re:mote voices: literature

Title: Pollen
Author: Jeff Noon
Publisher: Ringpull

Pollen would appear to be a follow up to Jeff Noon's Vurt, though whether it counts as a direct sequel or just same environment I can't say not having read Vurt. This is the second novel by Noon I've read and while I wasn't overwhelmed by that other one I remained curious about his reputation. So coming upon this at the right time I picked it up and read it quickly which is normally a good sign that I at least enjoyed it to some degree. Noon's writing style is lyrical in many ways, lending it a fluid readability. However I started to lose interest a little and feel that he is perhaps likely to go over the score which put me off. Though I still maintained enough interest to finish the book.

Vurt is a kind of virtual reality, which has allowed people to experience their dreams and is the latest form of entertainment, replacing those of the past. But there is more to it as the dream people become increasingly real and want to break through to reality. The city of Manchester is where the vurt was first developed and as such the walls between reality and the other world are at their thinnest. With which a powerful vurt character determines to break through to reality. To do so he makes a deal with the head of the city's cab company - who runs a map which the cabs and police both rely on. This leads to the growth of conspiracy and the spread of a strong viral pollen which is affecting the people of Manchester and effecting the changes of the vurt. But in these times not everyone can experience vurt; certain people have a genetic condition that means they can't dream, meaning they can't access these virtual dreams. This puts the cop Sibyl Jones and cab driver Boda in a unique position as they find themselves in direct conflict with the conspiracy.

The characters of the story build well within the flow, and are woven together. There is a good range in who the characters are and what roles they play within the whole. All aided by the idea of inter-species breeding that has occurred - one of the core ideas is the fertility drug that was released into the city. This resulted in unnatural sexual encounters and from there, unexpected offspring. So the city is populated by crosses between humans, corpses, robots, vurt and dogs! Particularly of relevance is the offspring of corpses - male offspring are ugly undead things cast off as zombies in the wasteland. Where as the females like Sibyl and Boda are attractive and human-like, but with the ability to harness their dark side and communicate through the shadow of death that lies in us all.

Noon's ideas of virtual tech are fleshed out and diverge from the standard plug ins and interfaces, though the suggestion of a palpable other reality strikes comparisons to Michael Marshall Smith for me. The writing is as strong as the ideas are, the whole having a certain "cyber" reference point, but in a way that is distinct and stands up in its own right.

RVWR: PTR
September 2000

Title: The Sky Road
Author: Ken MacLeod
Publisher: Orbit

The Sky Road is the fourth novel by Scottish writer Ken MacLeod, which, like his previous books, works as a stand-alone story. But across the four there is a certain continuity and bigger picture that builds up. Though while MacLeod fills us in on one level, he provides mysteries on another.

Like his previous work, The Sky Road works in parts - the narrative moving from an unspecified future point in first person to the past of the 2050's in third person. In the first future we have a primitive and regressed culture, which has lost much of its technology, but has developed others and are about to send their first rocket into space - returning man to the sky road. All along there are references to the Deliverance, an important event that has shaped how the world is at this point. This deliverance leaving two types of people - the children of the deliverer with their special knowledge and everyone else. Suspecting the time of deliverance may impact on their rocket launch, Merriel and Clovis investigate these events.

This takes us back the 2050's and it turns out the events which led to what became known as the deliverance. The ISTWR is a splinter state near Kazakhztan, which is run by ex-socialist revolutionaries. Despite being a small insignificant country they have become powerful due to their possession of a nuclear arsenal which has survived the third world war, first world revolution and disarmament enforced by the US/UN. But the world continues to be in turmoil and the US continues to splinter, brains and money flee to space, and the Sheenisov sweeps across Asia. This leads to a tense political situation which Myra Godwin, leader of the ISTWR, is trying to ensure her country survives. Involving intrigue, space plots, barbarians and a return of the AI from The Star Fraction.

As always MacLeod's writing is tight and engaging, working well as it alternates between the time lines and demonstrates how one lead to the other. Along the way we touch on consistent ideas od the Space Movement, the Outwarders and the 4th International. In political terms there is always a sense of activism as one side struggles against the other according to who is in power. Strong structures are portrayed, as are the garthering forces of revolution. On the technological side we have moments of nano, of AI, of anti-aging. All becoming integral to the plot in this book and in the greater picture.

Its interesting to see how MacLeod takes the three characters Dave Reid, Jon Wilde and Myra Godwin and works their influence on history through out his work. From their meeting as students at Glasgow University in the 70's outwards. Wilde and Reid's rivalry passing through The Star Fraction which saw the rise of the first AI, to The Stone Canal of New Mars with regenerated humans and cyborgs and machines to the return to Earth space in The Cassini Division. Godwin was involved with both and appeared at various points affecting the story in different ways. Which sees her story unfold now in The Sky Road. The persistence of other details also works well and it is clear to fully appreciate the full scale I'll need to re-read them all together.

Each novel by Ken MacLeod is highly anticipated and on opening the first page they are quickly devoured. I seriously recommend his work and rate him highly!

RVWR: PTR
September 2000