From /tmp/sf.1110 Fri Jul 23 13:51:21 1993 Xref: liuida rec.arts.sf.written:28429 alt.books.reviews:788 Path: liuida!sunic!pipex!uunet!haven.umd.edu!cville-srv.wam.umd.edu!cbaker From: cbaker@wam.umd.edu (C. Douglas Baker) Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.written,alt.books.reviews Subject: __A Philosophical Investigation__ by Philip Kerr Book Review Followup-To: rec.arts.sf.written Date: 1 Jul 1993 06:43:51 GMT Organization: University of Maryland, College Park Lines: 65 Distribution: world Message-ID: <20u137$pki@cville-srv.wam.umd.edu> NNTP-Posting-Host: rac1.wam.umd.edu A Philosophical Investigation by Philip Kerr Book Review by C. Douglas Baker London 2013. Genetic typing has allowed the British government to identify men with a predisposition to serial killing. Now, someone is going around murdering all the men on the list! Thus is the setting for Kerr's __A Philosophical Investigation__. As a science fiction work, Kerr has painted a very believable future with a variety of insights on the day-to-day ramifications of modern technology. Gene typing allowing the government to identify potential serial killers could be used for nefarious purposes by an over zealous government. In this case Kerr avoids the "big brother" syndrome, instead showing that the existence of this information becomes dangerous, despite the government's humane intentions. An example of the everyday affect of new technology: a female detective gets a call in the middle of the night from a colleague, answering her picta-phone without thinking she inadvertently exposes herself and the caller makes a lecherous comment about her breasts. Homosexuals now use a new, thicker condom less likely to break. Overuse of "reality approximation devices" (virtual reality), is likened to the overuse of LSD; many who overuse such devices begin to lose touch with reality. None of these tidbits are at all central to the story, but along with other small insights, build up a believable future environment. Readers will recognize many of the developments in 2013 London, both technologically and socially. Women continue to advance in social equality. Cynically Kerr depicts governmental organizations, such as police forces, as being forced to accept women equally. One British Minister is a black female but a former Olympic sprinter with good looks, which no doubt immensely helped her raise to this position. Again a pessimistic, although realistic, depiction of the social advancement of women. While the women may not always be looked upon as equals by their male colleagues, they continue to prove themselves the equal of men in most cases, and in some tasks they are deemed even better. Unfortunately, as a mystery novel, __A Philosophical Investigation__ does not come off as well. Kerr could have done much more to add to the suspense of the novel. The culprit is found out early on and the conclusion seems preordained from that point forward. The tracking and catching of the killer is mildly entertaining at times but for the most part is mundane. The real strength of this book lies in its setting and the creation of a recognizable 2013. Kerr's understanding of the ramifications of technological advances allows him to depict the use of technology in a realistic, day-to-day fashion that is not common in the science fiction genre. The plot and story itself are less satisfying but there is enough of interest here to entertain the casual reader. %T A Philosophical Investigation %A Philip Kerr %C New York %D 1992 %I Farrar, Straus, Giroux $20.00 (hbk) %G NO ISBN %P 329 From /tmp/sf.2816 Tue Sep 14 14:12:24 1993 Path: lysator.liu.se!isy!liuida!sunic!pipex!uunet!psinntp!dg-rtp!sheol!dont-reply-to-paths From: C_Douglas_BAKER@umail.umd.edu Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.reviews Followup-To: rec.arts.sf.written Subject: __A Philosophical Investigation__ by Philip Kerr Book Review Approved: sfr%sheol@concert.net (rec.arts.sf.reviews moderator) Message-ID: <9307010639.AA24329@umailsrv0.UMD.EDU> Date: 05 Jul 93 04:02:32 GMT Lines: 67 A Philosophical Investigation by Philip Kerr Book Review by C. Douglas Baker London 2013. Genetic typing has allowed the British government to identify men with a predisposition to serial killing. Now, someone is going around murdering all the men on the list! Thus is the setting for Kerr's __A Philosophical Investigation__. As a science fiction work, Kerr has painted a very believable future with a variety of insights on the day-to-day ramifications of modern technology. Gene typing allowing the government to identify potential serial killers could be used for nefarious purposes by an over zealous government. In this case Kerr avoids the "big brother" syndrome, instead showing that the existence of this information becomes dangerous, despite the government's humane intentions. An example of the everyday affect of new technology: a female detective gets a call in the middle of the night from a colleague, answering her picta-phone without thinking she inadvertently exposes herself and the caller makes a lecherous comment about her breasts. Homosexuals now use a new, thicker condom less likely to break. Overuse of "reality approximation devices" (virtual reality), is likened to the overuse of LSD; many who overuse such devices begin to lose touch with reality. None of these tidbits are at all central to the story, but along with other small insights, build up a believable future environment. Readers will recognize many of the developments in 2013 London, both technologically and socially. Women continue to advance in social equality. Cynically Kerr depicts governmental organizations, such as police forces, as being forced to accept women equally. One British Minister is a black female but a former Olympic sprinter with good looks, which no doubt immensely helped her raise to this position. Again a pessimistic, although realistic, depiction of the social advancement of women. While the women may not always be looked upon as equals by their male colleagues, they continue to prove themselves the equal of men in most cases, and in some tasks they are deemed even better. Unfortunately, as a mystery novel, __A Philosophical Investigation__ does not come off as well. Kerr could have done much more to add to the suspense of the novel. The culprit is found out early on and the conclusion seems preordained from that point forward. The tracking and catching of the killer is mildly entertaining at times but for the most part is mundane. The real strength of this book lies in its setting and the creation of a recognizable 2013. Kerr's understanding of the ramifications of technological advances allows him to depict the use of technology in a realistic, day-to-day fashion that is not common in the science fiction genre. The plot and story itself are less satisfying but there is enough of interest here to entertain the casual reader. %T A Philosophical Investigation %A Philip Kerr %C New York %D 1992 %I Farrar, Straus, Giroux $20.00 (hbk) %G NO ISBN %P 329 C. DOUGLAS BAKER Email: cb52@umail.umd.edu