Crescent City Rhapsody

Rating:
Summary: Too Long!
Review: After the first couple of pages I already liked one of the primary characters, Marie, and I was hooked. This novel really illustrates, as I believe, that it is science and technology, nanotechnology here in this novel, that determines our future, and not what politicians allow or disallow, the technology just moves underground or overseas if necessary, and the politicians are left to their window dressing, science determining ultimately how we live.

However, as I read more of this book I found myself in a tedious, long drawn out affair, with so many characters it was hard to keep track of them all. Because of this I felt a diversion of interest, just too much to keep track of. I did like the philosophy that permeates this novel as a whole, very refreshing indeed. This novel occurs in the same universe as two of Goonan's previous novels, QUEEN CITY JAZZ, and MISSISSIPPI BLUES, and this novel explains much of the background of those two novels.

Rating:
Summary: Pleasing, but...
Review: Crescent City Rhapsody is the third in Kathleen Ann Goonan's nanotech/jazz series. It opens with a staggering collapse of global communications and ends with the promise of a better tomorrow. In between the ride is bumpy, sometimes compelling and sometimes not. Of the three, this one has a far higher level of suspense and far less speculation than the other two, probably because the time is so much closer to our own. Solid characters, stunning prose, and only a couple of weak spots make this a book well worth reading.

About those weak spots though,...

After the stunning portrayal of Hawaiian culture in "Bones of Time", the cultural symbols in this book often leave one wondering about their significance. The sections on Voudoun rites and ritual, although accurate and sympathetic, seem forced and awkward, as if they are wondering why they are even here. When she drops into Japan for a brief stint, she confuses common foods and falls back on a few tired cliches about Japanese culture. Other than those two minor weaknesses, an excellent book and a superb addition to her repertoire.

Rating:
Summary: Never has a plot been more poorly developed
Review: OK, where to begin? The ONLY reason this tale merits more than one star is the tremendous idea on which the book is based and the arrangement of material into symphonic movements. The tale: An alien energy pulse (EMP) knocks out sophisticated electronic systems, all governments go bonkers and a woman in New Orleans has a plan to save the world. What follows is an unmitigated disaster on almost every element - characterization, plotting, authenticity, social comment, science...you name it.

There is enough here for three books: Voodoo, globetrotting, New Age nonsense, dire environmental warnings, unconvincing characters, nanotechnology, biotechnology (two fields the author continually crossbreeds) and space travel. And that doesn't include the UN military force (a la black helicopter) or the socio-economic comments that sound like Daffy Duck attempting Mandarin.

The sheer number of stories prevent any of them from standing out. The evil government forces are never seen, heard from nor given a chance to explain their actions. Marie (our erstwhile heroine) is attempting to set up a new type of human society, Crescent City, somewhere in the Gulf that will operate "without a government" according to bio/nano technology - as if these fields contained moral truths for humanity. The author seems clueless about the real world and of course the action is totally illogical and improbable.

Let's see: A Tibetan learns the secret of the messages, cities secede from the United States, the future revolves around nanotechnology, jazz, New Age tripe and a "mixture of socialism and capitalism." My pet peeve (and not just here despite the breakdown of society, the return of barter and barbarism, and the presence of conflicts, science and scientific advances continue unabated. That is NOT the way the world works. THis is just so pathetic. We start a slow slide reaching the nadir on the last page. Not Recommended unless trapped in an elevator.