Rejoice
Ratings4
Average rating3.5
15
Ratings4
Average rating3.5
From the bestselling author of the epic Malazan Book of the Fallen, comes a story of mankind's first contact and a warning about our future. An alien AI has been sent to the solar system as representative of three advanced species. Its mission is to save the Earth's ecosystem - and the biggest threat to that is humanity. But we are also part of the system, so the AI must make a choice. Should it save mankind or wipe it out? Are we worth it? The AI is all-powerful, and might as well be a god. So it sets up some conditions. Violence is now impossible. Large-scale destruction of natural resources is impossible. Food and water will be provided for those who really, truly need them. You can't even bully someone on the internet any more. The old way of doing things is gone. But a certain thin-skinned US president, among others, is still wedded to late-stage capitalism. Can we adapt? Can we prove ourselves worthy? And are we prepared to give up free will for a world without violence? And above it all, on a hidden spaceship, one woman watches. A science fiction writer, she was abducted from the middle of the street in broad daylight. She is the only person the AI will talk to. And she must make a decision.
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A deeply philosophical look at a first contact story. Steven Erikson uses this tale of first contact as a critique on the excess of humanity. In this story, the aliens are vastly technologically superior to humanity, and have a higher ethical and moral quality too. The first contact here is used to prevent humanity destroying their ecosystem. It manifests through barriers put up around important natural corridors to allow them to recover, and some kind of force that prevents people from acting violently towards each other.
This is a highly optimistic take on first contact. Yes - it paints a highly critical picture of humanity and suggests that we need some outside force to rescue us. It also suggests that we are worth rescuing.
The philosophy is presented through a series of dialogues between the alien and a science fiction writer chosen to act as a spokesperson for Earth, along with a series of vignettes showing the effects of the aliens restrictions on how humanity interacts with itself. The dialogues are quite dry at times, very focused on the philosophy being espoused, but the overarching view being presented is an intriguing one. The critiques of humanity are frequently on point - we are a greedy and self destructive species. The overall optimism of the story helps to counter some of this negativity.
This is not a light read, but a worthwhile and interesting one. Definitely an interesting and deep look at the human condition.
I found this a hard read. There are some great ideas in this story, but I found myself buried in seemingly endless philosophical discussions. I get the point that the whole premise of the book is based around the worthiness or otherwise of the human race, and the reactions of the planet. This needs discussion, but, hey, I got so bored. Looks like part 2 coming soon.
