Rainbows End
Vernor Vinge
The near future is an incredibly difficult thing to attempt to predict, and it is likewise tricky for science fiction authors to create a compelling vision of this future without it seeming, somehow, silly. It must be said, however, that Vernor Vinge pulls the trick off nicely in Rainbow’s End, a book perhaps more notable for its realistic- yet fantastic- extrapolation of current technological trends than for its somewhat schizophrenic plotting. Vinge’s roots in computer science show, but not too blindingly, in his pet future, which emphasizes spatial projections and wearable computer interfaces as two of its main developments. While some of these same developments are a bit unsettling (the possibility of being hijacked, for example, presents incredibly steep consequences regarding the definitions of identity and trust), many seem to flow fairly directly out of our own present, and if they are not always immediately believable they do take on a grudging plausibility as the novel unfolds. Indeed, Vinge’s cardinal sin in the book is perhaps the very completeness and complexity that lies underneath his vision; it is easy to become quickly lost among the gadgets and the book requires a tad too much adjustment time from readers, who may leave the book just as confused about a certain gizmo or capability as when they embarked.
If the technical aspects of the book are thus defined, at least in large part, by the failures of excessive complexity, the plot’s difficulties are utterly dominated by them. Set against the reasonable enough premises of a miracle Alzheimer’s cure and longstanding family drama, the book’s plot quickly takes the shape of a political, high-tech thriller; it is not, however, a hat Vinge wears particularly well. Part of this shortcoming can be attributed to character development that only comes in quick spurts, or which is based too prominently on trusting the author rather than viewing the characters themselves. There are hints of subtlety, but hints alone, and one suspects that Vinge may have initially had the goal of developing a character-centered tale, only to get lost in his world of technical wonderments. And what a world it is! A book-altering bit of technical possibility regarding its most elusive character is deployed at just the wrong moment, screaming "Deus Ex Machina!" while credibility is cast aside. Yet even this crucial piece of the puzzle cannot connect the tangled twists that often pile confusion upon confusion. It’s near impossible to attempt to sort out motives, and thus make real sense of the plot as it reaches its head, and it is here that the lack of delicacy with regard to the characters really hampers the novel’s possibilities.
This is a shame, really, because Vinge does display some very intriguing talent, and deploys some interesting concepts. Ultimately, however, the book is just too slightly complicated for its own good, though Vinge deserves utmost credit for wrapping it all up with just a hint of not-so-neat ambiguity that is absolutely delicious. Geeks will find much to celebrate within the story as well, and the possibilities Vinge explores certainly pave the way for important conversations about the role digital media forms currently play in our lives, and the ways in which they can morph for better and for worse. Thus, despite failing somewhat seriously on the more traditionally literary fronts, Rainbows End is, to my mind, a novel worth reading. The maddening confusion I often felt was unable to assuage my curiosity, and the book is so rife with possibilities that it is difficult not to feel a kind of affection, or at least to hold out some hope that things can be wrapped up neatly with a little bow, after all. Rainbows End is not a great novel, nor is it a great failure, but it rises just above the mediocre due to its possibilities, both in a literary and a technical sense; it is so Almost There that it can’t quite succeed or fail, and readers are left to happily soak up its potential.
Grade: B
Vernor Vinge
The near future is an incredibly difficult thing to attempt to predict, and it is likewise tricky for science fiction authors to create a compelling vision of this future without it seeming, somehow, silly. It must be said, however, that Vernor Vinge pulls the trick off nicely in Rainbow’s End, a book perhaps more notable for its realistic- yet fantastic- extrapolation of current technological trends than for its somewhat schizophrenic plotting. Vinge’s roots in computer science show, but not too blindingly, in his pet future, which emphasizes spatial projections and wearable computer interfaces as two of its main developments. While some of these same developments are a bit unsettling (the possibility of being hijacked, for example, presents incredibly steep consequences regarding the definitions of identity and trust), many seem to flow fairly directly out of our own present, and if they are not always immediately believable they do take on a grudging plausibility as the novel unfolds. Indeed, Vinge’s cardinal sin in the book is perhaps the very completeness and complexity that lies underneath his vision; it is easy to become quickly lost among the gadgets and the book requires a tad too much adjustment time from readers, who may leave the book just as confused about a certain gizmo or capability as when they embarked.
If the technical aspects of the book are thus defined, at least in large part, by the failures of excessive complexity, the plot’s difficulties are utterly dominated by them. Set against the reasonable enough premises of a miracle Alzheimer’s cure and longstanding family drama, the book’s plot quickly takes the shape of a political, high-tech thriller; it is not, however, a hat Vinge wears particularly well. Part of this shortcoming can be attributed to character development that only comes in quick spurts, or which is based too prominently on trusting the author rather than viewing the characters themselves. There are hints of subtlety, but hints alone, and one suspects that Vinge may have initially had the goal of developing a character-centered tale, only to get lost in his world of technical wonderments. And what a world it is! A book-altering bit of technical possibility regarding its most elusive character is deployed at just the wrong moment, screaming "Deus Ex Machina!" while credibility is cast aside. Yet even this crucial piece of the puzzle cannot connect the tangled twists that often pile confusion upon confusion. It’s near impossible to attempt to sort out motives, and thus make real sense of the plot as it reaches its head, and it is here that the lack of delicacy with regard to the characters really hampers the novel’s possibilities.
This is a shame, really, because Vinge does display some very intriguing talent, and deploys some interesting concepts. Ultimately, however, the book is just too slightly complicated for its own good, though Vinge deserves utmost credit for wrapping it all up with just a hint of not-so-neat ambiguity that is absolutely delicious. Geeks will find much to celebrate within the story as well, and the possibilities Vinge explores certainly pave the way for important conversations about the role digital media forms currently play in our lives, and the ways in which they can morph for better and for worse. Thus, despite failing somewhat seriously on the more traditionally literary fronts, Rainbows End is, to my mind, a novel worth reading. The maddening confusion I often felt was unable to assuage my curiosity, and the book is so rife with possibilities that it is difficult not to feel a kind of affection, or at least to hold out some hope that things can be wrapped up neatly with a little bow, after all. Rainbows End is not a great novel, nor is it a great failure, but it rises just above the mediocre due to its possibilities, both in a literary and a technical sense; it is so Almost There that it can’t quite succeed or fail, and readers are left to happily soak up its potential.
Grade: B
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