Rating: 
Summary: Intricate with a sence of humour
Review: In general, Sterlings' books are great. They have a coherent plot and a lot of interesting and inventive details (e.g. post-apocalyptic futuristic customs and technology). I find it difficult, however, to understand the motives and drives of a lot of the characters. Occasionally I wonder why they bother to do what they do. Maybe it's just me. Read it -- time well wasted.
Rating:
Summary: Sterling stops trying too hard and ends up better for it
Review: In recent years Bruce Sterling has been trying too hard to be 'hip' and ahead of the game (one of the problems of cyberpunk and near-future sf in general). Globalhead was very unneven, some of the stories didn't work at all, Heavy Weather was entertaining but nothing more; Sterling seemed to be losing his political edge too. After this Holy Fire is something of a return to the form of Islands in the Net or Crystal Express. It drifts and meanders its way across a safe, comfortable and boring world dominated by the old and dotted witht the failed experiments of the past. Not a lot happens, except the gradual emotional and (rather faster) physical rebirth of the heroine. At the end you are left with a sense of greater understanding for having read the book; Sterling seems to be maturing into a thoughtful and challenging writer. The only reason I give this 4 rather than 5 stars that there are some weak sections, and also Maureen F. McHugh (China Mountain Zhang, Half the Day is Night) does this stuff a little better.
Rating: 
Summary: Interesting concept lacking follow-through.
Review: Just finished this one and was left with the feeling that half the text could have been omitted without hurting the story-line. I really did like the concept of the book, but was disappointed that it got lost. A book about Holy Fire shouldn't lose it. This one does.
Rating:
Summary: Wait for this novel in the 1/2 price used book store
Review: Like Gibson's "Idoru", Sterling's "Holy Fire" seriously needs some holy fire. What is this? Some post 20 century angst-soap opera-see Europe travel romp with a slap of the old cyberpunk paint brush? The innovations in this novel are far and few (enhanced talking dogs - nice touch) - the rejuvenation technique(s) almost a trival pretext for what seems to be a post-20th century remake of a Nathanel Hawthorne story: old person becomes young person and goes on European rutting expedition. I almost have the feeling Sterling is pandering to a certain politically correct crowd. Save your money and buy this novel in paperback at the 1/2 price book store.
Rating:
Summary: Wait for this novel in the 1/2 price used book store
Review: Like Gibson's "Idoru", Sterling's "Holy Fire" seriously needs some holy fire. What is this? Some post 20 century angst-soap opera-see Europe travel romp with a slap of the old cyberpunk paint brush? The innovations in this novel are far and few (enhanced talking dogs - nice touch) - the rejuvenation technique(s) almost a trival pretext for what seems to be a post-20th century remake of a Nathanel Hawthorne story: old person becomes young person and goes on European rutting expedition.
I almost have the feeling Sterling is pandering to a certain politically correct crowd. Save your money and buy this novel in paperback at the 1/2 price book store.
Rating:
Summary: Bruce Sterling's Aged Future
Review: Once again Bruce Sterling takes a look into his skewed crystal ball and offers us a glimpse of possibilities. Firmly set in a future manipulated by "gerontocrats", he shows how the practice of medicine has become the GNP of the day. The story revolves around a "gerontocrat" who undergoes a medical transformation into a youthful member of the oppressed. Rather than remain the guinea pig of the gerontocrats, she runs and begins her own Wanderjar. And that's just the beginning. Makes you think twice about your health and the coming changes to the demographics of today
Rating: 
Summary: A book that makes you THINK at every page
Review: One of the best books I ever read. In the long run, the author poses to the readers a question that cannot have an unique answer: Above all, who's right, the young or the elder? We can say: obviously none, and both, it depends of your point of view. So what's the final answer? According to Sterling, the social role of the elder (the medically treated people, who live VERY long) is to mantain the status quo, to control the crazyness of the young, to *CONTROL* the society, by means of the fortunes and political strenght they accumulated. The young instead can 'follow the rules' or be repressed, and indeed the brighthest of them, the 'artists' (those who possess the 'Holy Fire', the capacity to *create* art and ideas) must hide and go in the underground. Here they try to add some new flesh to the human culture, and obviously the elder constantly try to stop them. But sometimes a new idea is good enough, and nothing can stop it, so it eventually becomes part of the status quo, along with their creators. Those same creators will then become elder with time, and will not allow any variation of this idea, acting effectively in the same way the elders of his young age did. The book goes through all this gradually, showing the elder, the young geniuses, and also the not-so-brilliant wannabe-genius youngsters. As Maya travels across Europe, she matures from an elder, to a newborn young, to a prominent figure in a underground movement. As always the reading is pure intellectual joy: Sterling's insights in the very nature of human culture, the differences between the old world and the new, the fantastic scenarios of future European cities and so much more. If you are searching pure action and special effects, you will not find them here. But if you want to *think* when reading a book, this is definitely a good choice. Worth every page.
Rating:
Summary: Sterling catches up to Stephenson and Gibson
Review: Since the beginnings of cyberpunk, variations by various authors have tried putting the sci-fi back into Cyberpunk. In Holy Fire, Sterling manages to get the almost drug-induced strangeness of Stephenson for a scene or two, yet portrays a future based solidly in the events of today that is reminiscent of a modern era 1984. His characters are interesting and off-beat, but show a good bit of insight into the society of the future. The first 50 pages show the world as a terrifying future. The plot for the remainder of the book is good, but doesn't live up to the world that it portrays. His attempts at classical symbolism are interesting and intentional and thus humorous. The meaning that lies thinly veiled is an obvious warning to our generation. Perhaps we should listen before we reach his perhaps-too-distant future.
Rating:
Summary: MIA SWALLOWED BY MAYA
Review: STERLING does a great job of showing the pain of transition for his initial central character, Mia, as she struggles to become a real woman, Maya. The Mia/Maya schizoid personality sustained conflict throughout the story. It works to the last line where Maya finally proves she has the Holy Fire to click her first true picture. Ambiguity arises, however, as to whether her Holy Fire results from her longevity drug treatment or whether her own will power gave her a second chance to find her muse. The question is: what motivates the old Mia to become the young at heart Maya? What did Sterling create in Maya? Was she a drug sculptured android without a real soul? Perhaps this was Sterling's underlying question--does Mia need a soul?
The author's distinction between gerontocrats and the vivid, young generation is suspect because if the longevity treatments were actually working the older class would stay young at heart--not just young of skin. This doesn't happen. So all the treatments to keep the body clicking are, in the main, cosmetic. Something else is missing here, most old people want to stay alive to enjoy their grand kids and great grand kids. Here the old seem to grow into a narcissistic, power driven shell, abandoning their own kid's lives. However, the story works because it exposes the hidden disconnect between just living and the quality of life. Sterling barely explains a lot of his jargon. His drug, lacrimogen, sounds like ecstasy. All it seems to do in the story is give the users a good cry! I'll bet no reader understood why Mia/Maya almost died in the immersion scene due to the interaction of the futuristic drugs inside her body with those in the pool. One must ask Sterling who he thinks his readers are--chemists? Sterling's projected growth in the medico-pharmaceutical industry is very thought provoking. It gives Sterling an opportunity to investigate the divide between the cult favoring longevity and the young x'ers. His sharpest statement is made when he has the young would be artist girl take the swan dive off the building. "To hell with your longevity!" she sang as she splattered to the ground.
Rating:
Summary: MIA SWALLOWED BY MAYA
Review: STERLING does a great job of showing the pain of transition for his initial central character, Mia, as she struggles to become a real woman, Maya. The Mia/Maya schizoid personality sustained conflict throughout the story. It works to the last line where Maya finally proves she has the Holy Fire to click her first true picture. Ambiguity arises, however, as to whether her Holy Fire results from her longevity drug treatment or whether her own will power gave her a second chance to find her muse. The question is: what motivates the old Mia to become the young at heart Maya? What did Sterling create in Maya? Was she a drug sculptured android without a real soul? Perhaps this was Sterling's underlying question--does Mia need a soul?
The author's distinction between gerontocrats and the vivid, young generation is suspect because if the longevity treatments were actually working the older class would stay young at heart--not just young of skin. This doesn't happen. So all the treatments to keep the body clicking are, in the main, cosmetic. Something else is missing here, most old people want to stay alive to enjoy their grand kids and great grand kids. Here the old seem to grow into a narcissistic, power driven shell, abandoning their own kid's lives. However, the story works because it exposes the hidden disconnect between just living and the quality of life. Sterling barely explains a lot of his jargon. His drug, lacrimogen, sounds like ecstasy. All it seems to do in the story is give the users a good cry! I'll bet no reader understood why Mia/Maya almost died in the immersion scene due to the interaction of the futuristic drugs inside her body with those in the pool. One must ask Sterling who he thinks his readers are--chemists? Sterling's projected growth in the medico-pharmaceutical industry is very thought provoking. It gives Sterling an opportunity to investigate the divide between the cult favoring longevity and the young x'ers. His sharpest statement is made when he has the young would be artist girl take the swan dive off the building. "To hell with your longevity!" she sang as she splattered to the ground.
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