The Multiplex Man

Rating:
Summary: Multiplex Man is outstanding
Review: As most of the other reviews have noted, James P. Hogan here presents a somewhat unevenly written story. However, that being said, there is a class of reader (such as I) that really appreciates clever sf and surprising plot twists.

Multiplex Man does have its moments of annoying polemics so frequent in Hogan's work. However, the incredible entertainment of this book easily makes reading it well worth while. Towards the end I couldn't put it down; the adventure was so exciting, the explanations so satisfying.

If you have difficulty finding this out-of-print book, a little Web searching can reward you with this gem.

Rating:
Summary: P.K. Dick, eat your heart out
Review: I completely enjoyed this book. Its a story like Total Recall
with strange twists of personality exchange, but gripping from
start to finish. Its also an interesting future, where the US is
a totalitarian state and eastern europe a libertarian utopia
(hence the Prometheus award the book won, which honors best
libertarian fantasy). The political elements are believable
and don't hit you over the head. The plot does.

Rating:
Summary: dubiously read
Review: I'm a sucker for identity-crisis books.

This book captured my attention because it had a man waking up without memory of several months of his life and every indication that he his someone else. But this book was disappointing. There were so many identity changes that it just got tedious. By the end, I really didn't care about the big revelation as to the whole identity problem. I just wanted to finish the book and move on.

Also I am almost never swift enough to guess the end before the author wants me to know, but in this book the "surprise" ending was painfully obvious very early on.

I did, however, think that the future presented in the book was interesting for those who like speculative futures. I wouldn't write the book off entirely just on the basis of the description of the future. There is also a lot of action, which may entice some into reading it.

Rating:
Summary: For diehard Hogan fans only.
Review: I've been a fan of Hogan since the first of the Giants novels and have read all of his pure sci fi books. About midway through his catalog (if you read them in the order they were published), you start to see some repetetive patterns that make his later novels less enjoyable. They all have the same "been there, read that before" feel. This book suffers from this "retread" feeling. One thing I'm growing tired of with Hogan's novels is the whole "noble and well intentioned scientists struggling against the evil small minded militaristic government hacks". This theme is strongly present in most of Hogan's novels, and usually provides the primary source of conflict. The Multiplex Man is no different. I get the impression, especially with Hogan's later novels, including this one, that the plot and characters are a distant second in importance to the scientific concepts Hogan is trying to explain or at least exploit. The characters tend to be mere charactarizations and the plot amazingly predictable. It all seems tacked-on. Hogan always explains just enough of the science to keep hard SF readers entertained.

If you're a diehard Hogan fan, then you'll probably enjoy this one. If you're unfamiliar with Hogan, I would avoid this book, but would highly recommend you read the so-called "Giants Novels", starting with "Inherit The Stars". Those four novels are still one of my all-time favorite SF novel series (though "Entoverse", the latest of the "Giants Novels" also suffers from the Hogan retread syndrome).

Rating:
Summary: I liked Multiplex Man
Review: I've not reviewed a book before, but the other reviewer's criticism of the book is off-base in my opinion. His complaints are that the society is not believable because they have not yet banned cigarettes? The reality is that today's government totally depends on cigarettes for tax revenue. The tobacco companies make 10 cents or less on the sale of a pack, while the government rakes in $.50 to over $1 per pack. That is why we will not see cigarettes banned. Anyway, I thoroughly enjoyed Multiplex Man. Most of the SF books I buy turn out to be a disappointment, and many I never finish. But this one I stayed glued to until the end. It is true that I will probably not read it again, but then I have probably only read one or two books over again in my entire life.

Rating:
Summary: I liked Multiplex Man
Review: I've not reviewed a book before, but the other reviewer's criticism of the book is off-base in my opinion. His complaints are that the society is not believable because they have not yet banned cigarettes? The reality is that today's government totally depends on cigarettes for tax revenue. The tobacco companies make 10 cents or less on the sale of a pack, while the government rakes in $.50 to over $1 per pack. That is why we will not see cigarettes banned. Anyway, I thoroughly enjoyed Multiplex Man. Most of the SF books I buy turn out to be a disappointment, and many I never finish. But this one I stayed glued to until the end. It is true that I will probably not read it again, but then I have probably only read one or two books over again in my entire life.

Rating:
Summary: Well written, but you've read it before
Review: James Hogan has been a favorite of mine for a long time. It is a real joy to read hard SF written with skill, there are not many who can combine cutting edge science with the ability to write sensible sounding dialouge and fashion believable personalities. Having said that, this one does not make it. The old 'waking up with amnesia and killers after you' plot has been around for a long, long time. Sure, there are a couple of twists, but nothing really new. The real disappointment, however, is the political layering. Anyone who likes an L. Neil Smith novel would like "The Multiplex Man". Exactly the same depiction of Libertarians as good, smart, helpfull, successfull people; and everyone of any other viewpoint as eithier naive, criminal, mentally ill, or a combo of all three.

Rating:
Summary: Ho-hum
Review: Multiplex Man is an interesting foray into the future of brain scanning, mind reading, and what are known in psychological warfare circles as "influence technologies." Richard Jarrow is an ardent supporter of the eco-fanatical future America, teaching youngsters to value teamwork and mediocrity above innovation and individuality. Then he wakes up in Atlanta under peculiar circumstances.

The book takes it time in getting started, and makes frequent and sometimes jarring use of flashbacks to communicate plot points. Some exposition that comes at the end of the book is totally redundant, subtracting from the outcome. And you'd have to be pretty dense not to see this ending from a mile away. Still, it's a fair story, though not one of Hogan's best. See Thrice Upon a Time for some of his best work.

Note: Hogan is usually more clever in hiding his political bent inside a great story. Given the blurb on the back cover, I was disheartened to find that the book was more of a libertarian polemic than an actual story. I guess they don't give the Prometheus to books that don't read like a political platform.

Rating:
Summary: "Total Recall", only *much* better
Review: Remember the old days, when a new gadget and its implications would be explored in a science-fiction novel which had more twists than a pretzel factory? Hogan has a ball with the idea of the electronic educator and just how far the technology might go. On this basis, he adds a truly satisfying thriller, throws in a quest, and garnishes this salad with some croutons by investigating just what constitutes "creator's responsibility for his invention." I had a ball reading the hardcover. Some of the politics in the book are a bit dated by events in Eastern Europe since the book was originally published, but this book was well worth my time in hardcover, and I plan on rereading it.

Rating:
Summary: Good sci-fi book
Review: This book is a good sci-fi read. It has a bleak vision of the future in where America has adopted an almost 1984 Orwell feel to it and freedoms are routinely violated all in the name of protecting resources and believe it or not, Asia and Russia are the the lands of opportunity. Throw in a dab of mystery and government intrigue and a man with amnesia and five months missing from his life and you have a great story.

This is the first book I have read from this author and I am looking forward to reading more. I recommend this novel to anyone who likes mystery and sci-fi.