Mar 14, 2017airyen rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
Robert Gu, formerly a star poet, had succumbed to Alzheimer's in the
early 2000’s. However, modern medicine has been able to restore him to
coherent life. He struggles to adjust to life in a world where
everyone's clothes and contacts connect to holograph nodes implanted
everywhere. Learning to “wear” is a struggle for him, although his
granddaughter, who is attending classes at the same school he is, has
learned to do it from childhood and easily accomplishes connectivity
without detection. While he is adjusting to live in the new ecosystem
of connectivity, he is drawn into an international conspiracy
involving biotech, an internet presence known only as “Mr. Rabbit,”
now-aged friends from his days as a professor at UCSD, his
granddaughter and her friends, and his Department of Homeland Security
son and daughter-in-law.
The setting was compelling and fascinating, from the holograph nodes
to the “net boards” like today's forums to the concept of contact lens
overlays that made environments look completely different. It
integrates well with the plot, harkens “back” to today's San Diego,
and lets the reader imagine stories continuing well beyond the plot.
The book switches perspective while always remaining in third person:
at times, its focus is on international magnates, Robert Gu, his
granddaughter Miri, or artificial intelligences. At times, this made
the book confusing, especially as exposition is limited and readers
find out identities only by implications.
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Rainbows End