This was my second Sawyer book, and to my surprise, the second "decode an alien message" story from him (the other being the novel "Rollback").
Both books use that puzzle to carry along other human problems, giving Sawyer ample time to develop characters that we like.
"Factoring Humanity" was a very quick read, and I liked the depth his characters here had. The science was extremely mystical, however, and that cop-out has never made me happy when I've found it. If the real world winds up with all humanity wired into each other, I'll be sorely disappointed. I happen to actually *like* individuality.
Anyway. The book was actually still a fun read, the characters were enjoyable, and the situation presented was interesting.
Four stars.
Both books use that puzzle to carry along other human problems, giving Sawyer ample time to develop characters that we like.
"Factoring Humanity" was a very quick read, and I liked the depth his characters here had. The science was extremely mystical, however, and that cop-out has never made me happy when I've found it. If the real world winds up with all humanity wired into each other, I'll be sorely disappointed. I happen to actually *like* individuality.
Anyway. The book was actually still a fun read, the characters were enjoyable, and the situation presented was interesting.
Four stars.
Robert Sawyer is one of the finest sci-fi writers, but so rare in that his fiction appeals to a wide audience. This is a fascinating story with excellent character development. Highly recommended!!
I really like it when sci-fi is thoroughly researched enough that you might actually learn something real from it; this book could double as a textbook supplement for that very reason. Good stuff.
Well done story by Sawyer - fans of his other works should be disappointed.
Like many other books by Robert Sawyer this book does not disappoint the reader. It is engrossing and fast paced.
