Halting State (A Halting State Novel) (utgåvan 2008)

I expected things to turn out much worse - but this is from a simpler, gentler time I guess... ( )

You don't like second-person unless it's in the hands of Ron Butlin, and you especially don't like shifting characters all in second person.

You also don't like when the complicated bolus of The Big Idea Behind The Book is rammed down your throat in one exposition-heavy chapter.

However, you really quite liked a lot of this, tbf. ( )

Once you've got over the all to frequent multiple starts with apparently unrelated characters and got in to the story somewhat this turns into an amusing little cyber-punk crime novel. It is a bit overly oriented towards computer game addicts, using jargon that is difficult for the rest of us to decipher and the Scottish dialect is also a little much at times.
The premise that role-playing games, on-line or live-action, are going to become mainstream is utterly fantastical, in my view, detracting from the believability quite considerably. The novel also says nothing new: the idea that your life is controlled by the computer geeks and data-base compilers has been around at least since Zelazny's much more enjoyable, My Name is Legion. Stross has also worn his influences on his sleeve: William Gibson, early Ian Banks, Ken McCleod (oh dear!).
Disappointing but pleasant enough. ( )

Good characters development, bit confusing on the technology but it grow natural on you while you read further into this sort of detective story continues; has a strong gaming and paranoia elements, also governments and spy tie in. Not your run of the mill future . ( )

4 1/2 Sterne, sehr unterhaltsam. Ich hatte es als SF-Buch gekauft, aber eigentlich ist es ein Krimi mit leichten SF-Anleihen. Der SF-Anteil hätte etwas größer sein können. ( )