M. John Garrison's "Light"

[semillama]

Anyone read it yet? I just finished it. Wow.

I really liked it. So incredibly fresh and interesting take on the future of space travel, quantum math, and culture. Plus, it's Neil Gaiman's favorite sci-fi novel of the last ten years.

I don't want to ruin it for anyone, so I won't go into details until other people start posting.

I will say that my favorite character was Seria Mau Genlichter. I thought he handled her well, and I liked all the connections between the three plots.

[phantom power]

1. Sound fun. What's the setup?

[phantom power]

2. Where did you get it? It doesn't show up on Amazon.

[semillama]

3. I picked it up at Border's.

The set up is that there are three main plots: one set in 1999 with a pair of physicists who stumble onto the greatest breakthrough in quantum mechanics while working on a viable quantum computer, with the result that one of them is persued by a mysterious thing that he attempts to drive off by becoming a serial killer; the second focuses on a character in the 2400's who is a former adrenaline-junkie/neophile; and the last character is a woman who turned her self into a sentient space ship with some pretty amazing drive capabilities (makes Warp Speed look like an Amish Buggy!). All three are subtly connected, with a lot of stuff left in the background that you put together your self. I really recommend it. Strange that Amazon doesn't have it.

[salvorhardin]

5. M. John *H*arrison

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0553382950

[phantom power]

6. Damn, that explains a lot.

I was beginning to think this was a prank :-)

[swimmernsecretsea]

4. Oh how funny. This book is my book group selection

Very challenging. I can't say that I like it, because it's not necessarily that kind of book, but I am enjoying reading it, and think that it is an amazing work. My book group meets this weekend, btw. I was the one who requested it, based on a personal recommendation by Mike Berry, who writes for the San Francisco Chronicle Book Review Sunday section.

[Taxloss]

7. It's such an incredible book!

Intensely powerful, a fireworks display. IT IS BRILLIANT.

[phantom power]

8. That was a very good book.

I have to say, it was a bit light on the quantum physics, treating it mostly at the "space opera" level. Which was still great, but having read it, I don't think of this book as really dealing with issues of quantum physics, in the same way that authors like Greg Egan do.

It sure as hell sticks with you. A rather dark and disturbing book, actually. And yet manages to have a resolution that is positive but consistent with all that goes before.

Truly different than just about anything else I've read. It's been a long time since I've felt that way about a book.