dionysus1999 | Another irregular book review

Just finished Elizabeth Bear's Undertow.     This one didn't quite grab me the way some of her other books did. I had trouble accepting that the characters would act the way they did to a guy they knew had recently assassinated a friend of theirs. Even if it turned out she was a quantum clone.

The alien critters, ranids, didn't grab me either. I'm not sure why.   Overall, I do think the novel was enjoyable. If I was her editor I might have overhauled the sections that don't work as well for me.

I was left wanting more details on the strange tech, based on quantum entanglement, that she created.    I was confused about what a quantum clone was and how it was different than a regular clone.   I got the idea it was kind of a downloaded personality, but it wasn't made clear to me.   I might have just missed her exposition on this.   I think I'll re-read this book in a few years and see if my opinions have changed.