The Forbidden Planet International Blog Log

Annoyingly after discussing the shortlist for this year’s Prometheus awards – given for Libertarian science fiction – earlier in the year here on the blog, I missed the winners being announced at the weekend’s World SF Convention in Yokohama. Fortunately Dave Langford’s indispensable Ansible newsletter had the details and I am delighted to see that one of my favourite writers, Edinburgh-based Charlie Stross, won for his novel Glasshouse. The film version of Alan Moore and David Lloyd’s V For Vendetta was also honoured by the Promethus folks. Glasshouse was published in the UK this spring by Orbit and has a very Stross-like mixture of high concept SF with interesting characters and a fair dollop of dark humour as a group of people allow themselves to be talked into taking part in a closed social experiment in a sealed environment with no outside contact (the Glasshouse of the title), ostensibly to explore the ‘dark ages’ – the period just before massive computing, roughly around our present day – by recreating a simulacrum of the society and expecting the participants to act out roles according to the period.

This leads to misunderstandings and no small amount of humour regarding ideas like working for a living and gender roles in such a society and with set tasks to earn points there is a clear dig at odious ‘reality’ shows like Big Brother along the way. The thing is, could there be more to this experiment than the scientists are letting on? Or is that just paranoia brought on by the participant’s partial memory loss and strange environment? As the book unfolds Charlie explores the notions of what makes a person that person, especially in a society where memories can be edited and bodies exchanged (giving scope to literal identity theft), the changing roles of authority, religion and the imposition of a fixed ideology on others. It’s a cracking work, bristling with ideas with obvious parallels to our present day world (as all the best science fiction has) but Charlie has also made it a gripping read – there are points where you do wonder if the central characters are right in their growing suspicions or simply paranoid – with elements of 1984, reality shows, the Stepford Wives mixing with musings on technology, anthropology and individuality, all leavened by humour. Gripping, very relevant to today, clever and funny – bit like Charlie himself, come to think of it. Well worth picking up – and if you enjoy that Orbit has paperbacks of Charlie’s Jennifer Morgue and Atrocity Archives (described as “the world’s first science fiction/Lovecraftian horror/Humorous spy thriller”) to devour as well, again all recommended.

And in a great piece of timing Glasshouse is the book we’re going to be talking about for the September meeting of the Edinburgh SF Book Group, which will take place in the usual venue of Henderson’s on Hanover Street in the city’s New Town from 6 to 7pm on Tuesday 25th – details for meetings can be found on the Book Group’s blog and all are welcome to join in.