On Mar 13, 8:58=A0pm, Kurt Busiek <k...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
> And now I've finished ROLLING THUNDER (well, actually, I finished it a
> couple of days ago), so a few words on this one.
Ok, I've finished this now...overall, I recommend it.
> I'd heard somewhere that this was the final volume in Varley's
> Heinlein-inspired Martian Series, and I hope it's not. =A0Not merely
> because I've enjoyed reading it, but because I don't think this last
> volume makes much sense as a finale. =A0It reads like a finale, with
that
> cascade of Heinlein titles references toward the end, but, well, so
> much of it is inexplicable if this is the ending.
>
I can see how a lot of people would agree with this, but I'm not
sure. I think maybe this will be the end of the story that Varley is
telling.
> And that brings me back to why I hope it's not the final volume. =A0I
can
> understand the Europan constructs being mysterious, but so much of the
> plot hinges on them, causing developments that never come back
> together, that it feels like setup without resolution. =A0The Europan
> constructs' "whale songs" (for lack of a better term) are the source of
> Podkayne's fame, the reason for her blackouts, her link with Jubal and
> some sort of metaphysical pathway that may lead her to being able to do
> what Jubal does. =A0But...
>
> So what? =A0Her fame doesn't get her much but wish fulfilment and money;
> it doesn't affect Earth or Mars or the crisis. =A0The blackouts don't
> affect anything but her and Jubal. =A0Her link to Jubal makes them a
> couple, but them being a couple doesn't affect the plot any. =A0And by
> the novel's end, her potential ability to do what Jubal does hasn't led
> anywhere except to hints and possibilities. =A0If this is the finale,
> it's all plate-spinning, no resolution.
>
> I'm left wondering -- if they've identified a Europan "whale song," and
> a human has synthesized and expanded on it -- why don't they play it
> back to the Europan constructs? =A0Play it slow, play it loud, whatever.
=
=A0
> Play it on Europa, play it to the constructs on Earth...if it's
> language, showing that we can replicate and modify it should be worth
> something. =A0If it doesn't work, it's a dead end, but if it creates
some
> sort of reaction, well, maybe that might save Earth. =A0Instead, though,
> it's just treated as pop music, and the one person who seems to be able
> to do anything with the constructs' languages is heading out for parts
> unknown.
>
> It just seems to be a complete lack of resolution. =A0There are these
> things, they do weird stuff, they're wrecking Earth, and they affected
> the lead in strange ways, but none of that leads anywhere because she's
> leaving, and we're making no attempts to deal with the weird things. =A0
> Just leaving. =A0But hey, she got rich and famous before she went.
=A0Huh?=
I sort of like this in a way. I think the answer to what the Europan
construts are probably just what Jubal mused that they were...life
forms that just aren't able to notice us. I suppose that would make
it a bit depressing...but clearly Varely is pretty depressed at the
state of the Earth now.
I was a little uneasy at the Jubal/Poddy relationship...that felt more
like late period Heinlein instead of the juvenile Heinlein.
Still, I think it's a good read, and enjoyed the shout outs to the
Heinlein titles in the last chapter (I may have missed some...). I
think Varley is much more sucessful in this mode than Spider Robinson
was with Variable Star (though I didn't hate that book).
I think that the novel works...and I hope it's just not because I want
Varley to get busy writing "Irontown Blues."
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