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| Review Summary |
Eos, May 2004, 25.95, 480 pp.
ISBN: 0061051438
Over a millennium into the future, the Met sentient super cables interweave the inner planets while the grist nanotechnology facilitates communication throughout this segment of the solar system. Within the Met, some humans including dictatorial Director Ames have become many Large Array of Personalities better known as LAPs. Freedoms already curtailed are becoming even fewer as Ames increases his tyrannical powers through his Department of Immunity that controls the Met.
The outer planets continue to serve as frontiers where freedom blossoms due to the Free Converts, the Cloudships, and other like souls. Ames wants control of the outer planets and if that is impossible their destruction. He deploys his military.
In the outer planetary orbs, Colonel Roger Sherman leads the defense, but his son Leo joins the invaders. However, the outcome may lie with physicist Li whose research may give Ames the boost he needs as she is closing in on faster-than-light travel. To ensure her loyalty he has absorbed her lover and addicted her to electronic Glory.
SUPERLUMINAL is extremely complex military and social science fiction that extrapolates much of current day physics theories into a future solar system as he has also done in the terrific first book (see METAPLANETARY). However, the story line contains the mid book syndrome as nothing is resolved though new subplots like that of Li's has begun. Still the insightful look at a future in which totalitarianism vs. freedom (place World War II in outer space 1000 years into the future) displays Tony Daniel's clever nightmarish vision of what is to come though this book is filler waiting for the confrontations to occur.
Harriet Klausner
Harriet Klausner, Resident Scholar
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Composition of Book
Descript. of chases or violence - 10%
planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 40%
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 40%
Descript. of society, phenomena (tech), places - 10%
Tone of book
- suspenseful (sophisticated fear)
FANTASY or SCIENCE FICTION?
- science fiction story
Political power play
Yes
Political plotlets
- preventing/managing clash/war between govts/kingdoms
Repressive society story
Yes
Repressive because:
- kills without good reason
Tech./$$$/Info hunt
Yes
Stealing/recovering/destroying
- method of transportation
Is this an adult or child's book?
- Adult or Young Adult Book
Main Character
Identity:
- Female
Profession/status:
- scientist
Age:
- 20's-30's
How sensitive is this character?
- sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence
- Smarter than most other characters
Physique
- very athletic
Main Adversary
Identity:
- Male
Age:
- 40's-50's
Profession/status:
- mastermind
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in:
- an average amount
How sensitive is this character?
- mean, arrogant
Sense of humor
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence
- Smarter than most other characters
Physique
- very athletic
Setting
A substantial portion of this book takes place on a non-Earth planetary body:
- humans in a futuristic society
Planet outside solar system?
Yes
Style
Person?
- mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death?
- generic/vague references to death/punishment
scientific jargon? (SF only)
- quite a lot of techical jargon
How much dialogue?
- significantly more dialog than descript
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