggling to survive and thrive in this accelerated world are three generations of the Macx clan: Manfred, an entrepreneur dealing in intelligence amplification technology whose mind is divided between his physical environment and the Internet; his daughter, Amber, on the run from her domineering mother, seeking her fortune in the outer system as an indentured astronaut; and Sirhan, Amber's son, who finds his destiny linked to the fate of all of humanity.
For something is systematically dismantling the nine planets of the solar system. Something beyond human comprehension. Something that has no use for biological life in any form...
Reviews with the most likes.
It's difficult to recommend this book, because it has a structure so unlike anything I've read before–Stross manages to tie together 6 or 7 stories, all of which can (and did, I think) stand on their own, without getting repetitive or confusing, and then end it all with a bang. This would make a great comic book serial, in that sense, if drawings of Matroishka brains could be interesting enough. You will likely either hate or love this book; I loved it.
Got this on a recommendation from Warren Ellis, so it's fitting there is a quick Transmet reference (don't blink!).
Also: Keep an eye on the cat.
DNF page 84.
It suffers from the old style of writing sci-fi where bombarding you with phrases and gobitygook and gee golly the future sure is crazy you can barely recoginize it. Not enough personality .
I think the people who did not like this book are not used to Science Fiction that actually uses Science concepts in its plot and dialog. They should probably stick to Space Opera or YA SciFi if a book like this makes them complain that [a:Charles Stross 8794 Charles Stross https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1355510574p2/8794.jpg] is a smarty pants.
Post-human, post-posthuman, and a robot pussy cat. It started quite promisingly, but it lost the plot (literally) about two thirds through. Still, on balance, I enjoyed it.
