Thursday, February 20, 2003
Title: Zeitgeist
Author: Bruce Sterling
Publisher: Bantam Doubleday Dell Books
Leggy Starlitz has been a recurring character in the short story work of Bruce Sterling. With Zeitgeist Sterling clearly decides he fits the idea and with that at last fills us all in on the story of this scam artist. Starlitz has been managing G-7, a multi-national girl group, for some time now. the band is post-Spice and comprised of a girl from each of the G-7 nations. Though the plan isn't to sell records, rather it is to sell merchandise. Having mined the obvious markets they are looking for fresh territories. Which leads them to Turkish Cypress with the hope of penetrating Turkey and the Middle East. With the Turkish gangster he is dealing with gradually outmanoeuvring him and the appearance of his teenage daughter, Starlitz finds things are not going as planned.
While this is the basic set-up the bulk of the book becomes about Starlitz and his daughter and how they are different from normal people. With this Sterling explores the ideas of narrative and how narrative and reality are not the same thing. The Starlitz family have always been different, living hardcore narrative, affecting it and doing things others couldn't. With this whole text of Zeitgeist gains a striking density that lurks within the straight story. How this defines millennial cross over and cultural structures is important, and reading Zeitgeist puts the likes of Sterling's Holy Fire into a new perspective.
The first book by Japanese writer Haruki Murakami I read was Dance Dance Dance, the UK edition of which has a quote from Sterling on the cover. Reading it I found the inclusion of that quote a little curious. I now find it ironic given that Zeitgeist has a certain aspect which is comparable to Murakami. Throughout the book there are little scenes and actions, which just seem to fit into that impression, while retaining Sterling's hand throughout. Most ironically is when Sterling spends a couple of pages discussing Murakami's Norwegian Wood!
Trying to convey quite why Zeitgeist is an important piece is difficult. I expect one really needs to get into the narrative to understand. Regardless this is Sterling's best work to date, quite exciting and thoroughly enjoyable.
RVWR: PTR
Febraury 2003
