Lost in Transmission

Wil McCarthy
Lost in Transmission Cover

Hard SF with a Heart

Triseult
3/24/2012
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I picked up this book on a whim, based on the strange summary of immortals cast out of their home, and unaware that there were two previous books tied to this story. I would recommend that you pick up 'The Collapsium' and 'The Wellstone' before delving into 'Lost in Transmission', but know that the book stands formidably on its own.

I tend to avoid so-called 'hard scifi' books because I prefer a good story to a clever bit of scientific extrapolation. I find hard scifi books to dwelve too much into scientific exposition, as they seem to be too much in love with their own concepts to care about their characters.

This is partly true of Lost in Transmission, but it's far from annoying. The science displayed in this novel is, to be frank, absolutely stunning and well worth the expositions, especially as its workings have major consequences on the rest of the story. Not only does McCarthy tackle a frighteningly original and awe-inspiring concept, but he takes the time to think on its consequences on human life.

And that's what stands so perfectly at the core of this novel... It's the way the technology forms the basis of a fascinating study on human psychology, of a humanity that has no more material need and knows immortality. The protagonists are given this gift, then it slowly falls away from them as the story progresses.

The structure of the novel might seem disjointed, but it is perfectly appropriate for the nature of the story, that of the life of an immortal. The main character changes his mind a few times, gets close then drifts away from friends and lovers... In that regard, the story's pace is perfect for an immortal life, if quite unconventional.

Another thing I found awesome with this novel is the fact that there is no Bad Guy and Good Guy in this story. This means less drama at times, but as a whole, the story is much more satisfying for it.

All in all, I found much more than I expected from Lost in Transmission, and I heartily recommend it to fans of good scifi, hard or otherwise.