Appleseed - Hardcover

Clute, John

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0765303787 ISBN 13: 9780765303783

Publisher: Tor Books, 2002

Synopsis

It is the dawn of the fourth millennium, and for trader Nathanael Freer it is business as usual. Tile Dance, his ship, is in the safe hands of KathKirtt, an AI with two minds, and a loyal krewe of cybernetic and android helpers. His latest commission-to deliver a shipment of nano-forges to the planet Eolhxir--is routine enough. All seems okey dokey.

But it is not. A virulent data plague is infecting the local spiral arm of the galaxy all the way from Old Earth. Universal darkness threatens the vast concord of living civilizations. And a trap has been laid that will draw Freer and his lover, Ferocity Monthly-Niece, into an eons-old conflict. His new contract is, in fact, far from routine, and Eolhxir holds the key to everything.

Appleseed is filled with wild high tech, weird aliens, and wonderful vistas. It will dazzle, amaze and delight you.

About this title

Review:

Appleseed is an exuberant and erudite new take on one of science fiction's oldest themes from respected SF critic and scholar John Clute, coeditor of The Encyclopedia of Fantasy and The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction.

On a routine interplanetary delivery run, trader Nathaniel Freer is almost assassinated and forced to flee with a cargo that represents the best hope against the data-destroying "plaque" threatening the universe. The novel chronicles his fight against the forces of entropy, with the help of AIs, aliens, and Johnny Appleseed. It's not plot that drives this book--it's the turbine of Clute's joy in language coupled with layers of allusion to literature, pop culture, and the history of science fiction. This dense, literary postmodern space opera won't appeal to readers who prefer their SF easily digestible: most of the far-future background and lingo aren't defined, and it's possible to feel at sea as new ideas are introduced at a relentless pace. The reader willing to undertake the journey, however, will find a marvelous richness of ideas wrapped in a champagne fizz of language. --Roz Genessee

About the Author:

John Clute, winner of the Pilgrim Award for lifetime contributions to SF and fantasy scholarship, was born in Toronto, Ontario, and for many years has lived in London, England.

About this edition

• Publisher: Tor Books
• Publication date: 2002
• ISBN 10: 0765303787
• ISBN 13: 9780765303783
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 338