Postsingular

Postsingular, Rudy Rucker's latest novel, is an exhilarating ride through a technological singularity that grants earthlings godlike powers. Through the human condition as we now know it has been transcended through technological means - with telepathy, ominividence ("all-seeing"), and vastly enhanced intelligence among the choices on the postsingular menu - all the flaws and foibles of human nature are included in the postsingular mix, with strange and sometimes hilarious results. The culture and politics of our dark, strange era as reflected in the funhouse mirror of Rucker's astonishing and playful imagination is both funny and strangely reassuring, with regular people struggling to save the world from sociopathic corporate leaders and corrupt religious politicians. For the first time in his career, Rucker is experimenting with making his novel available online through a Creative Commons license, as has been done with great success by other science fiction writers such as Cory Doctorow and Peter Watts. As a big fan of both Rudy Rucker and Creative Commons, I hope that this experiment will be highly successful and that many people will support his work by buying copies. The author has also made available over 300 pages worth of working notes for the novel, for those who want more background information. I highly recommend this novel and I'm looking forward to the next two books in the series. For more information on Rudy Rucker and his work see [...]

That -- WHEENK -- is the name of the "metanovel" one of the POSTSINGULAR characters busies herself creating during the course of the book. It's also a perfect poster word for describing this Rudy Rucker sci-fi extravaganza. This is one wheenkin' ride! Early in the book, the autistic boy genius, Chu, corrects his joking biotech genius father about a BIG number: " 'Ten to the thirty-ninth is duodecillion' " he chides, " 'Not umptisquiddlyzillion." But umptisquiddlyzillion just about covers the nearly endless gush of ideas that Rucker looses in this novel. What most people wouldn't give to have that many inventive thoughts in ten lifetimes, and he nonchalantly dispenses them in one volume! Think of POSTSINGULAR as "Jack and the Beanstock" on uppers (and downers). Ye olde fairty tale is updated with extrapolations about the latest theoretical physics (such as "branes") and trendy sci-fi speculations about how artificial intelligence, nanotechnology, and virtual reality might revolutionize or even extinguish life as we know it. The early chapters, entitled "Nant Day," "Orphid Night," and "Chu's Knot," originally appeared as short stories; and in the middle of POSTSINGULAR, the tensile strength of those early chapters slumps just a mite...even though it is filled with mind riffs by the vagrant (and randy) technogeeks who climb onstage beginning in Chapter 5. Then, however, the frantic dash for the finish gets the old adrenaline pumping as all the socially awkward heroes try to save earth from devouring nants! You may be wondering about the sea creature on the cover. Rest assured you'll learn all about it when you jump into this trippin' mind squeeze! Go for it! Wheenck! [4.7 stars]

I haven't read anything this good since Neuromancer. This is some of the most imaginative stuff ever; it's fantastic without being cheesy and achieves that sense of wonder that is so lacking in most of the creative output of our culture. Get this book now.

Rudy Rucker continues to amaze me with his easy prose and his living, quirky characters. His work is a damn pleasure to read, addicting. Here is Postsingular he touches on some familiar topics (universal computing, smart matter, higher dimensions, and cuttlefish). He also casually tosses out some high brained schemes about cryptography that sent me to Wikipedia. This is the goods folks, fun and deep. Rucker's running on all cylinders, super cooled and overclocked. I totally look forward to his continuation of the story.

Postsingular is the latest in a long line of high-speed brain rushes provided by Rudy Rucker. While every one of his novels has combined mind-blowing ideas, vivid characters, and gripping (and occasionally goofy) plots, Postsingular is a more tightly written tale than any to date (which shows that even great writers find ways to continue to perfect their craft). The story is told in layers, and that device works for a book essentially about the layers between worlds and between objects in worlds (that's as close to a spoiler as I'm dishing out here). While being a science fiction tale, and very much involved with technology (to be expected from a retired professor of computer science), it is ultimately a human story, a story of people and life and the search for meaning and happiness. The book works on all of these levels: feel-good read, brain dance, and sci-fi goodness. (Note: for a non-fiction exploration of some of the ideas in this book, see Rucker's The Lifebox, the Seashell, and the Soul: What Gnarly Computation Taught Me About Ultimate Reality, the Meaning of Life, and How to Be Happy). Rucker has surpassed himself (again) and continues to demonstrate why fellow science fiction author William Gibson declares Rucker "a National Treasure of American science fiction."