(review originally posted on my livejournal account: http://intoyourlungs.livejournal.com)I have never heard of this book before. I've heard of Justina Robson before, but I've never read her or really had any inclination to (not that I think she's a bad author, but the one book I heard about by her, Natural History, looked a little too heavy of a sci-fi for me at the time, so I didn't pay it much mind.) I was more than happy to read it for this month's pick though, and while this is a fairly heavy book (both literally at 500+ pages and figuratively), it was still fun. And that's usually what matters, right?One of the things that made this book so much fun was how everyone was intertwined and related to one another. I didn't pay as much attention to the first chapters found in 'Legends' which was a bit to my disadvantage, because I forgot a lot of the names that I had read there. So, note to readers who may check this book out, make sure to remember the names! I mean, it's kind of obvious because they're there, but they're definitely important, so don't skim those chapters. Especially the one on Guskov. Actually, I don't know what was up with me, but I had a hard time concentrating on this book, which is a shame, because it is really, really good. Part of it was that there were a lot of sciency bits. I try really hard to follow those parts, but they get into all kinds of complicated theory, and I'm really not a science kid. At all. So, my eyes kind of start to glaze over, and because of that, I think I missed some important details. This caused me to be a bit confused at parts. I also could never figure out exactly WHAT Nerve Path was, or the difference between it and Selfware. Again, this isn't Robson's fault, but rather mine, because for whatever reason, I couldn't concentrate on this title very well (but oh how I wanted to.) This didn't really deter the reading experience though, because I did know that the fault was with me. Despite all those science bits confusing me a bit, I was saved by the great cast of characters that Robson has conjured here. I liked pretty much everyone (even Guskov for some reason) with the exception of Mary. I HATED HER. I don't know why I hate her SO much, but I do. I'm sorry, but I just can't feel sorry for her despite her 'woe-is-me' plight over being a double-agent and in love with Jude. I would get upset when he would find himself wanting to sex her and could hear myself screaming in my mind: "NO!! You're meant to be with Natalie even though you've only really met her like, two times. DDD:" The fact that I feel attached and care what these characters do though as shown that Robson has created characters that I *care* about, even when I dislike them. There's all kinds of moral dilemma in this book too, due to Nerve Path and Selfware and Mappa Mundi and all that jazz. The whole "we should follow through with this project because we could control people for the greater GOOD" vs the "yeah, but you could also use it to unethically control people to do a whole lot of BAD" was an engaging topic, and one that will make this book great for discussion. Really, the line for morals and ethics here is somewhat blurred. I mean, yeah, it's unethical to make people believe in democracy when they actually DON'T, or to make people disbelieve in religion when they actually DO, but if it's going to be for the greater good, where do you draw the line? Also, it's stated several times throughout the novel that it won't make people automatons; they'll still be able to more or less think for themselves, so will the effects of the mind-altering really work in the long-run? I don't know, but it was interesting stuff.Final Verdict: Unfortunately I had a hard time concentrating on this title, and I'm not too sure why, but I don't fault the author. However, because of said unable-to-concentradness, I didn't pick up on important details which led me to be a little confused. So with that, I give a word of caution: this isn't a light read and you have to be ready to pay attention when you read. However, despite being a little confused at times, I still really enjoyed this novel. The characters were fantastic, and while I didn't necessarily LIKE everyone (re: Mary; stupid stupid Mary) I still FELT something for each character, and I did really root for the ones I like. There's also all kinds of discussion to be had with this book as it does delve into all kinds of questions of moral ethics. I do want to point out that if you're looking for sci-fi with spaceships and stuff, you won't find it here; this book falls mostly in the speculative fiction umbrella because it mostly takes place in our world as we know it, but with a touch of the futuristic (with gadgets like the Pads, and the whole 'mapping the brain' science going on.) Robson has obviously done her research for this novel as well and it shows. I do think I'll be checking out more Robson in the future; I hope to read Natural History by her, and maybe check out her sci-fi series too (the name eludes me at the moment.) A definite recommend.
Full review can be found on my blog: http://killie-booktalk.blogspot.com/The first thing I noticed when reading the book was that Justina Robson must have put a lot of research into the novel as I could imagine that some of the technologies detailed may really just be around the corner. However, I found that at times it did get quite deep into some of the technicalities and science involved and this felt a little bit to heavy at times. I also found that none of the characters within the novel really appealed to me. I know that some of this was due to the characterisation being weak and inconsistent at times, especially in regards to the supporting characters. However, even the characters that were well rounded and consistent couldn't keep me interested in their predicament. I will say however that the characters were more realistic than some basic good and bad characters, with none of them being completely admirable or despicable in their actions.Overall, I have to say that this was not a book I enjoyed hugely. The parts of the book that should have had me on the edge of my seat just didn't work due to both the overall slow pace of the novel and the characterisation. I suspect some people will really like this book, especially those who would enjoy a deep philosophical dive into psychology, personal freedoms, etc. in the near future but it just wasn't for me.
Do You like book Mappa Mundi (2006)?
After reading Natural History, by Justina Robson, an excellent book, I was very pumped about reading this book by her, Mappa Mundi. But, frankly, I didn't even finish it. Firstly, in her attempts to create a strong viable and believable universe she got mired down in the technicalities that just didn't move the story along. Second, and more importantly, I just didn't care about the characters like I did about the non-human, or near-human Forged characters in Natural History. It just seemed like a sophomoric effort.
—Mark Pantoja
Mappa Mundi is a cleverly written and engrossing sci-fi thriller, with interesting characters who are central to the plot. The story embraces scientific questions about the nature of consciousness (ghost in the machine?) and problems of motivation toward moral action when it conflicts with loyalty and self-interest. The central theme is a struggle between competing individual, political and institutional interests in controlling an emerging biotechnology of mind alteration. The author, Justina Robson, thoroughly develops these themes, although her perspective is dominated by scientific assumptions about the nature of consciousness; but I can't complain too much -- I'm happy that this is well-written and courageously explored science fiction. In the beginning of the book we are introduced to five utterly unrelated central characters through illuminating vignettes in their lives, told from their point of view, followed by a chapter of a dramatic scene involving a fire on an Indian reservation and told from yet another character's point of view, whose significance and interrelationship we slowly come to understand. Robson has incorporated theoretical neuroscience and leading edge medical technology, and included weighty themes of social justice and domination. The narrative is brilliantly paced, with sufficient tension, development, and action to keep one turning pages. I found this book hard to put down, despite my finding some central premises to be barely believable. I note that we're well into the era when it's easy to find bad guys in the powerful interests controlling the United States government and justice system (yes, and well deserved, U.S., way to go.) There is attention to accuracy of setting including York, U.K., and the Shenandoah Valley region of Virginia. My town, Charlottesville, even gets a mention. However, atmosphere is not center stage in this book.There is a much currency to the problem of surreptitious mind control, which we're in the midst of in our societies today. One can become cognizant of how people and culture are being manipulated by powerful corporate and political interests through advertising, entertainment, media messaging, and political sloganeering. I think the forces that act upon our minds are already deeply in play, and we don't need to imagine an elaborate technology to explain how we could be dominated without our realizing it.
—Diana
Really enjoyed the story as a whole. It opens with a series of vignettes, "Legends," mostly set in the childhood of various characters. One of the games I played as I read was figuring out which character had had a legend (this shouldn't have been very hard, given they are all named... but I have a poor memory and I read too fast, so you know. It worked for me). This was a really cool technique. However, the characters are not a strong point - more to the point, I think the female characters are not a strong point. Some of the men weren't great either, but more of them were interesting and appealing and relate-able than women, for me.The story as a whole is a compelling one, dealing as it does with mind-mapping and (potentially) -controlling technology. The world is a very near-future one - even closer than when Robson wrote it, actually, since some of the technology she throws in that in 2001 may have seemed quite 'tomorrow' is already here! Most of the story flows nicely, with only a few only-for-the-narrative moments, none of which were tooo jarring. It's well-paced, and the shifting between characters works nicely to build tension and provide juxtaposition.
—Alexandra
