Subject: Review: The Star Fraction by Ken MacLeod

From: "Aaron M. Renn" <[email-masked]>
Date: 08 Sep 1999 22:21:30 -0400

The Star Fraction by Ken MacLeod
	Review Copyright (c) 1999 Aaron M. Renn

Conclusion: Highly Recommended

In my review of The Cassini Division, I said I was planning to order the
rest of MacLeod's books from Amazon.co.uk.  Well, I followed through and
I'm happy to say this one was worth every penny I spent in shipping, even
if my order did arrive slightly damaged.

The Star Fraction is MacLeod's first book.  It takes place in the same
universe as The Cassini Division, but so much earlier in time - the
mid-21st century - that the feel of it is totally different.  Only the
collection of oddball political movements seems to be carried through
between the books.  While I thought The Cassini Division was a strong
novel, I liked this one even more.

I'd classify The Star Fraction as intelligent cyperpunk with a sense of
humor.  In fact, I found myself laughing about every other page.  This is
a ten times more funny book than the gawdawful Connie Willis novel that
won the Hugo this year.  But it manages to also be a great serious novel
at the same time, and it is literally exploding with great portrayals of
various political movements.  MacLeod does a wonderful job here of not
playing favorites.  There are sympathetic characters and working
experiments at all positions on the dial.  Political philosophy junkies
will love this one.  It made me want to go back and read up on my Trotsky
and I'm not even a communist.

It's impossible to do the plot of this book justice here, but briefly, Moh
Kohn is a security mercenary hired to protect a university researcher
whose work is being suppressed by the evil forces of Stasis - a security
arm of the US/UN.  He plans to take her to Norlonto, an autonomous
anarcho-capitalist enclave where Stasis has no authority.  But before he
can do that, he is exposed to the memory enhancing chemical she was
working on that, along with some dope he was smoking, triggers memories
that activate a long buried program when he jacks into the net.  A program
that appears to be the first true AI - something the US/UN has vowed never
to allow exist.

This book has a great plot, great characters, and a great world.  It's
funny, it's got action, it's got romance, it's got international finance.
It doesn't fall into formulamatic cyberpunk.  It does provide an extremely
entertaining read.  The book can be a bit hard to follow at times as it
jumps into flashbacks and such.  But I'm sure it will be a lot easier the
second time around.  This one's good enough that I'm sure there will be a
few re-reads.

Note that this books is available in the US through Laissez-Faire Books at
http://laissezfaire.org/ or via amazon.co.uk.  The book has a Canadian
price of C$8.99 printed on the back, so it may be available in bookstores
there.  How'd those Cans get so lucky?

%A MacLeod, Ken
%T The Star Fraction
%I Orbit
%D 1998 (original publication 1995)
%G ISBN 1-85723-833-8
%P 341 pp.
%0 trade paperback, £6.99

Reviewed on 1999-09-06

Aaron M. Renn ([email-masked]) http://www.urbanophile.com/arenn/