Chimera

Rating:
Summary: An impressive future for an impressive story...
Review: Here's the way I can tell if I enjoy a book: if the world the story is set in is compelling enough that I want to see more, with our without the characters of the book. Shetterly's Chimera is exactly that sort of world. I am as intrigued by his not-too-distant, not-too-unbelievable Libertarian America as I am by Zoe and Max.

This is a light and enjoyable science fiction noir mystery that manages to be gritty and optimistic in the same breath. Further, Shetterly manages a very great trick in creating protagonists who are initially rather unlikeable (if not downright annoying) but giving them the space and believable reasons to change.

It's not the deepest read in the world, there is meaning muddled by a rapid-fire plot, but if you're looking for an compelling and enveloping read, Chimera is a good choice.

Rating:
Summary: An impressive future for an impressive story...
Review: Here's the way I can tell if I enjoy a book: if the world the story is set in is compelling enough that I want to see more, with our without the characters of the book. Shetterly's Chimera is exactly that sort of world. I am as intrigued by his not-too-distant, not-too-unbelievable Libertarian America as I am by Zoe and Max.

This is a light and enjoyable science fiction noir mystery that manages to be gritty and optimistic in the same breath. Further, Shetterly manages a very great trick in creating protagonists who are initially rather unlikeable (if not downright annoying) but giving them the space and believable reasons to change.

It's not the deepest read in the world, there is meaning muddled by a rapid-fire plot, but if you're looking for an compelling and enveloping read, Chimera is a good choice.

Rating:
Summary: Robert A. Heinlein meets Raymond Chandler
Review: I hope this is the start of a new series--Characters are great and definately deserve more stories. I thought some of the leaps in logic were hard to follow, but as a hard-boiled detective sci-fi, with a wonderful cat creature, this excels. I loved the borderland books, too.

Rating:
Summary: MORE!
Review: I hope this is the start of a new series--Characters are great and definately deserve more stories. I thought some of the leaps in logic were hard to follow, but as a hard-boiled detective sci-fi, with a wonderful cat creature, this excels. I loved the borderland books, too.

Rating:
Summary: Charming SF & Noir Mix
Review: Once upon a future, there was a vegetarian, well born PI named Max and a chimera/critter (jaguar/human) named Zoe. Max takes on Zoe's case to find her "mother's" murderer for which Zoe is framed. Max's task is complicated by Zoe's lowly status in the not-so-brave new world. Critters have no civil rights, are "property" though are not called slaves. Everything in this Libertarian government is privately owned, including the police force, which is manned by Bots (trained robots.)

"Chimera" is a lively, fun, fast-paced story with ethical resonance. Some reviewers objected to the lack of depth in discussing the moral problems; I disagree. The author allows us to make our own decisions regarding what "rights" non-human entities should have. To make it more interesting, critters and A1s can reproduce among themselves and with humans.

The story takes place in LA, a ferment of sharply divided neighborhoods well described and plausible. Radical critters who hate all humans call them "skins." A human who consorts with a critter is a "furry." Critters that go inexplicably crazy are "wilding." The characters are sharply etched and most are likeable, some with remarkable (to us) attributes. Max has an Infinite Pocket attached to his wrist. You can't see it; it is about the size of a small backpack and holds his 9mm SIG Recoilless that has an infinite clip (he never needs to reload.) Zoe is amazingly fast, balanced and has a purring sort of voice. (She also has a furry ears that the author finds endearing.)

"Chimera" is good-natured, and I rooted for Max and Zoe shamelessly. The book is clever and highly readable. Treat yourself to something a little different and read "Chimera."

Rating:
Summary: Charming SF & Noir Mix
Review: Once upon a future, there was a vegetarian, well born PI named Max and a chimera/critter (jaguar/human) named Zoe. Max takes on Zoe's case to find her "mother's" murderer for which Zoe is framed. Max's task is complicated by Zoe's lowly status in the not-so-brave new world. Critters have no civil rights, are "property" though are not called slaves. Everything in this Libertarian government is privately owned, including the police force, which is manned by Bots (trained robots.)

"Chimera" is a lively, fun, fast-paced story with ethical resonance. Some reviewers objected to the lack of depth in discussing the moral problems; I disagree. The author allows us to make our own decisions regarding what "rights" non-human entities should have. To make it more interesting, critters and A1s can reproduce among themselves and with humans.

The story takes place in LA, a ferment of sharply divided neighborhoods well described and plausible. Radical critters who hate all humans call them "skins." A human who consorts with a critter is a "furry." Critters that go inexplicably crazy are "wilding." The characters are sharply etched and most are likeable, some with remarkable (to us) attributes. Max has an Infinite Pocket attached to his wrist. You can't see it; it is about the size of a small backpack and holds his 9mm SIG Recoilless that has an infinite clip (he never needs to reload.) Zoe is amazingly fast, balanced and has a purring sort of voice. (She also has a furry ears that the author finds endearing.)

"Chimera" is good-natured, and I rooted for Max and Zoe shamelessly. The book is clever and highly readable. Treat yourself to something a little different and read "Chimera."

Rating:
Summary: A dynamic and creative mix of mystery amd sci-fi
Review: Private detective Chase "Max" Maxwell was doing his usual losing a bundle of money while gambling when Zoe Domingo entered the casino. She informs him that she has need of a sleuth so he grabs her cash and watch to call his hand, but loses anyway. To his shock, Max learns from a sniffing chimera that his client is part human and part jaguar, making her a chimera too. Since these genetically engineered critters have no rights beyond that of a slave they cannot hire humans, but Zoe insists her former master, abolitionist Janna Gold freed her.

Someone killed Janna and the police believe that someone is Zoe. She wants Max to prove her innocence because she insists the robo-cops murdered her liberator. The investigation quickly turns ugly and soon everyone chases after Max and Zoe because they want a powerful earring that Janna gave to her. With no place to hide or run, Max and Zoe are in deep trouble. If they somehow live, they probably will spend a few decades in jail.

CHIMERA is dark science fiction novel that uses genetic engineering to tell a human rights story. The story line is faster than a speeding rocket ship and loaded with excitement yet allows room for the human rights element to flourish without slowing down the pace. Max is a classic hard-boiled detective placed in a future world and Zoe is his femme fatale though reengineered. Readers who enjoy science fiction mysteries will believe Will Sletterly's latest tale, CHIMERA, is simply out of this world.

Harriet Klausner

Rating:
Summary: A dynamic and creative mix of mystery amd sci-fi
Review: Private detective Chase "Max" Maxwell was doing his usual losing a bundle of money while gambling when Zoe Domingo entered the casino. She informs him that she has need of a sleuth so he grabs her cash and watch to call his hand, but loses anyway. To his shock, Max learns from a sniffing chimera that his client is part human and part jaguar, making her a chimera too. Since these genetically engineered critters have no rights beyond that of a slave they cannot hire humans, but Zoe insists her former master, abolitionist Janna Gold freed her.

Someone killed Janna and the police believe that someone is Zoe. She wants Max to prove her innocence because she insists the robo-cops murdered her liberator. The investigation quickly turns ugly and soon everyone chases after Max and Zoe because they want a powerful earring that Janna gave to her. With no place to hide or run, Max and Zoe are in deep trouble. If they somehow live, they probably will spend a few decades in jail.

CHIMERA is dark science fiction novel that uses genetic engineering to tell a human rights story. The story line is faster than a speeding rocket ship and loaded with excitement yet allows room for the human rights element to flourish without slowing down the pace. Max is a classic hard-boiled detective placed in a future world and Zoe is his femme fatale though reengineered. Readers who enjoy science fiction mysteries will believe Will Sletterly's latest tale, CHIMERA, is simply out of this world.

Harriet Klausner

Rating:
Summary: Robert A. Heinlein meets Raymond Chandler
Review: This novel is set in that science fictional rarity, a libertarian dystopia. Despite the grim setting, it's a lot of fun, combining all the elements of film noir-- a tough and beautiful damsel in distress, narration by a wisecracking private detective, and complex conspiracies-- with an effortless flow of sf invention: Infinite Pockets, copbots, werewolfing, Crittertown, and much more. The style may owe a lot to Chandler and Hammett, but the overall feel is reminiscent of early Heinlein or John Varley.

This is a big departure from Will Shetterly's last novel, that evocative memoir-as-fantasy "Dogland." That one snuck up on you; this one grabs you by the shirt-front and won't let go until you've finished reading. It's witty, fast-paced, and reminded me of the thrill of discovery I felt a long time ago, when I was a teenager first discovering science fiction, reading about all those amazing things.

Rating:
Summary: Fast moving and fun, with a look at some serious issues
Review: Will Shetterly's new novel Chimera mixes together a few fairly familiar SF themes: human/animal combinations, artificial intelligences, the issue of rights for both of the above, and a somewhat balkanized (or at least decentralized) future US. The plot is taken from a familiar mystery trope (not uncommon in SF): the hardboiled detective with a heart of gold who gets mixed up in a vulnerable woman's problems despite himself. The end result is not bad: the book is fun reading, with very sympathetic main characters, and a fast-moving if sometimes a bit unconvincing plot. I liked this novel, but I didn't quite love it: I felt it brushed up against some profound thematic material without really fully engaging it, and I felt that the future depicted was more an assemblage of neat bits than a fully imagined, or fully plausible, future society. Perhaps I am simply guilty of wanting to read a book the author didn't intend to write: certainly Shetterly has delivered a good read, which at least asks the reader to think about some important themes.

The narrator is Chase Maxwell, a former UN security man, who left that job after an assignment went bad. He retains one useful (and really neat!) piece of tech: an Infinite Pocket, an area of warped space attached to his arm, in which he can apparently store things of nearly arbitrary size. Including his gun, which has a similar bit of tech: a sort of "Infinite Magazine". He's down on his luck (naturally!) when a jaguar-human hybrid named Zoe Domingo asks him to track down her "mother"'s murderer. Janna Gold, the human Zoe calls her mother (she bought her out of slavery), has just been killed, apparently by berserk "copbots". But the police department is much more likely to finger Zoe for the murder, given the prejudice against "critters". Moreover, Zoe has a mysterious earring Janna gave her, which seems to be a piece of special tech that lots of highly placed people really want.

Max is reluctant to take the case: he doesn't work for critters. But he's in a bit of a bind, so he agrees to help. What follows is a nearly nonstop chase, as Max and Zoe encounter first the police, then a series of people who seem to be peripherally involved: Krista Blake, a police expert who takes a sudden shine to Max; Amos Tauber, an advocate for full rights for both "critters" and Artificial Intelligences; and Oberon Chain, the head of a high-tech company who is also an AI rights crusader. When some of these people begin to get murdered as well, the frame is in, and Max and Zoe are the designated suspects. At the same time, Max is realizing that his feelings for Zoe may be a lot deeper than it is prudent for a human to have with respect to a critter.

From there we encounter a number of different aspects of this future, such as the indentured service camps that have replaced jails; and the "critter" side of town, complete with riots and reverse prejudice against "skins" (ordinary humans); plus scenes of critters "werewolfing": suddenly going berserk and killing everybody in sight; as well as a very well put argument about the ethics of downloading human brains into computers, and vice versa, and plenty more. As I said, the plot is fast moving, and I was always interested, but at times things happen a bit conveniently for the heroes.

Chimera raises some questions that I didn't feel were fully answered. Chief among these is "Why were the "critters" created?" I honestly don't believe that, starting from the present day, the essentially purposeful creation of a new underclass, of that particular nature, is very likely. I also thought his future US a bit unlikely, politically. But both of these reservations are really quibbles, and he does portray his future society quite interestingly. But always at the back of our mind is a desire to more fully engage the submerged issues: equal rights for "critters", and equal rights for AIs. Those questions are raised, but mostly brushed aside, in the interests of maintaining narrative pace. Certainly a longtime SF reader cannot help thinking of Cordwainer Smith's classic "The Ballad of Lost C'Mell", about a "catwoman" who gives all in the pursuit of rights for the "underpeople". But though such issues are present here, they simply don't resonate the way they did in Smith's great story. Nonetheless, though I may (perhaps unfairly) regard Chimera as a missed opportunity to be something really special, it's still a fun read, with its heart in the right place.