Rating: 
Summary: Grinding Gears
Review: About a third of the way through this book it takes a drastic turn. In the beginning it reads like an outrageous farce, a satire of futuristic epics. But then suddenly the tone changes completely and the story is suddenly meant to be taken seriously. For the first few chapters I was rolling with laughter on every page, but after the tone change I wasn't laughing anymore. I think that this was a mistake on the author's part. This material (mutant sharks, polkadotted submarines, and the plague that wiped out negroes as a subtle dig at the fact that futuristic epics never seem to have any black people in them.) all plays well as comedy and satire, but taken seriously its just nauseating and rediculous. Still, I give it three stars just for the sheer ingenuity of it; especially the scene with Hoover and Cohn having lunch and the two interpretations of their conversation. It was brilliant the way it all fit together. The bit with Ayn Rand being carried around in a lava lamp seemed a bit pointless though. I found nothing meaningful or insightful said about Rand anywhere in the book. Apparently, the author just thought it was funny to stick her in a lava lamp and subject her to juvenile redicule. Still, this is a fun book.
Rating: 
Summary: Creatively written, poorly edited
Review: I enjoyed "Fool on the Hill" a decade ago and have been checking for a second novel off and on ever since. Unfortunately, the wit and innovativeness of Ruff's first novel have taken a cynical turn in "Sewer, Gas & Electric". My biggest disappointment was the book's lack of balance, and for that I hold the editor responsible. The Ayn Rand element is vital, but way, way overplayed. There are also strange little allusions left dangling (e.g. one of our hero's contracting chicken pox in the last pages). A serious pruning - to two-thirds of its final length - would have made a much better book.
Rating: 
Summary: Lethally humorous, Diabolically Subversive.
Review: Matt Ruff is a talented bartender, mixing interesting characters with cultural references both obscure and hip into a delightful cocktail that will satisfy your thirst and leave you wanting more. If Ayn Rand had a sense of humor and some perspective, she might have wanted to write a book like this. A warning; at the end of this book, you might find you don't take philosophy as seriously as you used to. I think that is a positive step, and it makes reading this book an imperative.
Rating: 
Summary: Creative and absurd and a bit confusing
Review:
Sewer personnel patrol the sewers for mutant wildlife. The boy scouts engage in "urban scouting". Computers and robots run amok, - nanoviruses, eco terrorism and a virtual Ayn Rand are all mixed into a zany / absurd vision of New York City of the future.
It's funny in parts, - but generally more absurd than funny. The plot starts a bit slowly and is a little confusing in the first half of the book. But the 2nd half really draws the reader in and the plot ultimately is very imaginative.
Some of the characters and plotlines could have been developed better, but overall this book is well worth reading if quasi-intellectual sci-fi appeals to you.
I'll definitely read other books by Matt Ruff.
Rating:
Summary: A risleyite done well
Review: Risley is the "Creative and Performing Arts" house at Cornell University ("The Castle" from Matt's "Fool on the Hill"), and as you can imagine, it's a fairly wacky and liberal place. Although I lived there quite a few years after Matt had, I must say that the feeling of the place is much the same: Reading SG&E, you can see quite clearly that The Castle has influenced Matt quite deeply. The book, to me, shows liberal ideals in an amazing positive light. You can't help but feel excited by the characters that Matt writes about. At the same time, rather than coming off stuck up and preachy, everything is presented in a light-handed and very funny manner. To give a summary of the plot would take away from the story, but I will say at least, that the story takes place in a not-too-distant future in New York City (and related locales).
Actually, given the book's age, it's quite amazing how dead-on Matt is in some of his predictions of the future.
Excellent book. The closest description would be if Douglas Adams or Terry Pratchett wrote Neal Stephenson's "Zodiac", or if Neal wrote the Illuminatus Trilogy, or if Robert Anton Wilson wrote a book about the NYC sewer system. You get the idea, I hope.
Rating:
Summary: Different, but still great
Review: As probably many readers, I read this book after having been swept away by the Fool on the Hill. This book is quite different, so a word of warning to anybody looking for more of the same. And a word of encouragement, too, because this is an imaginative and very funny book that's (at least in my opinion) much more accessable than the works mentioned in some other reviews (Illuminatus comes to mind). I even may have learned a thing or two...
Rating:
Summary: Wild, Crazy, Fun
Review: I loved the wakyness of this book. The mutant great white shark in the NYC sewer system was probly the best part. I also loved the eco-terrorists and their sub shelling oil tankers with frozen meat products shot out of a magnetic rail gun. The Characters are almost beliveable, except the civilwar veteran who happens to be a woman. But she adds life to this book.
Rating:
Summary: Funny, futuristic, and real... all at the same time!
Review: I received this book as a prize for filling out a survey. It was a surprise, as I'd forgotten I even filled out the survey! But what a GREAT surprise! I'm reading it for the third time now, and the first great laugh comes at the first appearance of Meisterbrau. My favourite scene includes Her Majesty, the Queen of England. And my favourite character... keeps changing. This is a must for anyone who likes to laugh - trust me, you don't have to like SF or anything resembling it to LOVE this book!
Rating:
Summary: Ruff Joins the Ranks of Stephenson and Wilson
Review: If you are a fan of Neal Stephenson ("Cryptonomicon", "Diamond Age", "Zodiac") and Robert Anton Wilson ("Illuminatus Trilogy"), then Matt Ruff's "Sewer, Gas & Electric" is your next must-read. Ruff has the certain ability to construct subtle funny situations in the semi-SciFi genre, while making their corresponding surprises (and even horror) fit in with the program. Why does Ruff show a billionaire's ex-wife working within the nastiest possible sewer system, pursuing a great white shark (code-named Meisterbrau)? It will all make sense later on, trust me. However, the use of artifical men (androids) seemed out of place, and the sudden appearance of a whale was too much to abide by. But Ruff's mistakes in these cases are more than forgiveable. He can weave tale of semi-cyberpunk-ness with all the irony and (dark) humor that you stomach. There are also sprinkles of cultural icons that the mid-30s person can appreciate.
Rating:
Summary: Interesting read but not too challenging intellectually
Review: Either "Atlas Shrugged" or Neal Stephenson's "Zodiac" will have you thinking deeper - about capitalism and about pollution, respectively. But this is a shorter, more frivolously entertaining read than Ayn Rand's tome, which commends it as a piece of entertainment for any scifi/action novel readers who enjoy thinking about Objectivism in a new context. If you are really after this book for the sewage and the action though, read "Zodiac" instead: the chemistry in that riproaring stunt action novel makes more sense and it will leave you thinking about the issues for longer after you put the book down.
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