Review: An intricate SF story with a unique element.
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 05 22, 2014
"Threads" is an intricate story that weaves (no pun intended) together many sub-plots to a conclusion that affects future humanity and their fundamental understanding of the universe.The telling of the complex nature of this future universe comes with strengths and weaknesses. The massive amount of information provided at the beginning of the story does well to establish a very real and believable future, but – for me – it takes on the feeling of reading an essay rather than a story. However, it's broken up with character and actions scenes, so it never failed to lose me. There were times amongst this information where I had to just grab the important points and let the rest slide, but that did not affect my understanding of the story. If you enjoy navigating a complex world, then I'm sure you will enjoy the set up.Once the universe is established, as well as the characters and plots, the story picks up and is very enjoyable to read. It's a multifaceted story: part detective, part political, part science, part humanitarian (and I use the word "humanitarian" most generally because, well – spoilers!) It's well written and all comes together in a satisfying conclusion.I found the concept of the "threading" to be most innovative, and put a very unique and fun spin into the story as a whole. So, even if the first half may require some patience to get through, it is worth the effort, and I would recommend this story for its well-executed depth.