Our imaginings of the future are often bleak. Everyone's got their own idea of who the bad-guy is who will enslave the future population to drudgery and stupidity, sucking the creativity out of their neurons.
Syne Mitchell's idea seems to be the iPhone.
One of the most impressive things about her theory is that she wrote the book in January, 2002, five years before the first iToys (iPod and iPhone). All that was sucking people into computerized connectivity were laptops, early blackberries, and regular ol' cellphones.
It makes for an interesting and depressing novel topic. Throughout the first half of the book, my interest was growing and growing.
Sadly, she did not have great follow-through. Technogenesis devolves into almost super-hero antics and increasing fishy fantasy.
The idea that we could create a 'metamind' by the parallel connections of person to person to person is fascinating. I can believe it. I can wonder if it's really happening right now... However, that metamind would not necessarily have a psychology which is so understandable to the human neurons which make up it's brain. And if it did, it would not necessarily be so smart.
These were only my musings so I couldn't really hold it against her... at first. But the plot got more and more bizarre as she tried to keep it going. Without going into detail outlining the whole book, so y'all don't have to put yourselves through the experience, I'll say the plot was strung along with coincidences and rationalizations. Why are we being kidnapped? Because! Why the hell not? We think it's a good way to make friends!
The ending is written like a poor soap opera. This book was written by three or four different personalities which didn't consult each other on project's goals. It makes for a somewhat unpredictable tale, which is good. But a poorly woven one. Which is bad.
But what the hell do I know? Most other reviewers seem to really like it! (how else do you sell books?) If you like speculative Sci-Fi, give it a chance.
