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Implied Spaces
Aristide, a semi-retired computer scientist turned swordsman, is a scholar of the implied spaces, seeking meaning amid the accidents of architecture in a universe where reality itself has been sculpted and designed by superhuman machine intelligence. While exploring the pre-technological world Midgarth, one of four dozen pocket universes created within a series of vast, orbital matrioshka computer arrays, Aristide uncovers a fiendish plot threatening to set off a nightmare scenario, perhaps even bringing about the ultimate Existential the end of civilization itself. Traveling the pocket universes with his wormhole-edged sword Tecmesssa in hand and talking cat Bitsy, avatar of the planet-sized computer Endora, at his side, Aristide must find a way to save the multiverse from subversion, sabotage, and certain destruction.
264 pages, ebook
First published January 11, 2008
About the author
Walter Jon Williams
243 books854 followersWalter Jon Williams has published twenty novels and short fiction collections. Most are science fiction or fantasy -Hardwired, Voice of the Whirlwind, Aristoi, Metropolitan, City on Fire to name just a few - a few are historical adventures, and the most recent, The Rift, is a disaster novel in which "I just basically pound a part of the planet down to bedrock." And that's just the opening chapters. Walter holds a fourth-degree black belt in Kenpo Karate, and also enjoys sailing and scuba diving. He lives in New Mexico with his wife, Kathy Hedges.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 147 reviews
February 4, 2011
When it comes to genre fiction, I'm a big fan of books that use what I'm now calling the Reese's Effect to tell an interesting story. That is, I like when genres collide as chocolate and peanut butter do in Reese's Peanut Butter Cups.
Implied Spaces is a prime example of the Reese's Effect (see, it's catching on). I'd say it's a sword and planet/cyberpunk/singularity/detective/zombie story.
At first glance, the story is a mix of Roger Zelazny's Lord of Light and Philip Jose Farmer's World of Tiers. Aristide is one of the oldest humans alive and spends his time roaming the pocket universes humanity has created and colonized, along with his sidekick, a talking cat named Bitsy, investigating disappearances that may or may not be linked to one of the eleven gigantic AI computers humanity has created to govern it going rogue.
Sounds good, right? So why am I not in love with this book? Too many intermingling flavors? Perhaps. The fact that the main character is a near demigod ala John Carter of Mars? Possibly. I like the setting, what with the wormholes and pocket universes and such. I'm a little iffy on one aspect of it. Humans can easily change bodies and have their brains backed up every once in a while so they can be restored in the event of an accident. Where's the fun in that? It's hard to get attached to characters if you know they won't die. Not permanently, anyway.
One part of the book I really enjoyed was the easter eggs. I caught multiple references to Batman and Aasimov, as well as nods to World of Warcraft, and Gene Wolf's New Sun, and Vernor Vinge.
The book ends as expected, with the ten good AI's fighting against the rogue one in a battle of unbelievable proportions. I guessed the identity of Vindex about twenty pages before it was revealed and knew the truth about the universe shortly before it was revealed, though most readers of World of Tiers will guess that as well. It was a satisfying conclusion.
The verdict? Still a 3. If the story had stayed at the pocket universe level, I probably would have given it a four but it felt like the book was trying to cram as many styles of story into one slim 264 page volume. It was good and I enjoyed the inital Reese's Effect, but eventually it all became a stew where everything wound up diluted and tasting like carrots.
Implied Spaces is a prime example of the Reese's Effect (see, it's catching on). I'd say it's a sword and planet/cyberpunk/singularity/detective/zombie story.
At first glance, the story is a mix of Roger Zelazny's Lord of Light and Philip Jose Farmer's World of Tiers. Aristide is one of the oldest humans alive and spends his time roaming the pocket universes humanity has created and colonized, along with his sidekick, a talking cat named Bitsy, investigating disappearances that may or may not be linked to one of the eleven gigantic AI computers humanity has created to govern it going rogue.
Sounds good, right? So why am I not in love with this book? Too many intermingling flavors? Perhaps. The fact that the main character is a near demigod ala John Carter of Mars? Possibly. I like the setting, what with the wormholes and pocket universes and such. I'm a little iffy on one aspect of it. Humans can easily change bodies and have their brains backed up every once in a while so they can be restored in the event of an accident. Where's the fun in that? It's hard to get attached to characters if you know they won't die. Not permanently, anyway.
One part of the book I really enjoyed was the easter eggs. I caught multiple references to Batman and Aasimov, as well as nods to World of Warcraft, and Gene Wolf's New Sun, and Vernor Vinge.
The book ends as expected, with the ten good AI's fighting against the rogue one in a battle of unbelievable proportions. I guessed the identity of Vindex about twenty pages before it was revealed and knew the truth about the universe shortly before it was revealed, though most readers of World of Tiers will guess that as well. It was a satisfying conclusion.
The verdict? Still a 3. If the story had stayed at the pocket universe level, I probably would have given it a four but it felt like the book was trying to cram as many styles of story into one slim 264 page volume. It was good and I enjoyed the inital Reese's Effect, but eventually it all became a stew where everything wound up diluted and tasting like carrots.
January 30, 2024
A grand space-opera thriller that opens as a fantasy/RPG adventure, and quickly morphs into a far-future post-scarcity wormhole-tech near-utopia. But human nature hasn’t changed, and people can screw up most anything….
OK, Aristide/Pablo, the MC, is a bit much at times. But Bitsy the cat, avatar of Endora, one of the eleven powerful AIs that administer the solar system, is a pure delight. Here’s Daljit, Aristide’s former lady-love:
“Do you still have that horrible cat?”
“Yes, said Bitsy. “He does.”
“I didn’t know you were here,” Daljit said weakly.
“I lurk,” said the cat.
—which is one of WJW’s greatest strengths, humorous dialog that rings true, to my ears anyway. And Bitsy is a great WJW creation. She’s not a cat-like creature to fuck around with. Of one of her fellow-AIs, she says: “I’d kick Aloysius’ ass. That AI always gets my goat.” YES!
So I had a great time on this reread. It turns out this is my third, and I liked it more this time than my last. The best review I saw online was Rich Horton’s, https://www.sfsite.com/06b/is274.htm And another reviewer commented: “Implied Spaces” leaves you with the sensation that a novel simply cannot be this much fun and have so many interesting ideas all at the same time.” I agree, and highly recommend the book. And all of this in 265 pages! If you've missed it, or it’s been awhile, you’re in for a treat.
OK, Aristide/Pablo, the MC, is a bit much at times. But Bitsy the cat, avatar of Endora, one of the eleven powerful AIs that administer the solar system, is a pure delight. Here’s Daljit, Aristide’s former lady-love:
“Do you still have that horrible cat?”
“Yes, said Bitsy. “He does.”
“I didn’t know you were here,” Daljit said weakly.
“I lurk,” said the cat.
—which is one of WJW’s greatest strengths, humorous dialog that rings true, to my ears anyway. And Bitsy is a great WJW creation. She’s not a cat-like creature to fuck around with. Of one of her fellow-AIs, she says: “I’d kick Aloysius’ ass. That AI always gets my goat.” YES!
So I had a great time on this reread. It turns out this is my third, and I liked it more this time than my last. The best review I saw online was Rich Horton’s, https://www.sfsite.com/06b/is274.htm And another reviewer commented: “Implied Spaces” leaves you with the sensation that a novel simply cannot be this much fun and have so many interesting ideas all at the same time.” I agree, and highly recommend the book. And all of this in 265 pages! If you've missed it, or it’s been awhile, you’re in for a treat.
July 30, 2008
Important safety tip. If you're picking up Implied Spaces with the idea of reading a bit before you sleep, don't. Don't even pick it up. Because when the dawn's early light starts peeking through your window, you'll still be reading it.
Background: In physics, string and 'brane theories in their current states seem to suggest that more universes are possible, even likely, and that indeed, it might be possible to create one's own universes in the lab. Since each universe's laws of physics are established early in the universe's existence, if one is creating them, one can, if one understands the mechanisms well enough, set the laws of physics therein.
Williams took this idea and ran with it.
In the deep future, it IS not only possible, but fairly routine to create universes for one's own purposes. The result? Mini-universes abound, with single stars and gobs of real estate, each one bound by a wormhole tunnel to the Universe we know today. Result: People move into these little universes. Set up civilizations as they see fit. And since people can easily be nano-disassembled, backed up, copied, and reassembled, everyone is functionally immortal too. In the Williams' deep future, humanity wields the powers of gods.
What do we do with them? Very much the same things we do in virtual realities today. Create role playing environments, island resorts, and all the other usual decadence. And why not? Humanity's endured more and uglier wars as this technology has evolved We deserve a little fun.
Except that it's hard to think of what to do with your life, with your existence, when you can have almost anything you want, live as long as you want, create anything. Existential problems are very real for the people of the future.
Except that the technology involved is so incredibly complex that it's really wielded by planet-sized AIs under the control of humans, and all the pocket universes are utterly dependent on this arrangement.
Except that someone, something, is swiping people from the pocket universes, for purposes unknown.
Except that at least some of the AIs seem to be involved, their Asimovian limitations notwithstanding.
Except that some of those people come back, with their priorities somewhat rearranged.
Except that someone, something, somewhere is deliberately trying to upset the whole house of cards humanity has wrought in exchange for something else.
When creating a universe, it's easy to say, "I want mountains here, and a sea there, and this universe shall respect continental evolution rules normally." Which results in Implied Spaces, from which the title is taken. Spaces in the new universes which were implicitly defined instead of explicitly specified. What happens in these spaces? What lives there? Are creatures accidentally specified there? That's what Aristide, our hero, sets out to find out. And in the spaces between what was intended, he stumbles across this growing conspiracy. Maybe he was looking for it all along. Maybe it was the implied space in his own character.
Some authors blink when staring down the muzzle of Kurzwell’s Technological Singularity. I certainly do. We find ways to assert, “Not very likely. Didn’t happen. Can’t happen.” All of which may be true. Williams, by contrast, has embraced it, asserted that our limbic systems, the seats of emotion, behavior, and long term memory, define us and even post-singularity will continue to define us as human. Having done so, he proceeds to tell a fascinating tale of criminality, conspiracy, war, and “higher” purpose, with side dishes of Invasion of the Body Snatchers and Night of the Living Dead.
As is endemic to stories that explore the deep, rational ramifications of What If, the characterizations are at times a little thin, in no small part because the humans in the story are so terribly jaded by what they themselves can do, but it’s a flaw you can overlook when faced with lines like, “Do you mean to say […] that our civilization has reached the point where we’re hurling hostile universes at each other?” But this is science fiction when it’s fun. The book is remarkably light hearted overall, gleefully extrapolating the possibilities, and how a mostly-rational society handles this new crisis. Bitsy the cat, physical avatar for the supercomputer Endora, is at once computer-like and catlike, and like a cat, creeps through the plot in ways that make you suspicious of her, without actually catching her being naughty. Watch for this, particularly at the very end of the book.
Williams is also being very sneaky in implying certain parts of the story rather than telling them. All the sex scenes are implied. Bitsy/Endora’s involvement is implied. The spaces in Aristide imply several characters. It’s very subtle, and I may have to revise this part of the review once I’ve had the chance to sleep more and reread the book during the day.
The only disappointment was the motivation of the overarching villian. His actual plan seemed to fall a little short, once revealed. There was also a certain amount of “Before I kill you, Mr. Bond” exposition that wasn’t entirely convincing, so I’m docking the book one star from a perfect score.
All told, though, a fine book by Williams. Highly recommended high science fiction.
Background: In physics, string and 'brane theories in their current states seem to suggest that more universes are possible, even likely, and that indeed, it might be possible to create one's own universes in the lab. Since each universe's laws of physics are established early in the universe's existence, if one is creating them, one can, if one understands the mechanisms well enough, set the laws of physics therein.
Williams took this idea and ran with it.
In the deep future, it IS not only possible, but fairly routine to create universes for one's own purposes. The result? Mini-universes abound, with single stars and gobs of real estate, each one bound by a wormhole tunnel to the Universe we know today. Result: People move into these little universes. Set up civilizations as they see fit. And since people can easily be nano-disassembled, backed up, copied, and reassembled, everyone is functionally immortal too. In the Williams' deep future, humanity wields the powers of gods.
What do we do with them? Very much the same things we do in virtual realities today. Create role playing environments, island resorts, and all the other usual decadence. And why not? Humanity's endured more and uglier wars as this technology has evolved We deserve a little fun.
Except that it's hard to think of what to do with your life, with your existence, when you can have almost anything you want, live as long as you want, create anything. Existential problems are very real for the people of the future.
Except that the technology involved is so incredibly complex that it's really wielded by planet-sized AIs under the control of humans, and all the pocket universes are utterly dependent on this arrangement.
Except that someone, something, is swiping people from the pocket universes, for purposes unknown.
Except that at least some of the AIs seem to be involved, their Asimovian limitations notwithstanding.
Except that some of those people come back, with their priorities somewhat rearranged.
Except that someone, something, somewhere is deliberately trying to upset the whole house of cards humanity has wrought in exchange for something else.
When creating a universe, it's easy to say, "I want mountains here, and a sea there, and this universe shall respect continental evolution rules normally." Which results in Implied Spaces, from which the title is taken. Spaces in the new universes which were implicitly defined instead of explicitly specified. What happens in these spaces? What lives there? Are creatures accidentally specified there? That's what Aristide, our hero, sets out to find out. And in the spaces between what was intended, he stumbles across this growing conspiracy. Maybe he was looking for it all along. Maybe it was the implied space in his own character.
Some authors blink when staring down the muzzle of Kurzwell’s Technological Singularity. I certainly do. We find ways to assert, “Not very likely. Didn’t happen. Can’t happen.” All of which may be true. Williams, by contrast, has embraced it, asserted that our limbic systems, the seats of emotion, behavior, and long term memory, define us and even post-singularity will continue to define us as human. Having done so, he proceeds to tell a fascinating tale of criminality, conspiracy, war, and “higher” purpose, with side dishes of Invasion of the Body Snatchers and Night of the Living Dead.
As is endemic to stories that explore the deep, rational ramifications of What If, the characterizations are at times a little thin, in no small part because the humans in the story are so terribly jaded by what they themselves can do, but it’s a flaw you can overlook when faced with lines like, “Do you mean to say […] that our civilization has reached the point where we’re hurling hostile universes at each other?” But this is science fiction when it’s fun. The book is remarkably light hearted overall, gleefully extrapolating the possibilities, and how a mostly-rational society handles this new crisis. Bitsy the cat, physical avatar for the supercomputer Endora, is at once computer-like and catlike, and like a cat, creeps through the plot in ways that make you suspicious of her, without actually catching her being naughty. Watch for this, particularly at the very end of the book.
Williams is also being very sneaky in implying certain parts of the story rather than telling them. All the sex scenes are implied. Bitsy/Endora’s involvement is implied. The spaces in Aristide imply several characters. It’s very subtle, and I may have to revise this part of the review once I’ve had the chance to sleep more and reread the book during the day.
The only disappointment was the motivation of the overarching villian. His actual plan seemed to fall a little short, once revealed. There was also a certain amount of “Before I kill you, Mr. Bond” exposition that wasn’t entirely convincing, so I’m docking the book one star from a perfect score.
All told, though, a fine book by Williams. Highly recommended high science fiction.
March 8, 2015
3 Stars
Implied Spaces by Walter Jon Williams should have been a perfect read for me as it contains pretty much all of my favorite genres mashed into one. At it's heart, Implied Spaces is a future based science fiction. Williams is a gifted writer and sometimes that is not a good thing. I am a fan of his but as before I feel that the writing here is better than the story.
The boom started out great to me, but at the halfway point of this short read I felt impatient for it to end. I loved the science and the pop culture references...LOL "Leeroy Jenkins" will PWN You! The ending was satisfying but did not elevate the story as a whole. I wanted to love this book, but in the end I could have passed on this one.
Implied Spaces by Walter Jon Williams should have been a perfect read for me as it contains pretty much all of my favorite genres mashed into one. At it's heart, Implied Spaces is a future based science fiction. Williams is a gifted writer and sometimes that is not a good thing. I am a fan of his but as before I feel that the writing here is better than the story.
The boom started out great to me, but at the halfway point of this short read I felt impatient for it to end. I loved the science and the pop culture references...LOL "Leeroy Jenkins" will PWN You! The ending was satisfying but did not elevate the story as a whole. I wanted to love this book, but in the end I could have passed on this one.
October 5, 2010
A light and stylish work of what—despite its initial appearance—turns out very quickly to be science fiction. And, again despite initial appearances, Implied Spaces develops both darkness and depth as it goes along. Walter Jon Williams is far from a one-note author—one might even call him polyphonic—and in this book he displays that range to good effect, drawing the reader along with Aristide, whom we meet as a raffish and likeable swordsman crossing the arid lands of Midgarth accompanied by his talkative companion, a black-and-white mouser named Bitsy, and bearing his broadsword, which is named Tecmessa.
Of course, none of this is as it seems... that's obvious from the first few pages in, as the banter begins to take more of a backseat to the action. The title takes on new meanings as well, as the book progresses. Aristide is an aficionado of implied spaces, the unintentional interstices between planned parts of a structure, where interesting things sometimes grow. It's the reason he's in Midgarth to begin with, if that's not giving too much away... the desert of Midgarth turns out to be just such an implied space. And as Aristide and Bitsy discover more about the mysterious bandits who have been terrorizing caravans going across that desert, the mood darkens and the scope widens smoothly, until eventually the action—and the threat—spans universes.
This book also holds some common ground with Richard K. Morgan's Altered Carbon... the ease of personality backups and restoration, a casual, serial immortality, has caused some of the same social changes here as in Morgan's book, although Williams takes it in a very different direction. There are surprises around every turn, in fact; Williams has again created an enjoyable environment in which there's lots of room to play.
Of course, none of this is as it seems... that's obvious from the first few pages in, as the banter begins to take more of a backseat to the action. The title takes on new meanings as well, as the book progresses. Aristide is an aficionado of implied spaces, the unintentional interstices between planned parts of a structure, where interesting things sometimes grow. It's the reason he's in Midgarth to begin with, if that's not giving too much away... the desert of Midgarth turns out to be just such an implied space. And as Aristide and Bitsy discover more about the mysterious bandits who have been terrorizing caravans going across that desert, the mood darkens and the scope widens smoothly, until eventually the action—and the threat—spans universes.
This book also holds some common ground with Richard K. Morgan's Altered Carbon... the ease of personality backups and restoration, a casual, serial immortality, has caused some of the same social changes here as in Morgan's book, although Williams takes it in a very different direction. There are surprises around every turn, in fact; Williams has again created an enjoyable environment in which there's lots of room to play.
July 23, 2014
Superb adventure sf in a post-singular world where 11 huge AI's orbiting the Sun and kept on a leash by the humans using supposedly unbreakable "Asimovian protocols" use their extraordinary computing and energy power to create pocket universes, that humans - well they indulge their fantasies on
In such a pocket universe - combination of fantasy gaming and cultural preserve, a mysterious swordsman with a talking cat - that's an avatar of the governing AI, Endora one of the 11 - and a wormhole sword, discovers a threat to human civilization that may equal the last war 1500 years ago, the Ctrl-Alt-Del war that killed billions and led directly to the creation of the AI's, pocket universes, slow colonization of several neighboring systems...
The swordsman, Aristide, is a survivor of that war and used to be quite famous but now he is looking for obscurity and making a study of Implied Spaces, which are unintended niches that result in the creation of a world - in that fantasy world, people wanted high craggy mountains, and lush fields with a river valley and an ocean - but in-between a desert plateau was formed by necessity - and that is an Implied Space which Aristide is studying to see how people and animals adapt to.
So the action starts and moves briskly on various worlds, and Aristide is quite well positioned to investigate for various reasons, though what he discovers is quite startling and surprising, including the ultimate Implied Space of all..
Highly, highly recommended
February 4, 2012
So if someone had cryogenically frozen Robert Heinlein mid-late career, let's say The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress…ish, before he got too . . . y'know. And then they revived him in the mid-aughts and gave him a crash course in modern computer science and fantasy role-playing games? This would totally be the book he'd write in response. It was the talking AI cat that really got me there. But the self-obsessed semi-immortal adventurer who treats every occasion as an amusement park built specifically for his entertainment, with an overlapping string of interchangeable lady friends didn't hurt either.
It's not an insult, exactly. This is fun, universe-hopping sword-swinging scifi, where we start inside an RPG so big, millions of people live and die in it, and move on to a war for the future of the solar system. But the stakes are so deliberately low -- no one can actually die permanently -- that the war is as much an RPG as the opening fantasy game setpiece. And one could be forgiven for reading the whole thing as a charming but hollow, and vaguely masturbatory, trip through an entire universe devised to entertain and reflect the protagonist. Who is just not that interesting.
. . . The brilliant AI cat was built by the protagonist to be female, and has a cutesy, belittling name (no seriously, it's actually Bitsy . . . get it?). Because it's totally that kind of book.
In conclusion: Heinlein.
It's not an insult, exactly. This is fun, universe-hopping sword-swinging scifi, where we start inside an RPG so big, millions of people live and die in it, and move on to a war for the future of the solar system. But the stakes are so deliberately low -- no one can actually die permanently -- that the war is as much an RPG as the opening fantasy game setpiece. And one could be forgiven for reading the whole thing as a charming but hollow, and vaguely masturbatory, trip through an entire universe devised to entertain and reflect the protagonist. Who is just not that interesting.
. . . The brilliant AI cat was built by the protagonist to be female, and has a cutesy, belittling name (no seriously, it's actually Bitsy . . . get it?). Because it's totally that kind of book.
In conclusion: Heinlein.
December 19, 2020
Notes:
Currently on Audible Plus
Another cool find from Audible Plus. I look forward to reading other work by Walter Jon Williams.
If you are in the mood for a story that will stretch your imagination, this is the book for you. I liked the easy going pace for the story. It gave me room to visualize the setting and go off on tangents on what that would mean if ____. Aristide was a good character to go on an adventure.
Questions:
- What would life be if you could live for a long time?
- If you can import your mind into any form, would you?
- When we create disaster scenarios, they are always from a human's perspective, drive, etc. Would it really happen that way if danger arose from aliens, super AI, etc?
Currently on Audible Plus
Another cool find from Audible Plus. I look forward to reading other work by Walter Jon Williams.
If you are in the mood for a story that will stretch your imagination, this is the book for you. I liked the easy going pace for the story. It gave me room to visualize the setting and go off on tangents on what that would mean if ____. Aristide was a good character to go on an adventure.
Questions:
- What would life be if you could live for a long time?
- If you can import your mind into any form, would you?
- When we create disaster scenarios, they are always from a human's perspective, drive, etc. Would it really happen that way if danger arose from aliens, super AI, etc?
September 7, 2013
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 12, 2009
As you may know, three stars means that this is usually a 4 star author (though williams has his 5 star moments) but that I think it is worse than his usual.
This book is an oddly solipsistic bit of fun. It's hard to imagine that the main character finds himself in the situations he does, and the author actually addresses this point with the surprise super villian. But the explanation to me raises more questions, calling attention to a weakness of the book IMHO. The gee whiz solution to the conflict at the end of the book is a bit internally unself-consistent/unbelievable as well.
It's weird to call a book laconic, since it's all words and nothing else, but this book really had nothing to say, and felt like that throughout, producing not nonsense, but sort of nothing.
================================
I am beginning to develop this theory that Charles Stross and Walter Jon Williams are working together behind the scenes.
The description of this book looks like a different take on the same or eerily familiar universe as Stross's Halting State.
Likewise, Implied Spaces grappled with the same ideas behind Stross's Glasshouse. Both of the Williams books appeared well after the Stross books, so maybe it's just that Williams is using heavily Stross's ideas.
But Implied Spaces had a glowing review by Stross on the back. Not a coinicidence, I say. Somebody for some reason decided that Stross should be tapped for a review on the back of that book. There is complicity here. There is something going on.
This book is an oddly solipsistic bit of fun. It's hard to imagine that the main character finds himself in the situations he does, and the author actually addresses this point with the surprise super villian. But the explanation to me raises more questions, calling attention to a weakness of the book IMHO. The gee whiz solution to the conflict at the end of the book is a bit internally unself-consistent/unbelievable as well.
It's weird to call a book laconic, since it's all words and nothing else, but this book really had nothing to say, and felt like that throughout, producing not nonsense, but sort of nothing.
================================
I am beginning to develop this theory that Charles Stross and Walter Jon Williams are working together behind the scenes.
The description of this book looks like a different take on the same or eerily familiar universe as Stross's Halting State.
Likewise, Implied Spaces grappled with the same ideas behind Stross's Glasshouse. Both of the Williams books appeared well after the Stross books, so maybe it's just that Williams is using heavily Stross's ideas.
But Implied Spaces had a glowing review by Stross on the back. Not a coinicidence, I say. Somebody for some reason decided that Stross should be tapped for a review on the back of that book. There is complicity here. There is something going on.
March 27, 2022
Come for the near-post-humanity enormous ideas. Stay for the banter of a man arguing with his cat. And later arguing with someone just as eloquent as he is.
Tremendous orbital platforms firing wormhole-universes full of antimatter at one another is one thing, and the ramifications of a save-restore humanity with the aftereffects of a zombie plague is another. Frankly it is Williams's take on the latter that is far more interesting, especially in how this ties into an invasion plan by an extremely clever nemesis.
Tremendous orbital platforms firing wormhole-universes full of antimatter at one another is one thing, and the ramifications of a save-restore humanity with the aftereffects of a zombie plague is another. Frankly it is Williams's take on the latter that is far more interesting, especially in how this ties into an invasion plan by an extremely clever nemesis.
February 21, 2012
I'm having trouble reading lately... I have too many irons in the fire and keep getting diverted from one activity to another without finishing anything. Regardless, I was able to finally completely read a novel this week; partly because I forced myself to focus and partly because this particular novel got me hooked.
"Implied Spaces" is about a man, Aristide, who has lived for centuries due to advances in medicine and health care. He lives in the future where most people have left earth to live in prefabricated pocket universes. These pocket universes are created and maintained by eleven gigantic AI ultra-computer entities that have been built in space and orbit the sun along with earth, computers that Aristide personally helped create. "The Eleven", as they are referred to, are controlled by Asimovian principles and are considered enslaved -- not free. Aristide enjoys a close relationship or partnership with one of The Eleven, Endora. Endora has provided him an Avatar companion in the form of a cat, Bitsy. Billions upon billions of people inhabit the pocket universes. Throughout the plethora of pocket universes they all live in relative peace. But it was not always so -- the journey from a single over-crowded earth to a multitude of worlds to inhabit has been centuries long and fraught with gigantic and devastating wars. Nor is the relative peace destined to continue.
As I said, it has been difficult to finish a book the last year or two. The book has to start right out with an admirable hero, hints of exciting events, and a lushly imagined environment or my interest disintegrates. The first few chapters got me down. I didn't know what to expect, but I did know what I didn't want and that was Arabian Nights. The novel starts in a pocket universe modeled after such and I was a little disappointed. But I kept reading long enough to notice something that gave me the urge to read further... and a little further... and... I want to avoid spoilers, but I'll drop one small one. Aristide and Bitsy stumble across a huge-ass red flag situation and the serenity of the many worlds begins to crumble. I didn't realize how much I was in to the novel until Endora makes one short, terse declaration: "I am under attack." Chills shot through me and the hair on the back of my neck stood up. I laughed out-loud because with that reaction, I realized I was emotionally invested in the book at that point.
The book gets kudos for slowly wrapping its tendrils of intention around me unnoticed. It also gets kudos for a very incredible plot twist about two-thirds of the way through the story -- two of them, in fact. I won't spoil it, but one was WHO was behind this new war and the other was WHY this person was waging the war.
And it all had to do with implied spaces. ;)
I really enjoyed this novel by Walter Jon Williams. I would love to see other novels set in this world with this hero. I would also love to see the Eleven freed. :)
February 23, 2019
Implied Spaces is set in the not-too-far future, when humans have conquered nano-science and AI to a degree that people regularly visit a "pool of live", where their bodies and personalities are scanned and stored, so that, in the case of an accident, they can be resurrected from a backup. Or they can have their bodies modified, e.g. with gills for an underwater vacation trip. Much of the society and technology is run by 11 giant quantum computers that circle the sun to soak up solar energy for their operation. Technology has also advanced to a degree that humans can create mini-universes in artificial wormholes, with specific properties and scientific laws to suit - e.g. Midgard, a world created by sociologists, medieval re-enactors, and fantasy role playing gamers, where the local laws of nature do not allow for gunpowder or steam engines.
In this situation, one of the 11 quantum computers goes rogue. Aristide, the current personality of one of the programmers who originally built the system, investigates the issue and eventually solves the mystery.
The book has a lot to commend it. Many of the characters are interesting and whimsical, the story moves at a good pace, and parts of the world-building are staggering. A world where humans can be backed up, restored, copied, and modified is a bit scary, but also has many possibilities. As I've written previously, Charles Stross has explored similar ideas in Glasshouse. In this version, the resulting world is more colourful. Unfortunately, though, the world-building leaves me unsatisfied. On the technological level, it is brilliant. But the sociological level is much weaker. Millenia-old people in perfect health, controlling nano-assemblers and effectively immortal, still seem to do some menial jobs, and money is a concern in an economy where it is unclear why that should be the case. Also, while I like Bitsy, many of the other characters remain a bit shallow.
Overall a good read, but nothing that kept me eager to read more of the same. Indeed, I read two and a half other books in between. Hence only 3 stars (although it's a good 3). Recommended as a maybe lighter, more colourful but also not quite consistent entry to post-scarcity SF.
In this situation, one of the 11 quantum computers goes rogue. Aristide, the current personality of one of the programmers who originally built the system, investigates the issue and eventually solves the mystery.
The book has a lot to commend it. Many of the characters are interesting and whimsical, the story moves at a good pace, and parts of the world-building are staggering. A world where humans can be backed up, restored, copied, and modified is a bit scary, but also has many possibilities. As I've written previously, Charles Stross has explored similar ideas in Glasshouse. In this version, the resulting world is more colourful. Unfortunately, though, the world-building leaves me unsatisfied. On the technological level, it is brilliant. But the sociological level is much weaker. Millenia-old people in perfect health, controlling nano-assemblers and effectively immortal, still seem to do some menial jobs, and money is a concern in an economy where it is unclear why that should be the case. Also, while I like Bitsy, many of the other characters remain a bit shallow.
Overall a good read, but nothing that kept me eager to read more of the same. Indeed, I read two and a half other books in between. Hence only 3 stars (although it's a good 3). Recommended as a maybe lighter, more colourful but also not quite consistent entry to post-scarcity SF.
July 23, 2020
It opens with a lonely swordsman in a magical Middle Eastern-themed fantasy world and then explodes into a much larger scope of a post-singularity world where there are many utopias and pocket universes for humanity to live in, all ruled by benevolent AIs and many many humans.
This is, first and foremost, an idea book. And that's part of what brings it down: while the author attempts character work and does a decent job at it, it's flat compared to how vibrant the ideas are.
The core conflict of the book is between a mysterious villain intent on bringing down all of humanity and our hero, the lonely swordsman: Aristide. He's a fine protagonist, generally wise and wise-cracking, good at violence, etc, and he has a compelling past - he's over a thousand years old, remembers life before the utopias happened, and he uses all of that experience to help figure out what's going on.
But that's the other problem - despite all of the futuristic trappings, he's kind of boring? He doesn't have an internal struggle except against ennui, and honestly, he's mostly a viewpoint character. The book would have been better if we'd spent less time with him, so to speak. Bitsy - the AI manifesting as a cat- has more personality, and Dhaljit's emotional journey is more compelling, but it's in the name: Bitsy. They're bit pieces to the grand stage that is the ideas and setting.
If the ideas and scope weren't so large, I'd knock it down to three stars as it was a relatively slow read. But - god, this is a future I want to know more about. This is a playground I want to explore. This is the kind of imagination I want from high sci-fi, where everything is plausible and yet fantastical. Pocket universes alone! The depiction of warfare! Biological plagues made fascinating! (Not that they aren't already!)
So, this book sits comfortable at four stars, where it's really really good but not great. Highly recommended if looking at the future appeals to you, but temper your expectations.
(also one note: author, author darling, you flinched at the end and I saw it and I'm disappointed. Write a sequel and don't flinch this time.)
This is, first and foremost, an idea book. And that's part of what brings it down: while the author attempts character work and does a decent job at it, it's flat compared to how vibrant the ideas are.
The core conflict of the book is between a mysterious villain intent on bringing down all of humanity and our hero, the lonely swordsman: Aristide. He's a fine protagonist, generally wise and wise-cracking, good at violence, etc, and he has a compelling past - he's over a thousand years old, remembers life before the utopias happened, and he uses all of that experience to help figure out what's going on.
But that's the other problem - despite all of the futuristic trappings, he's kind of boring? He doesn't have an internal struggle except against ennui, and honestly, he's mostly a viewpoint character. The book would have been better if we'd spent less time with him, so to speak. Bitsy - the AI manifesting as a cat- has more personality, and Dhaljit's emotional journey is more compelling, but it's in the name: Bitsy. They're bit pieces to the grand stage that is the ideas and setting.
If the ideas and scope weren't so large, I'd knock it down to three stars as it was a relatively slow read. But - god, this is a future I want to know more about. This is a playground I want to explore. This is the kind of imagination I want from high sci-fi, where everything is plausible and yet fantastical. Pocket universes alone! The depiction of warfare! Biological plagues made fascinating! (Not that they aren't already!)
So, this book sits comfortable at four stars, where it's really really good but not great. Highly recommended if looking at the future appeals to you, but temper your expectations.
(also one note: author, author darling, you flinched at the end and I saw it and I'm disappointed. Write a sequel and don't flinch this time.)
August 16, 2015
I would call this book a solid three-and-a-half stars, but I bumped it up to four stars because Walter Jon Williams is the man.
Implied Spaces combines fantasy tropes with a high-tech, futuristic multiverse to create a fiction that is both amusing and interesting. If we're being honest, I got a little bored around pages 175-220, but the amount of enjoyment I got out of the first half of the book more than made up for any dullness later. Williams has an exceptional talent for understated humor, and the general levity of this tale is really what made the book such a delight for me.
Though there is a good bit of action, this book is seriously lacking suspense. It’s hard to feel any sense of uncertainty during a battle scene or a zombie plague when every character is functionally immortal. And when nameless millions of humanity truly die, it’s hard to feel bad for them because they’ve all lived decades or centuries past their expiration dates anyway.
Despite any flaws, I truly enjoyed this book. Any novel that makes me laugh or smile as much as this one did is a good one.
Implied Spaces combines fantasy tropes with a high-tech, futuristic multiverse to create a fiction that is both amusing and interesting. If we're being honest, I got a little bored around pages 175-220, but the amount of enjoyment I got out of the first half of the book more than made up for any dullness later. Williams has an exceptional talent for understated humor, and the general levity of this tale is really what made the book such a delight for me.
Though there is a good bit of action, this book is seriously lacking suspense. It’s hard to feel any sense of uncertainty during a battle scene or a zombie plague when every character is functionally immortal. And when nameless millions of humanity truly die, it’s hard to feel bad for them because they’ve all lived decades or centuries past their expiration dates anyway.
Despite any flaws, I truly enjoyed this book. Any novel that makes me laugh or smile as much as this one did is a good one.
October 20, 2011
Walter Jon Williams, one of my favorite writers, has a wide ranging imagination. All of his stand-alone novels are quite unique. Implied Spaces does not disappoint in that regard. In it, he takes on big subjects -- the origin of the universe, the purpose of life, the meaning of identity, and basis of morality just to mention a few -- and he wraps them in a damn good adventure story.
The main character, Aristide, is a scholar/scientist turned swordsman. While studying implied spaces, the unplanned consequences resulting from the architecture of universes, he discovers a truly evil plot. The entire human race and their AI creations are threatened. He journeys through man-made pocket universes with a seemingly magical sword Tecmesssa and his very special cat Bitsy while seeking to uncover what it is that is literally taking control of people’s minds. The answer he finds is quite unexpected. Good book; read it.
The main character, Aristide, is a scholar/scientist turned swordsman. While studying implied spaces, the unplanned consequences resulting from the architecture of universes, he discovers a truly evil plot. The entire human race and their AI creations are threatened. He journeys through man-made pocket universes with a seemingly magical sword Tecmesssa and his very special cat Bitsy while seeking to uncover what it is that is literally taking control of people’s minds. The answer he finds is quite unexpected. Good book; read it.
October 23, 2014
A solid 3 star book. Interesting & well written, but not captivating. A very good mix of sword&sorcery in a mostly SF book. There big problem I had was the main character just didn't grab me. I believe the distance was intentional, he's very long lived - a recurring theme through out the book. Unfortunately, it worked to distance me from everything, even some splendid plot twists & innovative ideas.
I'll probably read another by this author. I've heard good things & this was not a waste of time, by any means.
I'll probably read another by this author. I've heard good things & this was not a waste of time, by any means.
April 22, 2017
An interesting mix of fantasy and sci-fi entwined in singular poetry. Oddly enough it may be one of those cases where realities chase after prose. I have greatly enjoyed the science aspects of the tales being balanced by diverse characters and creative ideas. My only wish is for a prolonged conclusion.
March 30, 2016
This is one of those post-singularity novels that was so popular in the Aughts. It's set in a future where humans can change their bodies, change their genders, come back from the dead, and travel to customized pocket universes in the blink of an eye. It reminds me most strongly of Charlie Stross's book Glasshouse.
Our hero is named Aristide, a man who has now been alive for something on the order of 1,500 years, ancient by the standards even of this transcendent world. He carries a magical sword, has a pet AI disguised as a talking cat, and travels the pocket universes studying "implied spaces," accidents of world-building architecture that have developed their own ecosystems.
The problem for Aristide, and post-singularity humanity in general, is that they're all a little bored. Having conquered scarcity, death, and disease, and with the ability to indulge their every desire and live forever in perfect bodies, everyone's having a bit of an existential crisis. However, this won't be a problem for long.
While wandering through a pocket universe that is Arabian Nights-meets-World of Warcraft, Aristide stumbles upon a group that are kidnapping people via wormholes, reprogramming their brains, and returning them to civilization as 'pod people' for unknown nefarious purposes. Recognizing this as a threat to not just himself but to the multiverse, Aristide has to act quickly to try and stop it. But who can you trust, when anyone could be an infected pod person?
As Aristide tries to unmask his unknown enemy, the multiverse slides towards crisis, and questions are asked about the very nature of reality itself.
Despite the very lofty and ambitious nature of the main storyline, this book felt surprisingly lightweight. Don't get me wrong, it kept me turning pages, but I am pretty certain I will barely remember it in two weeks. This is pretty unusual for a Walter Jon Williams book, as he tends to specialize in dense plots layered with intrigue.
A big part of the problem, I think, is the protagonist. Aristide is one of those literary heroes that seems to always know the right thing to do or to say, always comes out on top, and is never in any real danger. He's the most famous character, has access to the most resources, and is usually the smartest person in the room. Don't get me wrong, he's not annoying or insufferable or pretentious; he's just not very engaging.
None of the other characters really stands out except the AI cat Bitsy. Otherwise, they are all just foils for Aristide being world-weary and clever.
If you enjoy "post singularity" sci-fi, this is worth picking up and it has some interesting ideas that it plays with. But I think mostly this has been done better elsewhere. Stross's "Glasshouse" springs to mind.
Our hero is named Aristide, a man who has now been alive for something on the order of 1,500 years, ancient by the standards even of this transcendent world. He carries a magical sword, has a pet AI disguised as a talking cat, and travels the pocket universes studying "implied spaces," accidents of world-building architecture that have developed their own ecosystems.
The problem for Aristide, and post-singularity humanity in general, is that they're all a little bored. Having conquered scarcity, death, and disease, and with the ability to indulge their every desire and live forever in perfect bodies, everyone's having a bit of an existential crisis. However, this won't be a problem for long.
While wandering through a pocket universe that is Arabian Nights-meets-World of Warcraft, Aristide stumbles upon a group that are kidnapping people via wormholes, reprogramming their brains, and returning them to civilization as 'pod people' for unknown nefarious purposes. Recognizing this as a threat to not just himself but to the multiverse, Aristide has to act quickly to try and stop it. But who can you trust, when anyone could be an infected pod person?
As Aristide tries to unmask his unknown enemy, the multiverse slides towards crisis, and questions are asked about the very nature of reality itself.
Despite the very lofty and ambitious nature of the main storyline, this book felt surprisingly lightweight. Don't get me wrong, it kept me turning pages, but I am pretty certain I will barely remember it in two weeks. This is pretty unusual for a Walter Jon Williams book, as he tends to specialize in dense plots layered with intrigue.
A big part of the problem, I think, is the protagonist. Aristide is one of those literary heroes that seems to always know the right thing to do or to say, always comes out on top, and is never in any real danger. He's the most famous character, has access to the most resources, and is usually the smartest person in the room. Don't get me wrong, he's not annoying or insufferable or pretentious; he's just not very engaging.
None of the other characters really stands out except the AI cat Bitsy. Otherwise, they are all just foils for Aristide being world-weary and clever.
If you enjoy "post singularity" sci-fi, this is worth picking up and it has some interesting ideas that it plays with. But I think mostly this has been done better elsewhere. Stross's "Glasshouse" springs to mind.
July 24, 2009
When I first looked at the cover artwork and front flap blurb I got the impression that this is a story I would not enjoy. I read a bit towards the end, found I liked it, and so did an end-to-end read.
This is a fast reading science fantasy. I used the term “science fantasy” as while what they are able to do in this story is stated as being based on science there’s no attempt to explain the science and it’s also something that’s so far beyond what we can do today that it amounts to fantasy. Examples of seemingly fantasy elements based on the science of their era include a very intelligent talking house cat, pools of life that can regenerate a person that’s been killed, and the ability to construct pocket universes with many of those being used as giant multi-year, or even multi-lifetime, virtual reality games.
There was much I liked about this story from the characters, dialog, action, humor, pacing, etc. I also finished up not being particularly interested in a follow-up story. The main flaw is that there was far too much conveniently timed “fantasy” in a story that was not a fantasy story. Rather that solving problems through planning and reason they were solved by a character suddenly manifesting a new ability that had not been hinted at. Or it gets solved by a piece of insight that is completely out of left field.
At one point the plot line involved puzzling out the construction and methods of some clay balls that could create wormholes to other universes. It was determined they were ordinary clay balls and the story moved onto something else. Hello? Am I missing a page in the book?
Another annoyance is there were no strong female characters on par with the main characters. There were many women, including in fields that are male dominated, and in fields that require a great deal of intelligence. However, none of the brilliant insights were ever from a woman and even when they were in leadership roles such as a prime minister they were also subordinate to men.
I wish the author had expanded on the implied spaces concept some more. There's plenty of fascinating territory to be found in squinches.
Yes, I did enjoy the story but also found it annoying and frustrating at times.
This is a fast reading science fantasy. I used the term “science fantasy” as while what they are able to do in this story is stated as being based on science there’s no attempt to explain the science and it’s also something that’s so far beyond what we can do today that it amounts to fantasy. Examples of seemingly fantasy elements based on the science of their era include a very intelligent talking house cat, pools of life that can regenerate a person that’s been killed, and the ability to construct pocket universes with many of those being used as giant multi-year, or even multi-lifetime, virtual reality games.
There was much I liked about this story from the characters, dialog, action, humor, pacing, etc. I also finished up not being particularly interested in a follow-up story. The main flaw is that there was far too much conveniently timed “fantasy” in a story that was not a fantasy story. Rather that solving problems through planning and reason they were solved by a character suddenly manifesting a new ability that had not been hinted at. Or it gets solved by a piece of insight that is completely out of left field.
At one point the plot line involved puzzling out the construction and methods of some clay balls that could create wormholes to other universes. It was determined they were ordinary clay balls and the story moved onto something else. Hello? Am I missing a page in the book?
Another annoyance is there were no strong female characters on par with the main characters. There were many women, including in fields that are male dominated, and in fields that require a great deal of intelligence. However, none of the brilliant insights were ever from a woman and even when they were in leadership roles such as a prime minister they were also subordinate to men.
I wish the author had expanded on the implied spaces concept some more. There's plenty of fascinating territory to be found in squinches.
Yes, I did enjoy the story but also found it annoying and frustrating at times.
March 18, 2010
This post-scarcity SF story made be a bit sad. Aristide, its protagonist, is over a thousand years old, physically and mentally optimized. His character is a war hero and savior of humanity, a computer programmer, a scholar, and a martial artist, assisted by a superintelligent AI. Aristide is opposed by a ruthless and dedicated adversary, and they wage war with millions of enhanced and/or enslaved troops and armies of robots -- fighting for control of the universe and the destiny of the human race.
But the whole thing starts with some cheesy sham priests kidnapping individuals -- with no attempt at secrecy aside from operating in an out-of-the-way recreation area.
Throughout the story, there is exactly one betrayal and one sneak attack. Aristide explains near the beginning that he carries a sword because guns are inflexibly lethal, but even when he has bodyguards due to frequent threats and attacks, he neglects to start carrying a gun and often doesn't even bring his 'magic' sword.
Basically, everybody in Williams' world -- from the augmented leaders of humanity to the dangerously brilliant AIs -- is plain stupid. I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop -- for the adversary to compromise someone unexpected, or leave the enemy base to cause trouble, or someone to defect. Instead nobody bothers to cross the battle lines, and Aristide divides his time between worrying and making up poems.
This story fails to capture the potential of the future, or the possibilities for humanity, or the intimidating nature of artificial intelligence, or the urgency of war (or enslavement, or destruction). Instead we're left with an old guy who doesn't act or feel old, who likes to carry a sword and wear a turban.
But the whole thing starts with some cheesy sham priests kidnapping individuals -- with no attempt at secrecy aside from operating in an out-of-the-way recreation area.
Throughout the story, there is exactly one betrayal and one sneak attack. Aristide explains near the beginning that he carries a sword because guns are inflexibly lethal, but even when he has bodyguards due to frequent threats and attacks, he neglects to start carrying a gun and often doesn't even bring his 'magic' sword.
Basically, everybody in Williams' world -- from the augmented leaders of humanity to the dangerously brilliant AIs -- is plain stupid. I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop -- for the adversary to compromise someone unexpected, or leave the enemy base to cause trouble, or someone to defect. Instead nobody bothers to cross the battle lines, and Aristide divides his time between worrying and making up poems.
This story fails to capture the potential of the future, or the possibilities for humanity, or the intimidating nature of artificial intelligence, or the urgency of war (or enslavement, or destruction). Instead we're left with an old guy who doesn't act or feel old, who likes to carry a sword and wear a turban.
October 2, 2009
The book starts out by giving you the impression that it's one thing, then it becomes another. It seems a little uncomfortable in its first incarnation. I found it a bit unsatisfying. The transition from one thing to another was OK, but again, I didn't really settle in and accept the new scenario for a while. But finally, the novel began to evolve into something interesting and thought-provoking. I enjoyed the last few plot-twists very much.
VERY MILD SPOILER:
One thing the novel didn't reflect upon was the nature of its version of "immortality." If a person is reborn after each death, or his personality and memories are copied into a new form, you have a copy. A clone. But the characters all consider this to be "immortality." Frankly, the knowledge that another edition of "me" will be born to replace me should I die is only comforting in that there will be someone to care for my family after I'm gone. But me, I'll be dead. That's not immortality. My existence is over, and if there's any "afterlife," that's where I'll be. Perhaps the author just didn't want to get into this, but it was a part of the book I kept banging my head on.
VERY MILD SPOILER:
One thing the novel didn't reflect upon was the nature of its version of "immortality." If a person is reborn after each death, or his personality and memories are copied into a new form, you have a copy. A clone. But the characters all consider this to be "immortality." Frankly, the knowledge that another edition of "me" will be born to replace me should I die is only comforting in that there will be someone to care for my family after I'm gone. But me, I'll be dead. That's not immortality. My existence is over, and if there's any "afterlife," that's where I'll be. Perhaps the author just didn't want to get into this, but it was a part of the book I kept banging my head on.
January 28, 2009
Admittedly, I'm a Walter Jon Williams fan. To me, this was a romp of a story and it didn't let me down in that respect. It's a fast, light story that I found easy to read about a man with a sword with a wormhole in it, who composes poetry while having adventures with his talking cat, Bitsy. It reminded me a lot of what I liked about previous novels - Aristoi and Rock of Ages, with enough science and wonder to remind a reader why he reads science fiction.
It stumbles a little - it feels Williams wanted to write a novel that was economical and fast in style, and sometimes it feels like ideas were examined and then quickly discarded for the next idea. And like a previous reviewer mentioned, Williams plays around with implying things rather than describing them right out, this can end up with a rather dispassionate writing style.
But in the end, I'm a bitter, grumpy reader who finds himself easily distracted by videogames. When a book keeps me up late at night because I absolutely have to know how it ends, it rates pretty highly to me.
It stumbles a little - it feels Williams wanted to write a novel that was economical and fast in style, and sometimes it feels like ideas were examined and then quickly discarded for the next idea. And like a previous reviewer mentioned, Williams plays around with implying things rather than describing them right out, this can end up with a rather dispassionate writing style.
But in the end, I'm a bitter, grumpy reader who finds himself easily distracted by videogames. When a book keeps me up late at night because I absolutely have to know how it ends, it rates pretty highly to me.
April 15, 2018
The cover of the book has a picture of a Arabian Nights garbed guy holding a sword and the book opened with said guy and his pet cat wandering through a desert. I wondered if this was going to be some kind of Dune novel.
Eventually a transition is made and the book expands into powerful AI's that apparently control humankind (or try to) in the solar system. Wormhole and VR technologies are commonplace. People can change their appearances at will and enter/live in these various VR worlds.
There is a mish-mash of words and questionable plot meant to fill space leading up to the reveal of the super force(s) causing the problems throughout the book. IMO, the main character is written kind of blah.
There are some good space opera and high tech elements in the book but the writing and character building leaves much to be desired.
Eventually a transition is made and the book expands into powerful AI's that apparently control humankind (or try to) in the solar system. Wormhole and VR technologies are commonplace. People can change their appearances at will and enter/live in these various VR worlds.
There is a mish-mash of words and questionable plot meant to fill space leading up to the reveal of the super force(s) causing the problems throughout the book. IMO, the main character is written kind of blah.
There are some good space opera and high tech elements in the book but the writing and character building leaves much to be desired.
June 19, 2015
This book is all over the place - fortunately, all those places are interesting and creates a fun plot with just enough intensity to keep you turning those pages. Early on the book explains what an "implied space" is by describing "squinches" (yes, it's a real thing). I found the concepts behind this book to be intriguing - in a fun way. I wish I could think of a way to talk about the book without giving spoilers; but the plot changes direction so many times that it could have been a series of short stories. I will say, towards the end when the villain gives his speech to our hero about his motivation, etc. it gets a bit draggy - the reasoning is clear, and the author keeps piling on a lot more words than necessary. But all in all a fun, good read, and appropriate for YA.
March 29, 2010
The beginning of this book was intriguingly ambiguous. I was almost sad when it transitioned from that beginning world to the succeeding settings. But the story remained enjoyable throughout. The story is too sprawling and varied for me to try to summarize, so I'll just recommend that you give the book a reading. I will definitely be reading more of Williams' books.
October 25, 2015
Oddly weird. Weirdly odd. Multiple books in one which is fair since the book contains many universes though mostly pocket universes. Unevenly written, with some not especially good poetry. It starts off as sword-and-sorcery and ends up with copies of people, zombies and universe hacking. A little bit too full actually.
September 4, 2013
Fun book. Started out as an Arabian flavored sword-and-sorcery novel and then made the switch to something Culture-esque a few chapters in.
I was really, really thrown out of the book when the talking cat made a Leeroy Jenkins joke. I'm still kind of confused about that.
I was really, really thrown out of the book when the talking cat made a Leeroy Jenkins joke. I'm still kind of confused about that.
January 3, 2015
If I remember correctly, this book was recommended to me as an example of proper ultra-tech warfare after I had grumbled so much of military sci-fi has been space marines with space assault rifles. Implied Spaces starts as a low key story, but spins into action that makes Starship Troopers feel utterly quaint.
May 15, 2015
Humans almost eternal still making the same mistakes.
Humanity with power and abilities beyond imagination where every idea can come true. Still lurks in the heart of a few the idea that they know what is best for everyone. Read what happens in an universe where anything can happen goes to War.
Humanity with power and abilities beyond imagination where every idea can come true. Still lurks in the heart of a few the idea that they know what is best for everyone. Read what happens in an universe where anything can happen goes to War.
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