"
Tor, Aug 2001, 27.95, 428 pp.
ISBN: 0312874448
In Denver realtor Sarah Beaumont and her architect explore the possibilities of the old vacant house. They quickly find a reference to a late nineteenth century gunfight in which an innocent bystander, Brady Quinn, a former owner of this house, was the only victim. They also find a list of other seemingly unrelated events from the second half of the nineteenth and throughout the twentieth century. Finally, there is the word clilology, but neither knows what it means.
Unable to resist, Sarah begins to investigate the death of Brady. That leads her to Babbage's analytical machines, 1880s computers. Soon her methodical research brings her to the attention of the Babbage Society, who control the world, but are split over how far to use their powers and what to do with Sarah.
This is a reprint of a late 1980s science fiction tale with a revised afterward, providing stronger insight and support to cliology so that those readers wanting more science and math will have that too. This reviewer, who never heard of cliology before, remains uncertain whether the afterward is satire like that of Professor Putts' R&D articles from the 1970s or the real thing. The story line is intriguing and well written as the Babbage Society forecasts the future and uses any means including assassination to alter the dynamics of their prediction and change what will happen. With the exception of Sarah, the characters represent plot devices to enhance Mr. Flynn's theories yet they are cleverly interwoven into the tale. Fans of classic style science fiction will want to read IN THE COUNTRY OF THE BLIND.
Harriet Klausner
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Harriet Klausner, Resident Michael Flynn Scholar
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Overall Review
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Plot
FANTASY or SCIENCE FICTION?
- science fiction story
Spying & Investigations
Yes
What is main char. doing?
- unraveling a conspiracy
Tech./$$$/Info hunt
Yes
Stealing/recovering/destroying
- info about lifeform(s)/society/phenomena
Is this an adult or child's book?
- Adult or Young Adult Book
Main Character
Identity:
- Female
Profession/status:
- small businessman
Age:
- 20's-30's
Is this an ordinary person caught up in events?
Yes
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:
- an organization
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in:
- an average amount
Setting
Earth setting:
- during "Tolkien" (fairytime) times
Takes place on Earth?
Yes
Style
Person?
- mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death?
- generic/vague references to death/punishment
scientific jargon? (SF only)
- a moderate amount of scientific explanation
How much dialogue?
- roughly even amounts of descript and dialog
