Heads

At 125 pages, BEAR'S HEADS, is a, short, crisp story. One very creative idea shaped the story -- the struggle to reach absolute zero. His answer was the formation of crystallized spacetime. Of course current doctrine is that matter can never attain absolute zero -- Heisenberg's theory doesn't allow it. But Bear knew that advances in science often emerge from previously discarded theories. To take this story seriously is foolish. It was an amusing parody both of religious cults, based on man's stupidity and scientific theories likewise stemming from ignorance. He accomplishes his parody of science by throwing in terms like the super conductivity of crystallized spacetime in which information previously composed of matter and cells dissolved in crystallized space like sugar in warm water. His parody of secular religions, no doubt with Scientology in mind, is accomplished by translating the last words of the frozen, preserved brain of the founder of his Church of Logology. This revealed him to be just another greedy bastard. However, in the end Bear sucked too many of man's simple illusions dry. Bear postulates the Quiet place awaiting those who would transcend obvious human limits. His Quiet place, where all information, has lost its form, sounded a lot like a void prior to the earth's mythical Genesis.

I've become quite a Greg Bear fan lately--for Christmas I got both The Forge Of God and Anvil of Stars, and I'd finished both of them by Jan. 5. Delighted with them, I picked up Heads at a local bookstore, although I admit having some doubts about the book after looking at the blurb. It seemed an awful lot to juggle in such a small space--410 cryogenically stored disembodied heads, along with Moon colony politics and an attempt to reach absolute zero which might change the nature of matter and of time itself, all within about 150 pages. At the same time, I've ocasionally thought Bear was a bit too drawn-out, so I decided I'd give it a try. Curiously enough, spacetime was indeed apparently affected by Heads, because I must have seen the future--I was right, and it was all a bit much to handle in such a short book. By necessity, Bear's writing was much more expository than usual, and I didn't find that very satisfying. The story was promisingly offbeat, but behind the story was a blatant parody of Scientology--now, I'm not a Scientologist, nor do I know any Scientologists and I have a healthy skepticism of any religion founded by a science fiction writer, especially one that espouses Body Thetans--ghosts of an alien civilization--as the source of physical illness. It's a valid target, but somehow I'd like a touch more subtlety, a soupcon of sophistication about it...perhaps that's a bit much to ask of a book titled after decapitated noggins... At any rate, it's a good story, with an effective and creepy climax...it's merely the baldness of Heads that detracts.

Super-engaging, idea rich novella with all of Bear's characteristic strengths.

This book was a great read. Bear's writing flowed more than it does in his longer books. Since this book is only 150 pages--not his usual 500--I think he must have written this on a dare from an editor. He wrote a quality sci fi story with great charactarization and plot in a short space. However, he drew on a lot of conventions as well. The Lunar population of the future was somewhat reminiscent of Heinlein's "The Moon is a Harsh Mistress." If you've read Bear's, "Queen of Angels," he makes references to characters from that book as well. It is almost like reading an old Asmiov tale, where things are all connected, and the stories are all in novella form. I highly recommend reading it.