Subject: Review: The Sky Road by Ken MacLeod

From: "Aaron M. Renn" <[email-masked]>
Date: 19 Oct 1999 11:02:21 -0400

The Sky Road by Ken MacLeod
	Review Copyright (c) 1999 Aaron M. Renn

Conclusion: Highly Recommended

What can I say, Ken MacLeod does it again.  This is another great effort
from him.  Fans will not be disappointed.  However, unlike with his other
books, this one is much better if you know what has happened before.  It
sure helps if you've already read The Stone Canal.  Don't buy this as your
first MacLeod novel.

MacLeod's books all are vaguely similiar.  They inhabit the same future
history.  They have the various political fringe groups and in jokes.  The
implications of artificial intelligence are explored.  But yet the books
are all very different in tone and scope.  The structure of this novel
harkens back to The Stone Canal.  There are two parallel time streams
going, with chapters alternating in between.  In this one though, both of
them take place in "real time" as opposed to TSC, where one stream told
the main story and the other did simultaneous backfill over a long period
of time.  This one also is more slow moving, but makes up for it with what
is probably the best ending of any of his books yet.  It also takes his
fondness for pubs to a whole new level.  Every chapter the characters were
stopping by the local watering hole for a drink.  Made me damn thirsty.
Also, this novel is a slightly different variant on the MacLeod future
history.  Some of the events in TSC and The Cassini Division obviously
never happened or turned out differently.

At some time in the undisclosed future, humans are once again preparing to
reach for the stars.  At some time past, most modern computer technology
had been swept away by someone called the Deliverer.  Many technologies
and philosophies are viewed with the same level of acceptance as, say,
Satan worship.  Meanwhile in our other thread, we get to follow the
adventures of Myra Davidov after the death of a certain someone at the
Khazakstan border in TSC.

The only real complaint I have about this book is how the same people
always seem be the key players and keep running into each other.  I
groaned when we found out C3P0 and R2D2 were in with Anakin and Obi-Wan
from the beginning.  Similarly, I cringed when I saw some of the folks
Myra ran into.  This is clearly a nitpick, which should show the depths to
which I have to sink in order to find something negative to say about this
otherwise excellent and well-written book.

I'm always bothered when writers create something popular, then milk it
with endless sequels.  That's why I'm happy to report that I've heard that
MacLeod is now working on Something Completely Different.  I definitely
think it's time to give this universe a rest while we still love it and
want more, rather than when we've had enough.

%A MacLeod, Ken
%T The Sky Road
%I Orbit
%D 1999
%G ISBN 1-85723-755-2
%P 291 pp.
%O hardcover, £16.99

Reviewed on 1999-10-05

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