PLOT SUMMARY

One might think this is novel about a mission to Mars --maybe it is. Standard sci-fi, one might think at a glance. But the setup is rather different here: think instead standard dark future with NASA and space travel. The United States has collapsed. Riots have shredded the country's infrastructure, the economy is shot, and a third world war (of sorts) in North Africa has damaged the psyche of the nation. Now the welfare of the common people has been dumped into the hands of large multi-national corporations, entities like Pulsystems who now feed the unemployed, rebuild the public roads, bring back law and order to the cities (or so says their propaganda). Now this same company wants to send a group of astronauts back to Mars, to find out what really happened to the Frontera colony. If you guessed that there were hidden motives for this, you'd probably be on to something. Though the writing style seemsy sparse next to Gibson or Sterling, it's not half bad. There are some great instances of corporate megalomania and a good dose of science (which may or may not be sketchy). But hey, it has mutant super-intelligent kids developing new, mind-bendingly powerful tech. It has Zen, the ever-hip I Ching, and far fetched quantum physics thrown in for kicks. And even a neurological implant designed to repo the body and force its actions (much like post-hypnotic suggestion). So it's not bad, though only a small part of it (the corporate world takeover stuff) is especially relevant to cyberpunk.