Less Than Human

Rating:
Summary: Decent near-future Japanese SF whodunnit. "B-"
Review: _____________________________________________
McArthur's third novel is a near-future police-procedural whodunnit set in Japan. The Japanese setting is the most interesting part of the novel, I thought -- the author lived there for 16 years, returning to Australia in 1996. The protagonist, a female gaijin robotics scientist working in industrial R&D, is well-drawn and sympathetic. And the book is smoothly-written. Do you see the upcoming "but"?

The sfnal McGuffin, a high-tech cult called the Silver Angels -- their leader, Adam, wants to rule Japan (today Japan -- tomorrow the world!) -- didn't work nearly as well, imo. The cultists' bafflegab computer-tech is confusing and unconvincing. The cult's leaders/bad guys are, well, central-casting cardboard. Well-researched cardboard, mind, but novelistically unconvincing. And their Eevil Deeds are all too obviously tailored to the story.

Plus, it's bloody startling to hear tough Osaka cops speaking in Australian, mates....

Still, a decent novel, which might be of particular interest to Japanophiles. "B-" for me -- I preferred her first novel, TIME FUTURE (2001).

Happy reading--
Pete Tillman
Google Groups for my review of Time Future