Picoverse - Robert A. Metzger Book Review

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Review Summary

Ace, March 2002, 22.95, 400 pp.
ISBN 0441008992

    In the not too distant future scientists such as Katie McGuire, her ex-husband Horst, and a few other technicians are working hard at the Sonomak project operational. If it works the world could have cold fusion power at their disposal. When it looks like federal funding will fall through, Horst calls in a block-ops agent to see if the military would be interested in funding the project.

    The agent's boss Alexandria Mitchell learns about the project. She is over five million years old, a sentient android serving the Makers, the beings whom created our universe. Her job is to make sure that the people of Earth don't rise above a certain level of technology. Alexandria is tired of answering to her masters and intends to take control of the Sonomak project, forcing the scientists to create a PICOVERSE (an alternate universe of our world only much smaller) so she can rid herself of any controls. She gets her wish but even she is surprised at how quickly she becomes dissatisfied, a condition that forces her to deal with Katie and Horst, their son Anthony and Jack Preston, a new player in the game, in this new and unfamiliar realm.

    Although PICOVERSE is filled with scientific theories that are difficult for the layman to understand, this no way detracts from the overall enjoyment of the story. The climax is a shocker but the whole novel is based on situations that take one surprising turn after another. Robert A. Metzger makes the implausible seen all to frightening real.

Harriet Klausner

Harriet Klausner, Resident Scholar

Detailed literary breakdown of Picoverse

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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 - 60%
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 20%
Descript. of society, phenomena (tech), places - 10%

Tone of book - suspenseful (sophisticated fear)
FANTASY or SCIENCE FICTION? - science fiction story
Tech./$$$/Info hunt Yes
Stealing/recovering/destroying - method of transportation
Robots, Computers, VR Yes
Robot, PC, VR Plotlets: - good robot(s)
Is this an adult or child's book? - Adult or Young Adult Book
Inventing-of-item story? Yes

Main Character
Identity: - Female
Profession/status: - scientist
Age: - 40's-50's
How sensitive is this character? - middling sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence - Smarter than most other characters
Physique - average physique

Main Adversary
Identity: - Robot
Profession/status: - mastermind
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in: - an average amount
How sensitive is this character? - hard edged
Sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence - Smarter than most other characters
Physique - average physique

Setting
Earth setting: - 20th century - near future (later in 21st century)
Takes place on Earth? Yes

Style
Person? - mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death? - generic/vague references to death/punishment
scientific jargon? (SF only) - the book is simply packed with technical jargon
How much dialogue? - roughly even amounts of descript and dialog

Most similar books to Picoverse
The Isaac Project by Joe Vadalma
Hunger Pangs by Greg London
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Cat's Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut
The Labyrinth Key by Howard V. Hendrix

Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s).

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