Crescent City Rhapsody

I'm mystified that people thought this book was too long, not based in reality enough (hello?? science FICTION, anyone??) to be plausible. Personally I felt that it paced well, engaged my mind and provided both characters and story that were not only sympathetic and interesting but at the same time compelling. Is Ms. Goonan's vision of the future realistic enough? Is it based on too many wild assumptions and implausibilities? I don't know. What I do know is that it raised interesting philosophical issues around mankind's rampant charge into unknown technologies and the possibility of not only technological disaster, but of the social and policitical ramifications of such events. If you're looking for a primer to science, this is likely not it. If you're looking for an interesting human story in a plot based on scientific possibility, this might be for you. One caveat to this review is that I didn't realize it was the third in a series of four books, so I've started with this book--I don't bring any baggage or pre-knowledge to the book from the other books in this series. Its highly likely that I'll go back and read the rest of the series.

I love the meticulous way in which Goonan describes her world. I also love the way she cuts back and forth between characters, showing how the "Silence" affects different people in different situations. This requires the reader to do more thinking and analyzing, and perhaps this turned some other readers off.It is true that the speculative science is not all explained in detail, but there is a strong implication that this will be resolved in later books (or earlier? This is my first Goonan book). The parts that are explained are those that the characters understand, which is eminently reasonable. (possible spoiler)The one problem I had with the book was the extreme reaction of the U.S. government at the beginning of the "Silence," but this is actually explained towards the end of the book. I haven't decided if I like this part or not, but at least it was explained.

Crescent City Rhapsody is the third in Kathleen Ann Goonan's nanotech/jazz series. It opens with a staggering collapse of global communications and ends with the promise of a better tomorrow. In between the ride is bumpy, sometimes compelling and sometimes not. Of the three, this one has a far higher level of suspense and far less speculation than the other two, probably because the time is so much closer to our own. Solid characters, stunning prose, and only a couple of weak spots make this a book well worth reading.About those weak spots though,...After the stunning portrayal of Hawaiian culture in "Bones of Time", the cultural symbols in this book often leave one wondering about their significance. The sections on Voudoun rites and ritual, although accurate and sympathetic, seem forced and awkward, as if they are wondering why they are even here. When she drops into Japan for a brief stint, she confuses common foods and falls back on a few tired cliches about Japanese culture. Other than those two minor weaknesses, an excellent book and a superb addition to her repertoire.

Crescent City Rhapsody absorbed me in a way no other novel has in recent history. Kathleen Ann Goonan has the gift for creating complex, interesting characters who people a richly developed plot that takes an intriguing, if terrifying look at the future. Far and away the best of the trilogy, and I liked the other books a lot, too. As a professional writer, I'm a tough customer, but I really loved this book.

In 2012, the electromagnetic impulse that shuts down worldwide communications makes the Northeast blackout of four plus decades ago seems like a blown light bulb. Computers become silent. Studying that void, DC astrophysicist Zeb Aberly concludes that the impulse was not a freak of nature, but a signal from an intelligent ET source. Instead of accolades and kudos, Zeb is forced to run for his life, ultimately ending up in New Orleans. While the pulses continue to wreck havoc, infants born after the disaster start showing strange physical and mental abilities. In New Orleans, someone assassinates mob chieftain Marie Laveau, her spouse, and child. Nanotechnology brings Marie back to life, but her family was beyond repair. Marie vows revenge. She also tries to build a safe haven with the help of outlawed technological geniuses like Zeb, but time is running out as the new world order plans to stop her and her Crescent City. CRESCENT CITY RHAPSODY, the third novel in Kathleen Ann Goonan's "Nanotech" series (see QUEEN CITY JAZZ and MISSISSIPPI BLUES) is a wonderful futuristic tale. The story line speculates on the path science and technology may take mankind down in the next decade or so. The action is non-stop in this bleak but fascinating novel. The charcaters are fully developed, but what makes this tale and its predecessors so good is the author's ability to paint a grim landscape that feels genuinely possible.Harriet Klausner