Details
Synopsis
Memory, society, and conformity are just some of the familiar tropes that are shattered in Hugo Award-winner Charles Stross's adventurous science fiction thriller. When Robin, a 27th century man, wakes up with his memory wiped clean, he agrees to take part in a social experiment whereby subjects will live in the Glasshouse, a recreation of the "dark ages" society of the 21st century. Although the simulation is meant to be as accurate as possible, almost nothing is known about this period in ancient history, so educated guesswork has helped to engineer most of the rules. But the gaps in Robin's memory--and in his knowledge--soon reveal the Glasshouse to be a far more sinister place than it at first seemed., When Robin wakes up in a clinic with most of his memories missing, it doesn't take him long to discover that someone is trying to kill him. It's the 27th century, when interstellar travel is by teleport gate and conflicts are fought by network worms that censor refugees' personalities and target historians. The civil war is over and Robin has been demobilized, but someone wants him out of the picture because of something his earlier self knew. On the run from a ruthless pursuer, he volunteers to participate in a unique experimental polity, the Glasshouse, constructed to simulate a pre-accelerated culture. Participants are assigned anonymized identities: it looks like the ideal hiding place for a posthuman on the run. But in this escape-proof environment, Robin will undergo an even more radical change, placing him at the mercy of the experimenters--and the mercy of his own unbalanced psyche.--From publisher description.
| Size | | Length: | 352 pages | | Height: | 9.3 in | | Width: | 6.3 in | | Thickness: | 1.0 in | | Weight: | 20.0 oz |
Industry Reviews
(starred review) "With nods to Kafka, James Tiptree and others, Stross's wry SF thriller satisfies on all levels, with memorable characters and enough brain-twisting extrapolation for five novels."
(05/08/2006)
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