To describe the novel as just ‘sci-fi’ is to sell it short, as The Quantum Thief intricately weaves a number of other genre stylings into its plot – crime, thriller, heist, action/adventure, and of course bucket-loads of highly futuristic, complex technologies. Jean himself is particularly strong, as he attempts to come to terms with his new-found freedom, the task he is asked to perform, and the disconcerting fact that he does not have his complete memory. His characters are complex and well-rounded, and they are believable (they are “post-human”, which offers some twists). There’s a lot going on in the novel, and Rajaniemi has a great imagination, and such a good written-style that whisks you along with the tale. I have mixed feelings about it, and I’ll freely admit that I struggled with it at the beginning. After a quick look at other blogs I follow, The Quantum Thief came up quite often, and received good reviews, so off I went and purchased it.
Richard Morgan’s Takeshi Kovacs novels, actually, are favourites of mine (and, now that I remember, Morgan’s Market Forces was the first book review I ever wrote, but the final piece was utterly butchered by the editor), and wanted to try something else. I have read and enjoyed science fiction in the past, but for some reason I’ve always preferred fantasy. This week, I decided to try something a little outside of my comfort zone. Readers of CR will know I tend to lean towards fantasy, thrillers, and tie-in science-fiction ( Star Wars, Black Library, etc.). That being said, it’s interesting, highly imaginative, well-paced, and often amusing. Rajaniemi is a gifted author, and writes in oft-sublime prose, but don’t expect to just sink into this universe – I was left a little adrift as I juggled the various terms that were thrown about without much explanation. She offers him a chance to win back his freedom and the powers of his old self – in exchange for finishing the one heist he never quite managed.
Jean’s routine of death, defection and cooperation is upset by the arrival of Mieli and her spidership, Perhonen. Now he is condemned to play endless variations of a game-theoretic riddle in the vast virtual jail of the Axelrod Archons – the Dilemma Prison – against countless copies of himself. His origins are shrouded in mystery, but his exploits are known throughout the Heterarchy – from breaking into the vast Zeusbrains of the Inner System to steal their thoughts, to stealing rare Earth antiques from the aristocrats of the Moving Cities of Mars. Jean le Flambeur is a post-human criminal, mind burglar, confidence artist and trickster. A Science Fiction Heist set amongst a complex and bizarre, post-human civilisation
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