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Bezig met laden... Bitter Angels (2009)door C. L. Anderson
Bezig met laden...
Meld je aan bij LibraryThing om erachter te komen of je dit boek goed zult vinden. Op dit moment geen Discussie gesprekken over dit boek. https://nwhyte.livejournal.com/3187876.html Gritty complex far-future espionage story, whose heroine is recalled from retirement with her young family to investigate the disappearance of an old frenemy. I found it all a bit too complex and the characters not all that attractive. I know some people liked it more than me. This was a surprisingly good book. What I had assumed was a fairly straightforward military/spy sf type story actually turns out to be a fairly thoughtful novel with some pretty well-drawn characters. Anderson's depiction of a totalitarian society of space stations and gas giant moons in which the ruling family retains control through a system of debt slavery and a monopoly over the water supply is particularly vivid. She really captures the desperation, paranoia and do-anything-to-survive compulsions that coerce otherwise moral people to continually engage in zero-sum games to survive, thereby perpetuating the very system which keeps them down. She also poses some penetrating questions about humanitarian interventions and to what extent a society devoted to non-violence can influence and change a tyrannical one without forsaking its own principles. C. L. Anderson is the pseudonym for veteran author Sarah Zettel and I'll certainly be keeping an eye out for some of her other books. Written under a pseudonym by Sarah Zettel, I thought this was an interesting addition to her work. Sarah Zettel is one of my favorite authors, but this didn't quite hold up for me, for reasons I can't quite define. At the same time, its a good read, dealing carefully with very human characters doing their best under ugly, constrained circumstances in a totalitarian state. Given the potential for technologies to enhance the potential of totalitarianism, I think its an important and interesting theme for science fiction to tackle, and she does it as well as anyone out there.
It's by no means a comforting sort of story; it's ambitious and thoughtful. While at times it's hard to remember who's doing what to whom, and certain aspects of the ending don't really ring true to me, Bitter Angels is otherwise a rather enjoyable book. [Not so much a review as thoughts by the author] “All we are saying is give peace a chance,” John Lennon once sang, from his bed. The question is: What does it take to give peace a chance — and is it an equitable price for what you get? Prijzen
An Imploding Star System. A Murdered Galactic Spy. A Woman Seeking the Truth--and Finding the Unbelievable... The Erasmus System is a sprawling realm of slavery, smugglers, spies--and constant, creeping decrepitude. Here everyone who is not part of the ruling Four Families is a slave of one kind or another. But the Guardians, a special-forces branch inside the United World Government for Earth, have deemed Erasmus a "hot spot." Somehow, it is believed, this failing colony intends to launch a war upon the solar system. Ex-Field Commander Terese Drajeske, now a mother of three, has been called back to active duty and sent to Erasmus, ostensibly to investigate the murder of her colleague--and friend--Bianca Fayette. At first blush, the death defies explanation: Bianca was immortal. But beneath that single murder lies a twisted foundation of deceptions. Suddenly Terese is plunged into a vortex of shattered lives, endemic deceit, and one dreadful secret. In this society without hope, someone has put into motion a plan that will cast humanity into chaos. And Terese, who has given up her family and her sanity to prevent war, may be asked to make the ultimate sacrifice.... Geen bibliotheekbeschrijvingen gevonden. |
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Google Books — Bezig met laden... GenresDewey Decimale Classificatie (DDC)813.54Literature English (North America) American fiction 20th Century 1945-1999LC-classificatieWaarderingGemiddelde:
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I liked the main character (Therese), a mature woman who has been called back to service from retirement and her family. I really liked the ending, but I didn't completely understand it, tbh. In some ways, the book was too long. In others, it wasn't long enough. Therese's back story plays a significant role, yet it isn't fleshed out enough to really grasp all the ways it influences the action. I feel like this story is a sequel to a book that was never written. But it is still worth reading. ( )