Shrine of Stars
Confluence (3/3)
by Paul McAuley
science fiction
copyright 1999
read in September 2014
rated 4/10: bad but could be read
Take an interesting world. Long and flat. Sort of like a segment of Ringworld. Ask the difficult questions: Who created this world ? Why ? How does it work ? What was expected to happen ?
Don't bother to answer any of these questions. Just say that it was done by scientific magic. For reasons which will forever be mysterious.
Disappointing.
And what's with the rocking planet idea ?!
The sun rises, reaches noon -- then reverses direction. So sunrise and sunset are over the same horizon. Why ?! I can almost hear the squealing of brakes, as the entire planet screeches to a halt... twice a day... so that the planet can change direction.
As in book two, the hero drifts through a series of adventures. This time, however, there is a point: each adventure provides a blunt comment on the evils of some aspect of society. Oh how bad is this society, where one tribe is always born into slavery, for example.
Then there are the rip-offs.
Many chapters of master and servant struggling towards the source of evil. Don't worry, master, cries the loyal servant. I'll carry you if I have to ! May as well call them Frodo and Sam.
Then the final "explanation" of the hero's birth. "-- All You Zombies --" anyone ?
Finally, we meet (again) with the old couple who are now revealed as the authors of the story. Where shall I begin ? asks the old man. It doesn't matter, replies his wife, Because it's a circular story. Which is perhaps intended as justification for the final two chapters... Two chapters which are completely out of sequence. And which add nothing whatsoever to the story.
Book one was interesting. Book two was tedious and had no conclusion. This book three, I read for completeness... Not worth the effort. I should have stopped after book one... or even sooner.
A disappointing treatment of a potentially interesting world.
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Problems ? Solved
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