Freeware

Freeware

  • A cyberpunk written by Rudy Rucker in 1997
  • Reviewed edition by Avon from 1998
  • A paperback has 260 pages
  • ISBN 0-380-78159-X
Click to rate this book from worst12345to best.

In 2050's, the latest technological advances have made it possible to manufacture artificial beings from special "intelligent" substance called imipolex. Of all the artificial beings, the most capable are moldies. Vaguely resembling humans, moldies also posses roughly the same intelligence. What sets them apart is their ability to change shape, communicate over large distances, plus other nice powers (and minus one little drawback, a need to rejuvenate themselves with fresh imipolex every couple of years).

Of course, moldies are nothing like your typical Asimov robots. Smelly and impertinent, they do not exactly inspire the trust of humans (and they do not exactly care). Little love is lost between humans and moldies, except in a few enclaves like Santa Cruz, California, where they live alonside each other in an uneasy setting.

One of the moldies living in Santa Cruz is Monique. A maid in a small hotel, she tries to abduct one of the visitors to get money for more imipolex. She finds the tables turned though, as the visitor paralyzes her and forces her to swim into the depth of the ocean, where more of his victims apparently wait ...


Review

Although the basic idea of the plot is not a bad one, I really do not like the way it is put to words in this particular book. It took me a while to put a finger on what it is that I do not like - not the language, although is indeed as strange as they come in cyberpunk - not the technology, although it is less realistic than usual in science fiction. In the end, I think it is the flat, unemotional way things are presented - amazing discoveries, worldwide catastrophes, murder, sex, afternoon walk on a beach - they all feel the same. Reading the book reminds me of listening to a retarded child, one whose only impression of a terrorist bombing would be that it was really k00l, the way people flew to all sides. Rating bad.

Rated as bad by Ceres on 1999-03-27


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