Counting Heads, by David Marusek. This novel was reviewed in the New York Times Sunday book review, in the new "Sci-Fi" column. The term "Sci-Fi," which has been out of favor among readers for a generation (the term now is SF or "speculative fiction"), doesn't bode well for future popularity in the SF world for this column, but then again, the NYT ain't published for the readers of Asimov's or Analog. The editors probably believe all that nonsense Margaret Atwood is always spouting about SF being full of talking squids.
I won't say anymore about the NYT, just be glad for Mr. Marusek and SF in general that the photoshoped portrait of him did not speculate on the appearance of the "Potty Plug."
The book starts out with the novella, "We were out of our Minds with Joy," originally published in Asimov's a few years back. A satisfying story by itself, it did an excellent job of world-building, and left a few unanswered questions, leaving the reader wanting more.
It's a world of clones, terrorist nano weapons, domed-in cities, immortality, retro aging, artificial intelligences, DNA sniffing slugs, and spaceships to the stars. Samson Hagar, the "seared" protagonist, and former artist, seperated from his former wife and daughter, no longer lives in his wife's world at the top of the political power structure. But when his wife is assassinated and daughter's life is in danger, Sam is thrown back in, fighting against the world.
Of course it's more complicated than that. And just like the novella, the end of the novel leaves a few questions, and hopefully they will be answered in the next book.
There's also a couple of in-jokes, references to some (maybe all!) of Marusek's short stories. A good read overall, but probably not understandable by your average reader -- or someone who reads the NYT instead of Asimov's.
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