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The human race has been wiped out from Earth by mysterious and ineffable entities and forced to colonize other planets in the solar system.
“Bronson said there are three levels of intelligence in the universe. Above all are the Jovians and the Invaders. One step below are dolphins and whales. Humans, birds, bees, beavers, ants, and corals are not considered intelligent. No one knows if this is right, but it's all we have.”
“STARLINE LTD.
TOPSECRET; CLASS AAA ONLY
SUBJECT: TRANSMISSION HOTLINE OPHIUCUS AT 1249 HOURS 44.3 SECONDS UT, 8/14/570.”
It is the providential connection via laser, through the star 70 Ophiuchi that for years has sent, as a sort of intergalactic line, a torrential amount of technological information, allowing humanity to continue its path of survival in the vast cosmos.
“But the Ophiuchians had not shown much interest either in talking about themselves or in doing anything other than sending oceans of engineering data.”
Varley is above all a writer of concepts and inventions, almost prodigious. The psychological aspect of the characters is not particularly pondered, sometimes resulting in a secondary position compared to the elaborate structure of the work. Despite this, the protagonists possess a good degree of originality, especially as they are inserted and developed in a suggestive first-rate technological and science fiction context.
“She knew how her first clone, Lilo 2, had died. Then there was Lilo 3, who had killed Mari and had also been captured and killed. No one wanted to tell her what had happened to Lilo 4, who must have been the smartest of the group. Or the most frightened. She had lasted a year. She was Lilo 5.”
The impressive amount of ideas contained is perhaps excessive to a level such that in certain sections the reading might be bewildering. It must be considered a debut novel, and overall it is considered an exceptional seminal work. The author has a chance to indulge in fascinating hyper-technological topics such as planetary transformations, immortality through cloning, memorization of previous experiences, and symbiosis with other beings.
“The symmetry of the concept is astounding. Every human-symb couple is a closed ecological system that only needs sunlight and a small amount of solid material. The plant symb collects sunlight from space and uses it to transform human waste materials and carbon dioxide into food and oxygen. At the same time, it protects the fragile human being from the void and excessive heat and cold.”
Even black holes are exploited as an energy source.
“If we throw something, anything, but not too big, into it, the black hole’s gravity compresses it. And it compresses it so violently as to provoke all the nuclear reactions you can think of. A lot of matter is destroyed, and that means energy to draw from for our needs.”
“BUY EROTICON, USE IT, EAT IT, SPREAD IT ON YOURSELF, REMOVE IT BY MASSAGING, COP WITH IT.
MAKE AN OFFER TO THE PERSONALITY BANK.”
F©
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