Science fiction by an author who writes in the introduction that he produces roughly a story a year.
- Watching Trees Grow - set in an alternative time-line where they were using electric cars for environmental reason in Oxford, 1832. They had phones too. A murder is investigated. There's a (too) long section where the suspects are questioned. The murderer isn't found. Technological advance is rapid. By 1971 there's nanotech that can get into brains and display memories. The investigator hasn't given up. He uses the tech on a suspect. Tech moves on again. - "The transcendent project was attempting to imprint a human mind on the fabric of space-time itself". The criminal is apprehended before she transcends. A disappointing ending to a story that kept me wanting to read more.
- Footvote - A wormhole opens near Stansted leading to a world like ours. Access to "New Suffolk" is controlled by Bradley Murray - No private hospitals or schools. No domestic weapons. No organised religions or death duties. Traffic wardens aren't allowed through, nor corporate lawyers, Arts Council executives, child behavioural experts or call centre owners. The plot concerns a separated couple. The father picks the children up and heads for the wormhole. The wife goes on a protest march. The idea (which I like) offers opportunities for humour and drama. I think the ending fades away.
- If at First ... - Someone who's stalking an industrialist, Orthew, claims that Orthew has a time-machine. The detective believes him. While raiding Orthew's place he's transported back in time into a parallel world, becoming rich by being a song-writer (using songs from his old world). But Orthew catches up with him.
- The Forever Kitten - A rich person with a delinquent daughter wants a scientist to stop his 5 y.o. daughter aging. A telegraphed ending.
- Blessed by an Angel - Paul, chief of the Protectorate team, kidnaps Erik, his girlfriend (newly pregnant), then an "angel" (a visiting bionic being from the unisphere). He interrogates the angel, who's (indirectly?) impregnated the girl (the foetus has bionic elements). The angel thinks everyone should download themselves into Earth's repository. Paul doesn't agree. Paul wipes her memory, replaces the foetus with a non-bionic one. But the girl has a twin sister ...
- The Demon Trap - On Nova Zealand "Free Merioneth" terrorists kill a plane-load of tourists, including 5 Dynasty members. Paula investigates. DNA and CCTV evidence points to Dimitros Fiech. His downloaded memories show he's innocent. Police suspect that false memories have been implanted. Should the current Fiech suffer for something his current mind didn't do? Paula thinks there's more to it, discovering that the community where she was born is implicated. She finds who was really to blame and the right person pays the penalty in the end. I was confused by the ending - I'd have to re-read the section where identity and responsibility are discussed. Minds can to moved into cloned bodies, they can be wiped, etc. "Bodyloss" is feared by some, not by others.
- Manhattan in reverse - Paula appears in this story too. She was bred to be a detective - stubborn and thorough. She's just won a case against a popular war-hero who transgressed a long time before. Because of the war, people are migrating to a planet whose indigenous life - the Onid - were considered non-sentient but are now being aggressive. Why? Paula investigates. Have the Onid been misclassified?
I prefer high-concept SF, or stories with more developed characters. That said, I like the world-building - e-butlers, rejuves, eyebirds, OCtattooos - and I like the idea of SF whodunnits. Hamilton can keep a story interesting.
Other reviews
- Stephanie Gelder (my favourites amongst the stories are The Forever Kitten and Watching Trees Grow. When I started reading these stories I was thinking there is no overall theme for this collection, but in actual fact they just about all too some extent are related to Law enforcement, or lack of, in one way or another.)
- Richard A. Lupoff
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