McINTYRE, VONDA N.

Set sometime in the future, many years after a major nuclear holocaust, mankind is scattered with little access to technology and medical know-how. There are a number of domed cities that have sealed themselves off from outside radioactive contamination. The rest of humanity either roam the desert and countryside making do with the limited resources, or have left the planet.

This story focuses on a Healer known as Snake. She and her kind travel the land healing those in need. She treats anything from twisted ankles to cancerous tumours and is the only source of vaccinations. Healers carry venomous snakes with them whose venom they are able to modify so as to promote good health to those in need. Snake has a cobra, a rattlesnake and an alien dreamsnake. The dreamsnake is used to help reduce the suffering of terminal patients.

Dreamsnakes are rare and the Healer's have had no success in breeding them. When Snake's dreamsnake is killed in the desert, rather than go home and lose the Healer title, she sets out to the city where she hopes their technology or that of the offworlders may help produce more of them.

Another joint Hugo and Nebula award winning novel that, while good, doesn't deserve the honour in my humble opinion. Some of the abilities of the Healers and the general populace seemed a bit much to swallow. For example, people are taught to use biocontrol to alter their internal body temperature so as to avoid pregnancy and how does one modify snake venom with little access to technology.

Good  (7)

October 2000
 

Author site www.sff.net/people/Vonda/
 

MEANEY, JOHN

Tom lives on the planet of Nulapeiron with his family that lives in one of the lower levels of their underground society. The level or stratum one occupies reflects one standing in society. Tom’s life seems destined to be one of servitude.

One day he meets a Pilot who is on the run from the authorities and is able to give Tom something that will change his destiny. His life takes him through the levels of his society from the highest to the lowest. His journey will see him challenge the Oracles, who are able to predict the future.

This story held promise, but Meaney’s writing style took a little too long to get accustomed to and I found the middle of the story rambled a bit for me. Meaney doesn’t spend enough time explaining the Pilots and even less on the Oracles. The conclusion did restore some of my earlier enthusiasm, but all in all this effort will not make me race out and read any more of the author’s work.

Good  (7.5)

September 2003
 

MIEVILLE, CHINA

Isaac, a scientist working on a pet project, is visited by a stranger seeking help. The stranger is from far away and has been mutilated for some unspoken crime amongst his people. Isaac agrees to help and in the process begins a collection of specimens that he hopes will lead him to a solution.

Isaac’s lover is not human, unlike himself. Her name is Lin and their relationship is kept secret as interspecies lovers are frowned upon. Lin, like the females of her kind, is able to excrete a ‘juice’ that can be moulded. She is commissioned by a powerful underworld inhabitant of the city to create a statue of him.

When one of Isaac’s collected specimens transforms into a monstrous, killing machine both his and Lin’s life are turned upside-down.

All of this takes place in the city known as New Crobuzon. A wonderfully disgusting and colourful place inhabited by a variety of strange and alien species. Technology is steam or clockwork driven. The Government and militia are corrupt, at times collaborating with criminals. This is a difficult story to categorise, but I’d call it a mixture of sf, horror and dark fantasy. There are monsters, machines displaying artificial or “constructed” intelligence, symbiotic creatures providing their hosts inhuman powers, inter-dimensional beings and people able to change the nature of objects by their touch. This is a big read at 867 pages, but one that doesn’t stop entertaining until the very end. China’s next book, THE SCAR, is set on the same planet but out of the city. I look forward to getting my hands on that one.

Excellent  (10)

September 2002
 

MIEVILLE, CHINA

Bellis Coldwine is travelling by ship to a far away colony on the planet of Bas-Lag. She is one of a small group of passengers on what is predominantly a convict transport. Bellis is fleeing the authorities of New Crobuzon who are trying to discover the guilty parties behind recent unrest in their city.

Tanner Sack is a Remade prisoner on the same ship who befriends cabin boy Shekel. All three of these characters are in for some surprises once pirates attack their ship and they are taken to a very different city.

THE SCAR takes place not long after the events portrayed in PERDIDO STREET STATION. In this outing we are treated to more weird and wonderful inhabitants of Bas-Lag. There are mysterious, powerful amphibious beings with an agenda, mosquito people that can turn a man into a husk in minutes, vampires, pirates and inter-dimensional beings. 794 pages of never a dull minute.

Excellent  (9.5)

December 2003
 

MILLER, WALTER M.

A nuclear war has all but destroyed civilization as we know it. We are taken on a journey to the re-establishment of civilization in the far future. Hugo winner.

Very Good  (8)
 

MOON, ELIZABETH

Heris Serrano has resigned her commission in the Regular Space Service and taken a job captaining a private yacht owned by a wealthy old lady, Cecilia. The yacht has been mishandled by a number of its previous captains and Heris sets about getting the crew and yacht into shape.

Cecilia is on her way to do a spot of fox hunting on a planet owned by a wealthy friend. She is lumbered with a spoilt nephew and a collection of his equally spoiled friends. Their behaviour is about to interfere with everyone’s plans.

This is the first part of a trilogy, the Serrano Legacy, and before I got halfway into the story I knew I would not be reading the sequels. I found it difficult to care enough about the characters and Captain Serrano wasn’t anywhere near interesting enough as the central figure in one book, let alone three. 

Good (6.5)

May 2001
 

MOON, ELIZABETH

Good (7)

April 2007
 

MOREHOUSE, LYDA

Deidre McMannus works as a private investigator. Her previous occupation, a police officer, became untenable after her partner was imprisoned for the murder of a high-ranking public figure. Not only did she lose her job, she also lost the LINK, connection via an implant to an advanced World Wide Web.

She lives in a time when science and technology have taken a back seat to religion. Science was responsible for the Medusa bomb, which turned part of Manhattan into a glass tomb. An upcoming election is being fought by a Rabbi and a man claiming to be the Second Coming. The latter candidate claims the appearance of LINK–angels, is a sign from God.

Deidre, who doubts the existence of these angels, is employed by Michael to expose the LINK-angels for what they really are.

A good story in the gumshoe, high tech mould. If you can handle angels in the story then you should find this to be an enjoyable who-dunit with SF themes running through it.

Good (7.5)

July 2003
 

MORGAN, RICHARD

Takeshi Kovacs lives in a future that has seen humanity colonise far away planets. But rather than travel those immense distances in person, a digitised copy can be stored and later reinstalled or “re-sleeved” into a clone or any empty body. Such technology means that people could theoretically live forever, when one sleeve wears out a new one can be found if you have the money.

Kovacs is a trained Envoy, a type of military enforcer with special skills to help complete and survive his missions. When he steps over the line while working independently, he is stored away for a hundred year sentence on his home planet of Harlan’s World.

Kovacs wakes up on Earth only part way through his sentence in the employ of a very rich and influential three hundred year old by the name of Bancroft. After receiving little help from the authorities on Earth, Bancroft strikes a deal with Takeshi that will see his sentence overturned if he can solve Bancroft’s murder.

This is Morgan’s first novel and its begins with much promise. It’s a futuristic detective thriller full of excitement that doesn’t let up until the end. There was so much going on that at times I had difficulty keeping track of some of the secondary characters.

Very Good  (8.5)

January 2003
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