Distraction - Bruce Sterling > Reviews > Entertaining vision of an anarchic dystopia

Author's product rating:   

Would you listen to it again?	Absolutely
Story	Good
Characters	Outstanding
Listenability	A good listen when you've got the time
How does it compare to audio works by the same author?	Excellent

Advantages:	Excellent vision of dystopian future America, engaging characters
Disadvantages:	Imagined political structures and situations may be too radical for some

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

This novel, written by one of the pioneers of the cyberpunk movement, is nevertheless quite different from the usual cyberpunk fare. There are no all-powerful corporations or Big-Brother style government surveillence systems; instead, American society has broken down into groups of freewheeling "road proles" with no real political representation, enclaves of powerful local government (such as the charismatic "Green Huey"'s Lousiana), and scores of splintered factions which are the remnants of political parties. This is a world where "Federal Democrat" is a minority group in politics, and "White Anglo-Saxon Protestant" is a "minority background."

This vision of America is interesting and well-explored in itself; however, the real star of the novel is its hero, political campaigner Oscar Valparaiso. Oscar is a truly likeable character, and his relationship with the equally engaging members of his campaign krewe and the scientist Dr. Greta Penninger allow him to develop further thoughout the novel. His relationship with Greta in particular is particularly interesting and well-developed. Oscar himself throws himself into his politcal battles with gusto, and begins to come across as a principled fighter for the ideals and values he respects, as well as for the well-being of those around him, without ever becoming too much like a wooly idealist.

I've already read this novel twice, and may soon do so again (spurred on, no doubt, by writing this review!). Distraction blends the development of one of the more engaging heroes of science fiction with an enjoyable romance and a highly interesting, if perhaps a little implausible vision of the future. I can highly recommend it to anyone with even a passing interest in science fiction or the future of America and politics in general. Enjoy!