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The Chronoliths
Witness to it all is our narrator, Scott Warden. There's nothing special about this guy. He's no clever scientist, no tough soldier. He's just a computer programmer who happens to be close to the location of the first arrival. After that he's pulled into the Chronolith investigation by a series of seeming coincidences. But where the manipulation of time is involved, coincidence becomes a slippery concept--something his co-investigators are well aware of.
I consider this quiet, unassuming novel to be on the cutting edge of science fiction for this reason: it creates a literary metaphor for our current view (and fears) of the near future. Just as giant, mutant bugs stood for our fear of the bomb in the '50s, the Chronoliths represent our fear of what's just around the corner today. But today we can no longer easily predict what the future holds. Science changes things too quickly--so quickly that we can only say with confidence that we cannot say what the future will be like.
Science fiction writers have devised a variety of means to cope with this threat to their livelihood. Vernor Vinge pulls off a plausible (and excellent) space opera in A Fire Upon the Deep by having the universe limit how far science can progress depending on its location in the galaxy. Other writers retreat to the very near future. The rise in popularity of alternate history stories could be another byproduct of this dilemma.
But in The Chronoliths Wilson doesn't resort to any tricks. The novel is all about the unknowableness of the future, as represented by the Chronoliths themselves: impenetrable, unstoppable, and, most importantly, of our own making.
*Perhaps one reason Wilson isn't as well known as he should be is that his novels are not as strong as his short fiction. The Chronoliths, interestingly, is his first novel written in first-person, the point of view he chose for many of his best short stories including "The Perseids" and "The Inner Inner City."
You can purchase The Chronoliths from bn.com. Slashdot welcomes readers' book reviews -- to see your own review here, read the book review guidelines, then visit the submission page.
"t's dated twenty years in the future..."
Okay, i'm with you so far...
"and each lauds another victory by a leader who does not currently exist."
So, teenagers are winning the wars fought in the future? I knew the dexterity I had built up with a gamepad would come in handy some day... My giant robot remote controlled robot can beat yours anyday!
dmarien
It has an interesting style and brings up questions about the nature of destiny and time, but I found it a bit unsatisfying. There were a number of fairly standard plot devices, although given a bit of a twist by the idea that the characters knew that they were somehow destined to come together.
All in all I would rate it about 6/10.
What exactly is this book about? I find this book review lacking in the detail and length of normal book reviews. I would have expected a better review of the book, perhaps chapter by chapter highlights.
From the review, it sounds like big statues to future events randomly appear. But I don't know what that means to the characters. How do people react to this? Do people try to prevent the wars before they start? Does it matter who the victor is? Does anyone ever figure out why these statues are appearing? Assuming they are being sent by humanity from the future, what is the motivation of those that send the statues? Are they warnings?
I am having a hard time understanding the genre of the book and its plot from the review. If anyone else has read it, post your experiences.
On an unrelated note, anyone else notice the karma system has changed? Apparently, my karma is now "excellent." Man, I want a point system back!
Lawrence Lessig is my personal hero.
> He's just a computer programmer
Whaddya mean, JUST a computer programmer. Didn't you know that the geeks will inherit the earth?
Not everything that can be measured matters; Not everything that matters can be measured.
**Disclaimer** I really know nothing about carbon dating, just babbling here...
Now unless the "Born On" date was stamped to the bottom how exactly does one Future Date something? Does it actually gain more carbon that it would have now, so that by the time we see it the carbon is right?
MessEdUp
#/var/www/v
Science fiction writers have devised a variety of means to cope with this threat to their livelihood.
Science fiction has _never_ been about "this is what the future will be like!". Well, some of the crappy stuff is. The best science fiction is all about what-if. Good science fiction places characters in strange circumstances that may or may not bear any relation to a plausible future for humanity. The fun is in seeing how humans (or aliens for that matter) would deal with these circumstances. What-if there was an alien loose on your ship with acid for blood and lightning quick reflexes? What-if a colony of nanobots became self-aware? What-if we found the sun was inhabited with creatures who were slowing down the fusion processes at the center? The plausibility of these scenarios _actually happening_ is slim to none. But that has nothing to do with whether or not this is good science fiction. For me personally, if the story is based on hard science, then thats when I stop caring about the plausibility of the story.
Any science fiction writer who sees himself as a prophet for the future needs to find a new line of work, like say, I don't know, start a cult for instance.
---- El diablo esta en mis pantalones! Mire, mire!
Cronolith: (noun) any entry in /etc/crontab whose width exceeds 80 characters
On the plus side, the characters do come to life, and the story sweeps you along pretty well, and has a couple of interesting sub-plot twists. Overall, not a bad read, but it's not something I'll stand on the rooftops and shout about, either.
Specifically, I read it on June 18, on airplanes and in airports taking a trip with my daughter.
Good book, though IMHO "The Harvest" is still my Robert Charles Wilson favorite. (Kind of like "Childhood's End" but different.)
To clear up a few basics, the Chronoliths appear, smashing cities where they do. They have writing on them, commemorating a battle victory 20 years in the future. No carbon dating needed, they read the information. If you suddenly had a big monument materialize obliterating your city, would you be prone to distrust the writing on it?
Of a more interesting nature is a hero who is a hero by working his craft, not his fists. This aspect is reminiscent of Neal Stephenson's works or "Crosstime Engineer". (Author forgotten, but I think he was Polish) In most fiction no matter what the profession of the hero, the hero-work seems to get done with fists and guns. Nice to see a change.
The living have better things to do than to continue hating the dead.
The tale begins in 2021 with the abrupt arrival of the first Chronolith, a 200-foot-high monument of unknown composition that memorializes a military victory.
So, the Red Sox finally win a World Series?
Mod Karma -1: I sed bad wurds. If I cep my mouf shut, I wud be at riyses.
I read Chronoliths and my favorite part was the beginning. The ending was my least favorite part, which probably means I didn't "get it". While enjoyed the concept of the book it didn't live up to my expectations.
The entire book leads up to the arrival of the unkown conqueror Kuin. The pace increases with each new Chronolith. However when the date foretold on the first Chronolith arrives the book dries up and decides that it wasn't so interested in dealing with Kuin at all. I was disappointed.
As far as the Hugos go my favorite this year is American Gods. I thought I'd hate the book, judging from its title and the fact that I'm not American at all. I nearly didn't read it, but in the end decided I couldn't make a fair judge of the other Hugo nominees without reading it. I am very glad I did. The American in the title refers to being of all of America, not just the USA.
Neil Gaiman's Coraline just came out as well, and my copy's already in the mail.
http://www.sfsite.com/10b/cl114.htm
http://www.januarymagazine.com/SFF/chronoliths.htm l
http://www.mervius.com/books/chronoliths.htm
"It is a greater offense to steal men's labor, than their clothes"
That being said, I have read this book and it is quite good. Also, I found it refreshingly short: Average readers will finish it in just a few sittings. Wilson manages to tell a complete and satisfying SF story in a few hundred pages, which is occurring less and less often.
Anyway, if your curiosity is piqued, check out a more complete review here: http://www.sfsite.com/10b/cl114.htm
The strength of Robert Charles Wilson's latest book is not in the time travel per se, but rather the response of a group of fully-developed, sympathetic characters to the phenomena they are encountering.
To my delight (and unlike so much literary fiction these days), Wilson's protagonists DO SOMETHING. It may not always be the right course of action, but there is an understandable human motivation when it is the wrong course of action.
Scotty, the protagonist, is strong yet flawed, and his fascination with The Chronoliths is kept in proper perspective. Sue Chopra, the brilliant physicist, is handled gingerly by an accomplished author.
The time travel theme -- the appearance of "artifacts" from the future -- is not new but is integral to the story. And this latter point is crucial to good science fiction. The science (regardless of what you think of time travel dynamics) is consistent and interesting and becomes a de facto character in the tale.
The only area where the novel could've been strengthened was the development of Scotty's relationship with his father, and indeed, development of the father's character in general.
Nevertheless, this is an entertaining and thought-provoking book with a broad scope, engaging characters and a very interesting ending.
It is also an optimistic allegory to the hope and renewel that always follows tragedy, like the euphoria following World War II.
It is well worth the read. Wilson is going to be a major force in speculative fiction in years to come.
Do you even lift?
These aren't the 'roids you're looking for.
You also have to pay close attention to the biological processes involved. One of the favorite "proofs" that evolution is all wrong and therefore the literal interpretation of the Christian book of Genesis *must* be accurate is the fact that some breed of oyster (or at least some type of clam) preferentially uses one isotope of carbon over another. It's enough so that you can pull an oyster from the ocean, eat most of the meat, and date the rest as thousands of years old.
I don't remember the mechanism involved, but it's something that makes sense to the scientists involved and they can account for it. But anyone who's only had the standard K-12 exposure to science would be utterly confused by the results.
For every complex problem there is an answer that is clear, simple, and wrong. -- H L Mencken
> "unknowableness" is a.k.a. uncertainty.
Heisenberg unknowableness principle doesn't have the same ring to it though, does it?
Not everything that can be measured matters; Not everything that matters can be measured.
That's nice, but not what we're talking about here.
Personally (not that anyone will care, but just add to the thread):
- History: currently reading Barbara Tuchman's The Proud Tower - A Portrait of The World Before the War, a somewhat episodic but interesting review of the late 19th century. There are some fascinating correspondances with the current climate (the chapter on the anarchists is particularly interesting - I was a bit vague on them before, but there is a real resonance with the current terrorist threat).
Another big favourite recently was A World Lit Only By Fire - The Medieval Mind and the Renaissance by William Manchester. Many medieval history books can be pretty dry, but this one is a cracking good read.
For fiction I used to be a big fan of John Irving - I think The Hotel New Hampshire remains my favourite book of his, though I'm less enchanted with his recent stuff.
There's an excerpt (from the grossly-overpriced ebook version) here.
Robert Charles Wilson is very good author. His more recent works have less than thrilled me though. Chronolith is a good book, but not nearly as compelling as some of his older ones ("The Harvest", "Gypsies", "A Bridge of Years"). Those are some of his best books. I would definitely recommend checking out the Harvest if you ever have the chance.
The world moves for love. It kneels before it in awe.
Come now, certainly at least a few of you slashdotters out there have read Ender's game. Everyone knows that children make the most skillful and deadly military leaders. It is just one of those known facts.
With my dying breath, I curse Zoidberg!
Try the Hyperion series by Dan Simmons, the story gets better with each volume...
WANTED: Good sig, funny, concise yet somewhat esoteric.
Geesh where have I seen the alienated techno geek and the smart sexy vaguely foreign brainiac chick hook up before?
Oh yeah, in a million other books.
I hope the book is better than the reviews and synopses.
...but I have to say that "The Chronoliths" would be a cool name for a heavy metal band.
(Sorry for the OT post, but I couldn't resist)
In Soviet Russia, Chuck Norris will still kick your ass.
I'm a pretty picky reader, but I this book was recommended to me, so I decided to give it a try. I was very suprised by how much I got into it. It is a little predictable occasionally, and there are a few spots where it feels a little sparse, but overall it's a very solid book. It is both well written and entertaining, and the author does a good job of explaining the ideas he is exploring without detracting from the plot.
I got the feeling that the author strongly identified with his characters and did his best to imbue them with realistic traits and emotions, which is something sci-fi isn't really known for.
Why would two of them appear?
All you need to do after the first one is make your own, saying "Stop spamming our time period!" They're bound to see it and realize their mistake.
That'll stop them.
--Blair
...that no one has yet noted the parallel between the social unrest (and corresponding government reaction) in the book and the "war on terrorism(tm)" being prosecuted by the United States.
Clearly, the Chronoliths are a weapon of terror (a rather clever one, I might add). And while terror is not the central theme of the book, it clearly is a considerable factor in the economic, social and political upheaval that is the backdrop for the main story line.
I will let each reader decide for him/herself whether there is any conclusion to be drawn or not.
The Author's strength is ability structure his books around unique social themes, and populate his books with a number of interesting ideas. The reviewer pointed out that the main character is a programmer - but his job is actually to 'evolve code', producing algorithms that he doesn't always understand. Unlike many sci-fi stories, where the earth unites around a common enemy - we have a hundred sub sects worshipping these cronoliths or trying to destroy them. That the book is full of such speculations on where our society is headed and how it responds keeps it interesting.
That said, the editor could have taken a chain saw, shredded half the book at random, and it would have been a better read. The authors mediocre style and character development don't warrant the long development sections. This yields a how-to-read it suggestion: If a section starts to bore you: just skip a few paragraphs or pages at a time. You won't miss anything.
As an aside, has anyone noticed the new assumption behind many current works of fiction? In the 90's, we had consipiracy theories. Before that, there were all the Apocolyptic novels. In the past 2 years, many of the near future sci-fi books that I've read take the fall or decline of the United States as a foregone conclusion. Cronoliths is no exception to this new pessimism.
My motto: "A cat is no trade for integrity."
Just? What am I? A troll that lives under a bridge?
If you aren't part of the solution, there is good money to be made prolonging the problem
Suddenly today, my karma changed to 'excellent'. Could this be from the future?
maybe this post will reduce my karma to 'not so excellent'. Only time will tell.
Skiers and Riders -- http://www.snowjournal.com
1995: Florida Wins World Series
The living have better things to do than to continue hating the dead.
Sorry, I don't normally troll, but I've been at work for about thirty hours straight.
- Have a picture
More likely, M$ would buy the chronolith technology, engrave the TCP/IP specification on one, send it back in time, and patent it in the future using the `lith as an example of prior art. Poof- they own the internet.
The possibilities of governments and corporations trying to chronologically trump each other with this technology could be both frightening and humorous.
-Cybrex
"Put CP/M on the PC, not MS-DOS!"
-Chronolith that appeared in Boca Raton, FL, 1980
Boundless Expansion, Self-Transformation, Dynamic Optimism, Intelligent Technology, Spontaneous Order- BEST DO IT SO!
party on Garth
party on Wayne
In Capitalist America, bank robs you!
Depends on what you like reading, really.
Just got hold of "Grass" by Sheri Tapper. Imaginative, good plot, good characters, well-written. Highly recommended.
Heinlein fills in the trashy end of the sci-fi spectrum, kind of the Alastair Maclean or Harold Robbins paperback novel of sci-fi.
If you like conventional fiction that rambles a bit plot-wise but has superb imagery and ideas, you should try "Snow Crash" by Neal Stephenson. Phil Dick and William Gibson both have styles like this as well. All three of these are highly-rated for the visions of the future and the quality of writing.
Asimov's books have great ideas (particularly the robot short stories and novels), but I don't rate the writing much. Usually fun to read though.
Ditto Arthur C Clarke and Kim Stanley Robinson - both very inventive, but I don't rate their writing styles, I'm afraid. Others may disagree, but I think their plots and characters aren't that well shaped, cos they're too interested in the science and "big picture" society, and the actual ppl are kind of an afterthought.
Stephen Donaldson's Gap series is good but it's bloody hard going, and his writing style kind of sucks (he's fond of using obscure words just to brainfuck you, and he keeps using the same ones over and over so his vocab obviously isn't *that* extensive, he's just looked up some stuff in a dictionary). But the plotline and characters are just awesomely done.
My cousin reviewed this book a couple months ago.. although if I recall correctly he said there was no sex in it... which in this case was a good thing, I guess. Anyway, you can check out review for a slightly more insane take on this book if you just can't get enough.
mstyne: real name, no gimmicks
but the sword was in the Metaverse, not reality
Actually, he uses the sword in reality as well - I can't remember the scene exactly, but as one example he was in a large tent in the northwest looking for somebody (related to the raft). Ended up slashing a bit if I recall...
Culture is more than commerce
I have read "The Harvest", and it was pretty good, but just didn't really capture me the way some of his other stuff has. Too derivative of "Childhood's End", maybe? I'm not sure. "Memory Wire" is optional (kind of a departure from his usual style--cyberpunkish, sorta) but I think "A Bridge of Years" is pretty much a must read for RCW fans.
I agree with you about "Mysterium"... it did kind of slack off a bit toward the end. Another really great alternate worlds novel in somewhat the same vein is Kube-Mcdowell's "Alternities" which has got to be one of his less well known books, but IMHO is one of the best.
No relation to Happy Monkey