Overview
ACROSS THE UNIVERSE
In the aftermath of the Hard Rapture-a cataclysmic war sparked by the explosive evolution of Earth's artificial intelligences into godlike beings-a few remnants of humanity managed to survive. Some even prospered.
Lucinda Carlyle, head of an ambitious clan of galactic entrepreneurs, had carved out a profitable niche for herself and her kin by taking control of the Skein, a chain of interstellar gates left behind by the posthumans. But on a world called Eurydice, a remote planet at the farthest rim of the galaxy, Lucinda stumbled upon a forgotten relic of the past that could threaten the Carlyles' way of life.
For, in the last instants before the war, a desperate band of scientists had scanned billions of human personalities into digital storage, and sent them into space in the hope of one day resurrecting them to the flesh. Now, armed, dangerous, and very much alive, these revenants have triggered a fateful confrontation that could shatter the balance of power, and even change the nature of reality itself.
Editorials
KLIATT
After the Hard Rapture, a cataclysmic war of machine against man, humans are spread across the galaxy. Only three empires are known to exist. The first is America Offline, consisting of a group of farmers who survived the war due to their lack of technology. The second empire consists of the Knights of Enlightenment, who are supporters of computer hacking and advanced technology, and the third empire is made up of the DK, communist "space settlers." Lucinda Carlyle belongs to none of these groups. She is a member of a clan that controls the wormhole skein, also known as Carlyle's Drift, a system of "gates" that provide the means to travel from one part of the galaxy to another in the blink of an eye. When Lucinda is on the distant planet Eurydice, conflicts with the resident humans break out as she discovers what is believed to be an ancient alien artifact. Eurydice's inhabitants, including General Jacques Armand, have never heard of the Carlyles or the wormhole skein. They label Lucinda as a slaveholder due to the familiar, a posthuman computer science professor, she accesses in her work suit. While Lucinda is stranded on Eurydice after a "gate" collapses, the Knights of Enlightenment, desiring control of the artifact, soon arrive. Lucinda later discovers that the relic contains a far greater power than she imagined. With brash dialog and witty characters, MacLeod intersperses humor with science while offering a female protagonist who speaks in a Scottish dialect. The antics of entertainers Winter and Calder and the plays of Ben-Ami provide humorous moments as the characters react to the novel's political climate. MacLeod has created an intriguing world in which humans can createmind-backups and even fake memories can be transferred from one body to the next. Fans of Lee Hogan's Belarus will especially enjoy this adventurous space opera. KLIATT Codes: SA—Recommended for senior high school students, advanced students, and adults. 2004, Tor, 339p., Ages 15 to adult.—Ginger Armstrong