Synopsis
|
'I
am Zhang, alone
with my light, and
in that light I
think for a moment
that I am free.'
Imagine a
world: a
sinocentric world
where Chinese
Marxism has
vanquished the
values of
capitalism and
Lenin is the
prophet of
choice. A
cybernetic world
where the new
charioteers are
flyers,
human-powered
kites dancing in
the skies over New
York in a brief
grab at
glory. A
world where the
opulence of
Beijing marks a
new cultural
imperialism, as
wealthy urbanites
flirt with
interactive death
in illegal
speakeasies, and
where Arctic
research stations
and communes on
Mars are haunted
by their own
fragile dangers.
A world of fear
and hope, of
global disaster
and slow healing,
where progress can
only be found in
the cracks of a
crumbling
hegemony.
The world of
Zhang. An
anti-hero who's
still finding his
way, treading a
path through a
totalitarian order
- a path that just
might make a
difference. |
Review
|
Winner
of the Locus Award
for Best First
Novel
'An astonishing
tour de force
... This is a rich
and amazingly
intelligent novel,
drawing a portrait
of a time, a
place, and
characters that
will absolutely
convince you of
their reality'
Isaac Asimov's
SF Magazine
'Distinctive,
evocative, and
occasionally so
brilliant that
it's hard to
believe this is a
first novel'
Locus |
