Tea from an Empty Cup

If you dislike unreliable narrators, books that change point of view, and a shifting reality, you won't like this book. If you like a book that leaves you on unsteady footing and really puzzles you, you will like this book. I liked this book a lot.

I bought this book two years ago. Put it down. Came back to it and started re-reading from the beginning... This book is pure cyberpunk, and awesome! It twists your mind! Read it, and then read it again!

Well, this was an excellent book. And it made me itch to experience what Pat Cadigan described so well - AR. The details, the rules, the help files, icons, passwords - it's a game, it's life. It's not too far from the way many things are now with the Internet.That said - I had to re-read the first chapter after I had finished the book. THEN the first chapter made sense. The first chapter took a lot of liberties with what you would know, so it isn't until nearly the end that I realized who was whom in the first chapter.But as it slowly slid toward finish line and the book drew closer to toward its conclusion, I found the book very difficult to put aside. A wonderful blend of technology and myth. As for the "Life is so cheap in DC..." - I tell you, things must REALLY be different in the future. Whoa! Five out of five stars - just for being so different than many books I read and for working so thoroughly on the ins-and-outs of AR.

I think I understood the ending. After spending the bulk of the novel exploring a Virtual Reality that is peopled by shallow holiday seekers defined by self-gratification, and that is only accessible through an incredibly intrusive and commercialized interface, we finally come to the ending. For the first time in the novel we meet characters who try to create something wholly new and original in the Virtual Reality. And they do it by sacrificing their egos, and their claim to individual gratification in favor of a communal creation.

What a mind bender! Possibly a little to sophisticated for some readers, but filled with Zen and noir elements that give the sci-fi a nitty gritty edge. I kept wondering where the storyline was going--and was not disappointed.Nice job Pat Cadigan, and I wouldn't be surprised to see this on the final Nebula ballot for this years awards.

Pat Cadigan has once again come up with a well paced journey through near-future cyberspace that is packed with human emotion, bizarre comparisons of artificial reality versus the "real" world, and elements of a police procedural, as well. It is a fascinating read, even though some of the witticisms went right over my head! The Zen atmosphere and Japanese myth allusions were handled well and make this novel a "must have." Highly Recommended.