Review: Social Commentary SF
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 09 25, 2013
This review addresses all of Andrews' Syn-En books, and I must like them because I've read them all. BTW, do it in sequence for best appreciation.The plot is great and the characters very interesting. I also like the science, although it stretches credibility a little, even for a hard SF fan. Nevertheless I found myself getting involved in the story very quickly, and look forward to future books in the series.One plot device which I found overused, however - the continued process of leaving one or more of the central players in a seemingly impossible situation, only to have him/her/them almost miraculously saved three chapters later. All the rescues are plausible, but there are so many of them throughout each novel I almost envisioned poor Nell (aptly named heroine) being strapped to the tracks by Snidely Whiplash with the oncoming train just a few hundred yards away. How will the Mountie save her this time?I particularly liked the way the author deals indirectly with a long time SF sociological theme - What does it mean to be human? The best known version of this was Dick's "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" - "Blade Runner" for you movie buffs. Andrews takes a very different and interesting tack.A good read.