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I finished both The Difference Engine by William Gibson and Bruce Sterling and Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler in the last 48 hours. I enjoyed them both, I would recommend both, but I had problems with both.

I’ve read some interesting criticism of cyberpunk in general and Neuromancer in particular, and it’s no great surprise that those complaints are also present in The Difference Engine. Swap out the futuristic Sprawl of Chiba City for Victorian London and switch all the futuristic cybergadgetry for steam-powered technology. Like Neuromancer, all of this is very cool and the authors do a great job hitting the right notes but there’s something disturbing about the larger story. The main criticism of cyberpunk is that the protagonists are far too complicit with the state of the world; that they grift and hustle in a macho way in order to create a niche for themselves rather than undercut the social structure as a whole; by not opposing the status quo, the characters are accepting it by default. I think this criticism applies here as well, as the culture of surveillance is tolerated even as it is rued.

The Victorian political incorrectness of the novel also made me squirm at times. Yes, I know the disparaging remarks made about everyone who is not lily white, male, and English are historically accurate but Gibson and Sterling almost seem to revel in this escape clause. Sure, the appalling arrogance is tongue-in-cheek but it made me ask the question of who is the target audience. The racism and sexism often border on the gratuitous—but hey, we’re all white guys here, right?

Allow me to do a 180 and talk a bit about Butler’s Parable of the Sower. This book is horrific in its description of social breakdown of southern California and the nation in the early 21st century, but never seems all that far-fetched. How many African villages are controlled by warlords with the most guns as the government sits idly by picking its teeth? The decline of the United States into a Hobbesian “state of nature” is frightening and Butler doesn’t shy away from the grisly bits. There’s all sorts of good stuff about racism and sexism here, both the pronounced and subtle kinds, and the difficulty in establishing trust and community amongst a group of individuals regardless of their race and gender.

But I also have complaints. Lauren, the protagonist and prophetess of a new religion, is too unflappable and secure in her knowledge. I liked her more in the beginning of the novel when her father puts her back in her place; it’s not that Lauren is wrong in these sections per se, but her youthful enthusiasm and impatience (a perfect depiction of an intelligent and motivated teenager, by the way) show her lack of experience in the adult world. But when she gets out on her own, she’s pretty much right about everything all the time on the journey north. She rarely wavers in her convictions. While this is still somewhat believable, it makes Lauren a less interesting and less sympathetic character. Nobody likes I know-it-all (I should know!)

Also, I’m not quite sure Butler ever sufficiently gets a handle on the hyperempathy issue. I like the concept of sharing others’ pain, especially for a religious prophet, and I like how it’s more of an unwanted burden than a talent (like Deanna Troi of Star Trek: The Next Generation). [SIDEBAR] Ever notice how worthless Troi’s empathic abilities were? She sees someone crying and says “I sense your pain.” She sees someone punch a wall and says “I sense your anger.” She sees something pressing in Riker’s pants and says “I think you have intentions.” Empathic ability? They’re called eyes Deanna, and we all have them.[/SIDEBAR] Yet Lauren’s struggles with this condition don’t flare up until the very end and, like every situation, they’re something that she can more or less buck up and handle. It felt more tacked on than an integral part of the plot.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s still a great book. I’m steaming through to Parable of the Talents next and I’m quite looking forward to it, and hoping that some of the problems above are addressed in the sequel.

Current Mood: Eh |
Currently Listening To – Oasis – “(What’s the Story) Morning Glory?”