This evening we'll light 8 candels in our Hanukkah Mennora's.
On this occasion I've decided to highlight the 8 books that made an impression on me in the past year.
Emissaries from the Dead by Adam-Troy Castro
Adam-Troy Castro is such a catchy name, I was sure I've read somehting by him before, but apparently this was by firs Adam-Troy Castro novel.
Emissaries from the Dead is a novel about the interaction between humanity and a god like AI taking place on a cylindrical space station / artificial world.
In places it echoes John Varley's, Titan.
It is an engaging murder investigation and no one is entirely innocent.
But ultimately it is a study of free will in an unjust universe.
How would capitalism react to fines placed on causing extinction?
I was impressed by Beauman's understanding that you don't need to be evil to participate in the ecology's destruction. The extinction industry arseholes aren't competent or smart, just indifferent and greedy.
Making the main arsehole a bumbling Australian was a stroke of genius. especially In the audiobook, that accent makes him friendly and nonthreatening. Otherwise the tension between him and Karin would have been unbearable.
There is allot of info dumping here. I know it's not considered good writing, and it was noticeable but it didn't bother me too much and I guess it helped keep the novel short witch I appreciate.