|
-
Hivemind social net
-
News
- Features
- Blogs
- Events
Calendar
- Editorials
- Monthly
Zine
- Offworld
Report
- Our Daily
RSS Feed
- Google Toolbar scifi
- Movie/TV
Reviews
> Recent movies
> Movies by year
> Movies by title
- Book
Reviews
> Recent books
> Books by year
> Books by title
- Home
- Worlds
- Biography
- Bibliography
- Appearances
- Reviews
- Blog
- Community
- Press
- Links
Become
an Advertiser
- Web
Site Directory
- Search
the Net
- StephenHunt.net
- WoodenRocket.com
- Check
your E-mail
- Non Sci-Fi
News
|
Mappa Mundi by Justina Robson
01/03/2007 . Source: Tomas L. Martin 
pub: Pyr/Prometheus Books. 521 page enlarged paperback. Price: $15.00 (US). ISBN: 1-59102-491-9. Buy Mappa Mundi in the USA - or Buy Mappa Mundi in the UK  check out website: www.pyrsf.com www.pyrsf.com and www.justinarobson.comwww.justinarobson.com
Justina Robson is an extremely promising British SF writer whose British editions of 'Silver Screen' and this book, 'Mappa Mundi', won the Amazon.co.uk writer's Bursary in 2000 as well as nominations for the Arthur C. Clarke award.
Pyr has now released 'Mappa Mundi' in this US edition, a move that has gained the author further recognition for her work. Having read this novel, it's well deserved praise. Robson has a great deal of promise.
'Mappa Mundi' follows characters a few decades into the future, when nano-technology and in particular that concerned with mapping the human brain (the 'Mappa Mundi' of the title) has become a major breakthrough in technology.
Natalie Armstrong, a researcher into the field, becomes alarmed when some of her work is used by US black ops in a botched mind control test. As the work grows closer to completion, her paths cross with FBI agent Jude Westhorpe.
Jude's investigation into a rogue scientist involved in gene manipulation leads him smack into the middle of the rush to utilise mind-mapping technology. As he delves into matters concerning national security both he, Natalie and the people around them are put at risk. It becomes a choice between their lives and stopping the wrong people from controlling everyone else's minds when the Mappa Mundi is completed.
Robson writes well and this near-future thriller has its fair share of excitement. The characters are memorable and detailed and the emotions and relations between them are excellently handled. Natalie and Jude are flawed but interesting characters that are easy to identify with.
The science is interesting but for my tastes a little too broad. When the mind-programming is used the level to which it can change people and the world around them seemed a little unrealistic to me. While an interesting concept, it went a bit too far in the direction of unbelievability in my opinion and the fact that I couldn't buy into the scientific advancements limited my enjoyment and sense of threat to the characters.
The downside to allowing characters the advancements some do in this book is the limitation of threat to them. If your characters are able to do many things the villains cannot, there is no danger and that is a deadly thing to happen to any thriller, for the climax doesn't really have any tension or unpredictability as a result.
'Mappa Mundi' is an excellent second novel, with great characterisation and an intriguing plot idea. It's certainly worth reading and Justina Robson is an extremely promising writer but I felt this book strayed a bit too far in its extrapolation to function as a great thriller. As it is, it's simply a good book.
Tomas L. Martin
|
|
