Oddly enough, my review for Karl Schroeder’s Lockstep will be in lockstep with all the others. This is a fascinating book. It is the kind of novel that got me reading
science fiction long ago, when you could pick up paperbacks at the drugstore
for $1.95. Not to say the book is
dated. Not at all. The feel - the timbre and pace - of the novel
are friendly. This is not the kind of
science fiction that is full of itself.
Although it could be.
The ideas seeded through the book are strong and plentiful, but
it is the core idea that really infects you.
The Lockstep worlds of the title spend huge tracts of time in suspended
animation. One month awake for every 14
years asleep, for example. During those
14 years, robots mine minerals, grow crops, re-glaze your windows, whatever,
while you slumber away, unconcerned with the drudgery and more importantly,
consuming only minimal resources. You
also get to sleep as you travel. You can
reach a fair number of other planets in 14 years, at half the speed of
light. You can reach even more in 28
years, which is only like being gone for two months, if all the worlds stay in
synch.
I love playing with this idea. Trying to understand its socio-economic perturbation better. So does Karl. He likes this world and it shows. His adventure story that takes us through a world that is fresh and wondrous. The result is thought-provoking fun. You don’t see that phrase everyday.
I love playing with this idea. Trying to understand its socio-economic perturbation better. So does Karl. He likes this world and it shows. His adventure story that takes us through a world that is fresh and wondrous. The result is thought-provoking fun. You don’t see that phrase everyday.
