Rating: 
Summary: Now this is cool SF
Review: The most striking thing about this book is its exploration of emotional intelligence. Scheffield constantly plays with the stock images of the engineer, the polititian, and the business person, turning them upside down. Nothing is really what it seems...it seems. He takes the reader deeply into the motives, weaknesses and strengths of individuals who happen to have those roles. And that's just one of the threads deftly woven into the story. Scheffield makes a supernova cool (sorry 'bout that!).
Rating:
Summary: Now this is cool SF
Review: The most striking thing about this book is its exploration of emotional intelligence. Scheffield constantly plays with the stock images of the engineer, the polititian, and the business person, turning them upside down. Nothing is really what it seems...it seems. He takes the reader deeply into the motives, weaknesses and strengths of individuals who happen to have those roles. And that's just one of the threads deftly woven into the story. Scheffield makes a supernova cool (sorry 'bout that!).
Rating: 
Summary: Sheffield, give us more!
Review: This book was one of the most frustrating books I have ever read and enjoyed. Since I did not read Aftermath, it took me a while to get into the story and understand the characters. Sheffield offers too many charachers and it is quite a challenge to determine who is going to be key and who is forgettable. However, by the time I got to the middle of the book I was hooked. I read until 4 AM and had bloodshot eyes and a crick in my neck. But then I got to the end, and hence my frustration, and my criticism.
1. In a hurry, skip "the private diary of Oliver Guest". The Sky City murders were a completely separate story. It seemed they existed simply to reprise a favorite character, but there was no real tie in to the Alpha C story. The motive did not support the crime. The crime did not make any difference to the future of Sky City. The criminal was not publically unmasked so the community was not satisfied. This subplot may have been better resolved in its own book.
2. The main story seemed oddly incomplete. I like a story that is character driven, but I want complete characters. I do not want to wait on a sequel, I want to know now. What happens to the Argos Group? What was Gordy's legacy? Was Nick redeemed? Was Seth redeemed? Did Maddy and John ever hold hands? What happened to other countries and the other world leaders? And who are those people pictured on the book cover?
I have read other novels by Sheffield and this is not the first time that I thought he just stopped writing when the main plot was solved. I would like a little bit more. I need an upbeat ending that is both positive for science and positive for people.
Rating:
Summary: Sheffield, give us more!
Review: This book was one of the most frustrating books I have ever read and enjoyed. Since I did not read Aftermath, it took me a while to get into the story and understand the characters. Sheffield offers too many charachers and it is quite a challenge to determine who is going to be key and who is forgettable. However, by the time I got to the middle of the book I was hooked. I read until 4 AM and had bloodshot eyes and a crick in my neck. But then I got to the end, and hence my frustration, and my criticism.
1. In a hurry, skip "the private diary of Oliver Guest". The Sky City murders were a completely separate story. It seemed they existed simply to reprise a favorite character, but there was no real tie in to the Alpha C story. The motive did not support the crime. The crime did not make any difference to the future of Sky City. The criminal was not publically unmasked so the community was not satisfied. This subplot may have been better resolved in its own book.
2. The main story seemed oddly incomplete. I like a story that is character driven, but I want complete characters. I do not want to wait on a sequel, I want to know now. What happens to the Argos Group? What was Gordy's legacy? Was Nick redeemed? Was Seth redeemed? Did Maddy and John ever hold hands? What happened to other countries and the other world leaders? And who are those people pictured on the book cover?
I have read other novels by Sheffield and this is not the first time that I thought he just stopped writing when the main plot was solved. I would like a little bit more. I need an upbeat ending that is both positive for science and positive for people.
Rating:
Summary: Masterful composition!
Review: This is a virtuoso narrative work: the plots and subplots that weave through the massive event of a cataclysmic (and acknowledgedly unlikely) cosmic event make for a real page turner. There are some serious flaws, so let me attend to those:1) Some characters are marvellous (the noble monster, the detective, the brilliant-but-unrefined australian girl (and is there such thing as a refined australian girl?)); but all characters are over-the-top comic-book caricatures. These are not compellingly believable characters, they are amusing extremes: except where they are actually a detriment to the book (the megalomaniac dwarf, the rediculous secretary) -- then they are not even very amusing. 2) The sexism. Ok, we have a strong woman president, and the scientific genius is a young australian orphan -- how can this be sexist? Well, the sexism is awkwardly evident in that these same strong women reveal themselves to be facades of strength who end up relying on rather shabby looking (morally, socially) males who have an inner iron. It is rather disappointing that one of the main characters, Maddy, turns out to be made of ... nothing. Our woman president ends up doing... nothing. Only the genius comes through. 3) Incredible naivete! We have brilliant scientists and engineers: the other characters marvel at how noble and egoless these communities are. And how they pull together in a crisis, and how they get the job done. Well, engineers need all the glorification they can get, but let me tell you as an insider: it just aint so. Engineers are as petty, as political, as backstabbing as any other human: they just tend not to be very good at it. 4) More naivete! Presidents who travel into the lairs of comic book madmen without secret service; corporations without either beaurocracy or even structure; and did I mention the engineering utopia? Ok. Those disappointments aside: there are some great characters here, and the counterpoint of the broad historical panorama with the murder mystery plot is marvellous. The murder is compelling throughout (if a little disappointing at the end), while the big picture gains steam throughout, leading to a surprising, satisfying conclusion. Best of all, the distinct voices that emerge from the various characters, including different, believable senses of humor really make the book. At least among the male characters (and our young australian friend). Too bad the publisher insisted on a different (and annoying) font for the writings of the noble monster -- that was unnecessary. Overall? Great book for any scifi fan.
Rating:
Summary: Masterful composition!
Review: This is a virtuoso narrative work: the plots and subplots that weave through the massive event of a cataclysmic (and acknowledgedly unlikely) cosmic event make for a real page turner. There are some serious flaws, so let me attend to those: 1) Some characters are marvellous (the noble monster, the detective, the brilliant-but-unrefined australian girl (and is there such thing as a refined australian girl?)); but all characters are over-the-top comic-book caricatures. These are not compellingly believable characters, they are amusing extremes: except where they are actually a detriment to the book (the megalomaniac dwarf, the rediculous secretary) -- then they are not even very amusing. 2) The sexism. Ok, we have a strong woman president, and the scientific genius is a young australian orphan -- how can this be sexist? Well, the sexism is awkwardly evident in that these same strong women reveal themselves to be facades of strength who end up relying on rather shabby looking (morally, socially) males who have an inner iron. It is rather disappointing that one of the main characters, Maddy, turns out to be made of ... nothing. Our woman president ends up doing... nothing. Only the genius comes through. 3) Incredible naivete! We have brilliant scientists and engineers: the other characters marvel at how noble and egoless these communities are. And how they pull together in a crisis, and how they get the job done. Well, engineers need all the glorification they can get, but let me tell you as an insider: it just aint so. Engineers are as petty, as political, as backstabbing as any other human: they just tend not to be very good at it. 4) More naivete! Presidents who travel into the lairs of comic book madmen without secret service; corporations without either beaurocracy or even structure; and did I mention the engineering utopia? Ok. Those disappointments aside: there are some great characters here, and the counterpoint of the broad historical panorama with the murder mystery plot is marvellous. The murder is compelling throughout (if a little disappointing at the end), while the big picture gains steam throughout, leading to a surprising, satisfying conclusion. Best of all, the distinct voices that emerge from the various characters, including different, believable senses of humor really make the book. At least among the male characters (and our young australian friend). Too bad the publisher insisted on a different (and annoying) font for the writings of the noble monster -- that was unnecessary. Overall? Great book for any scifi fan.
Rating: 
Summary: 3 words: Formula, Formula, Formula!
Review: This was a good brain candy, beach read. The characters were SOOOOO written for a movie. The ending was out of left field, concepts that weren't explored at all (and not earth-shattering ones that i would sit and contemplate either). Both the main and 2ndary endings were pulled out of some hole the universe, I know not where. There is so much better hard sci-fi out there. Try Larry Niven, Stephen Baxter (Flux was strange but the science was thouroughly explored!) and many others if you want hard sci-fi. If you want a 2nd rate murder mystery where you are told key clues AS they are confronting the culprit w/ a little science thrown in, this is for you.
Rating:
Summary: 3 words: Formula, Formula, Formula!
Review: This was a good brain candy, beach read. The characters were SOOOOO written for a movie. The ending was out of left field, concepts that weren't explored at all (and not earth-shattering ones that i would sit and contemplate either). Both the main and 2ndary endings were pulled out of some hole the universe, I know not where. There is so much better hard sci-fi out there. Try Larry Niven, Stephen Baxter (Flux was strange but the science was thouroughly explored!) and many others if you want hard sci-fi. If you want a 2nd rate murder mystery where you are told key clues AS they are confronting the culprit w/ a little science thrown in, this is for you.
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