The book, wriiten on "smart paper", forms the third major
character of the story. It's purpose is to serve as an
educational tool, entertainment and game for Nell, much as
Orson Scott Card uses the video game in Ender's Game and The
Lost Boys. As the novel progresses, the book's passages
grow longer and longer. These passages, which do mirror and
foreshadow Nell's own life and adventures wind up being
redundant, since the plot occurs twice.
Although Stephenson has innumerable memorable characters, he
relegates most of them, to small support roles. In many
cases, these characters, the most interesting in the book,
are based on stock Victorian stereotypes. Judge Fang is the
wise Oriental magistrate (poor choice of names. I kept
expecting someone to jump out an explain that no-one expects
the Spanish Inquisition), Doctor X is the inscrutable
Chinese crime-lord (he does have a real name, but it is
unpronounceable to Westerners), and Lord Finkle-McGraw, the
perfect Victorian subversive.
The merger of cyberpunk and steampunk fails also.
Stephenson's society is so stereotypically Victorian, it is
hard not to see it as some huge masquerade. However,
Stephenson offers no wink and nudge to show that his
characters are in on the joke. The Diamond Age has more
substance than Stephenson's SnowCrash, but it is not as
enjoyable as that earlier novel.
%A Neal Stephenson
%T The Diamond Age
%I Bantam Spectra
%C New York
%D January 1995
%G 0-553-09609-5
%P 419
%O HC 22.95, PB $5.99
--
Steven H Silver
Bibliographies on Jews in SF, Harry Turtledove, SF set in Chicago
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/4208/sfbiblio.html
HOMEPAGE: http://www.geocities.com/Athens/4208/index.html
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* Origin: University of Colorado at Boulder (2:5030/128.0@fidonet.org)
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Msg : 89 of 271
From : Serge Berezhnoy 2:5030/207.2 .уб 25 .ай 96 00:12
To : All
Subj : Review of Robert Sawyer's The Terminal Experiment
ДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДД
.Newsgroups: ru.sf.news
.Subject: Review of Robert Sawyer's The Terminal Experiment
.Date: Sat, 25 May 1996 00:12:38 +0000
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є Forwarded by Serge Berezhnoy (2:5030/207.2)
є Area : REC.ARTS.SF.REVIEWS (REC.ARTS.SF.REVIEWS)
є From : silverag@ix.netcom.com
є To : All
є Subj : Review of Robert Sawyer's The Terminal Experiment
УДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДД
X-RealName: Steven H Silver
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REVIEW
THE TERMINAL EXPERIMENT
by Robert J. Sawyer
HarperPrism
0-06-105310-4
333pp/$5.50/May 1995
Archived at:
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/3286/index.html
When I first became aware of Robert Sawyer, his books had
cute little dinosaurs on the covers and I avoided them.
Eventually, I heard some good things about them and I picked
up the first book of the series (Far-Seer) and discovered
that, although the book still had a cute dinosaur cover, the
material inside the cover was well worth reading. The
Terminal Experiment is Sawyer's sixth book, and only his
second book without a dinosaur on the cover. Instead, the
cover looks like a medical mystery along the lines of
something Robin Cook would write.
At the start of the book, Peter Hobson (the book was titled
"Hobson's Choice" when it appeared in Analog is a medical
student attending an organ-harvesting on a motorcycle
victim. When the patient shows a pulse and reacts to the
procedure, Hobson begins to wonder where the line between
life and death actually is. After graduation, Hobson
pursues research into the development of a super-sensitive
EEG to determine the actual instant of death. During his
research, Hobson and his good friend Sarkar Muhammed develop
a technique for creating a perfect neural scan of a person's
brain.
Hobson and Muhammed create three duplicates of Peter Hobson
inside computers at Muhammed's lab. One "Hobson" is
immortal, one "Hobson" is dead and one "Hobson" is the
control.
While this is going on, Hobson's personal life is falling
apart. His wife has begun to have an affair with a co-
worker (as soon as Sawyer describes how perfect their
relationship is, you know she's going to have an affair) and
Hobson's father-in-law dies because of a medicinal reaction.
To make matters worse, a police investigation focuses on
Hobson's life and work.
Sawyer is writing a mystery with this book, and, to a
certain extent, succeeds. The pace is good, keeping you
turning the pages, and the characters are likeable, even the
libidinous Hans and the un-enlightened Rod. However,
because of the way Sawyer creates his mystery, there is no
real chance of figuring out who is responsible. In some
ways its reminiscent of the way Conan Doyle would always
have Holmes solve the crime by pointing out a piece of
evidence that was known only to Holmes and not to Watson.
Nevertheless, just as the Holmes stories are well-worth
reading, I would also have no hesitation to recommend The
Terminal Experiment to a friend.
Oh, yeah. Go out and get Sawyer's other books, too. At the
very least, you'll be entertained. More likely, you'll
begin to think about our society.
%A Robert J. Sawyer
%T The Terminal Experiment
%I HarperPrism
%C New York
%D May 1995
%G 0-06-105310-4
%P 333
%O PB, $5.50
--
Steven H Silver
Bibliographies on Jews in SF, Harry Turtledove, SF set in Chicago
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/4208/sfbiblio.html
HOMEPAGE: http://www.geocities.com/Athens/4208/index.html
---
* Origin: University of Colorado at Boulder (2:5030/128.0@fidonet.org)
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Msg : 90 of 271
From : Andrew Kozhevnikov 2:5052/7.19 .pд 22 .ай 96 22:35
To : All
Subj : 3-й том .авкpафта
ДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДД
Hello All!
В 1992-93 гг. вышли в свет пеpвые два тома т.н. Полного собp. соч.
Г.Ф.Лавкpафта - М.,МП "Фоpум" совместно с "Техномаpком", - назывались
соответственно "Затаившийся стpах" и "Лампа Аль-Хазpеда". Был заявлен тpетий -
"Тень над Иннсмутом", но я его нигде не видел. Может, кто-нибудь знает и
пpосветит: существует он вообще в пpиpоде, или это только заманчивый миф?
Да будет милостив к вам Ктулху!
Andrew
--- GoldED 2.50+
* Origin: Once upon a midnight dreary... (2:5052/7.19)
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Msg : 91 of 271
From : Oleg Kolesnikoff 2:5020/286.22 .ет 23 .ай 96 00:39
To : All
Subj : .сприн # 9
ДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДД
Hello All!
Срочно очень нужен на попользоваться (либо купить):
R. Asprin. M.Y.T.H., Inc. in Action. - (9-й "Миф", на англ.)
Oleg
--- GoldED 2.41
* Origin: AI "The Magister" - HQ of Altruist Corporation (2:5020/286.22)
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Msg : 92 of 271
From : Aleksey Swiridov 2:5020/185.5 .pд 22 .ай 96 11:43
To : Boxa Vasilyev
Subj : .у, .окид, погоди!
ДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДД
Пpиветствую, Boxa!
Суббота Май 18 1996 00:16, Boxa Vasilyev wrote to All:
BV> Я в ужасе. Эта контора потребовала изменить название "Облачного края" под
BV> тем предлогом, что оно не кассовое. "Смертельное убийство" предложить, что
BV> ли? :((
Воха, крепись. Мне из "Человека с железного острова" предложили сделать...
"Кровавое железо". Потому что ихний художник название из трех длинных слов не
может вписать в обложку, решенную в стиле предыдущих книг серии. И ведь
додавили! Книга пойдет в тираж под общим названием "Миры, что рядом"
С уважением, Алексей Свиридов.
---
* Origin: Я тоже был веселым и беспечным... (2:5020/185.5)
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Msg : 93 of 271
From : Boxa Vasilyev 2:5020/185.88 .уб 25 .ай 96 13:54
To : Aleksey Swiridov
Subj : .у, .окид, погоди!
ДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДД
Как бы привет, Aleksey!
Сpеда Май 22 1996 11:43, Aleksey Swiridov wrote to Boxa Vasilyev:
BV>> Я в ужасе. Эта контора потребовала изменить название "Облачного края"
BV>> под тем предлогом, что оно не кассовое. "Смертельное убийство"
BV>> предложить, что ли? :((
AS> Воха, крепись. Мне из "Человека с железного острова" предложили сделать...
AS> "Кровавое железо". Потому что ихний художник название из трех длинных слов
AS> не может вписать в обложку, решенную в стиле предыдущих книг серии. И ведь
AS> додавили! Книга пойдет в тираж под общим названием "Миры, что рядом"
Вообще-то я о тебе знал - ты рассказывал... Издатели - уроды!
Rest beggars!
Boxa, монстр из Hиколаева.
aka 2:5020/68.88
---
* Origin: иЗвиHИтЕ зА нЕроВныЙ пОЧеРк. (2:5020/185.88)
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Msg : 94 of 271
From : Serge Berezhnoy 2:5030/207.2 .он 27 .ай 96 01:07
To : All
Subj : Review: STARBORNE by Robert Silverberg
ДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДД
.Newsgroups: ru.sf.news
.Subject: Review: STARBORNE by Robert Silverberg
.Date: Mon, 27 May 1996 01:07:27 +0000
.Message-ID:
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є Forwarded by Serge Berezhnoy (2:5030/207.2)
є Area : REC.ARTS.SF.REVIEWS (REC.ARTS.SF.REVIEWS)
є From : ecl@mtcts1.mt.att.com
є To : All
є Subj : Review: STARBORNE by Robert Silverberg
УДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДД
X-RealName: "Evelyn C Leeper"
RFC-Followup-To: rec.arts.sf.written
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STARBORNE by Robert Silverberg
A book review by Evelyn C. Leeper
Copyright 1996 Evelyn C. Leeper
Robert Silverberg's latest novel takes a lot of familiar science
fiction ideas and combines them in a story that keeps promising to go
somewhere, but manages to make even the transformation of mankind
unexciting.
The spaceship WOTAN has been launched with its crew of fifty by an
Earth so bored with Paradise that this is the only excitement they can think
of. While it travels through hyperspace to discover a planet that can be
colonized, the ship stays in touch with Earth through telepathic twins. The
crew explores a couple of planets, with somewhat familiar perils, learns
that the twins' link seems to be weakening, and moves on to a climax that
rings remarkably flat.
While I was reading this I kept feeling that just a few pages more and
it would catch fire, that it was on the verge of something. But it never
