SF Reviews background image SF Reviews logo image
Contact SF Reviews   |   Get the Newsletter 

Biased and superficial Science Fiction reviews

           
     
Someone To Watch Over Me

Copyright 1997 by Tricia Sullivan

In Association with Amazon.com In Association with Amazon.co.uk
SOJALS rating:     
one SOJALS point one SOJALS point no SOJALS point no SOJALS point no SOJALS point    Mediocre (2/5)

I first read this in 1997 and most recently on the 16th June 2006

The Deep is the high tech criminal underworld. It'a illicit and dangerous. For those that venture there, the rewards can be high: fantastic new neuro-technology embodied in the form of biological plants.

Adrien Reyes is the recipient of one of these neuro-plants, and it allows his consciousness to support a silent partner, "C", who observes the world through his eyes, hears through his ears and feels through his body. At the beginning the hidden presence of this Watcher, C, simply gave his life meaning but now it no longer seems such an innocent idea, now it is more an abusive slavery and C is neither as gentle nor as passive as Adrien originally thought. Now Adrien has been sorely injured in the service of C and he's running for his life.

Sabina is a composer. She's excited by this illicit technology because she believes it will allow music to be communicated purely and without the restrictions and constraints of live performance. She's going to learn what Adrien already knows. This gift tecnology comes with a heavy price. It may cost her life.

This is good and darn near excellent. There's real drama - and humour - especially at the beginning of the novel. I did thoroughly enjoy the characters, and the way they all developed through the course of the novel. It fails for me because some of the ideas introduced just don't make sense: I loved the idea of the Deep, but how did it actually operate? How did the plants work? And for what does HIT stand? Now I can guess that it might be Human Interface Technology, but for all I really know it might be Hettie In Treacle.

Hold on a minute. I'd never made the connection! The Tricia Sullivan that wrote "Lethe" (which I've always really, really liked) and this book is the same Tricia Sullivan that wrote the Magnificent "Maul" and "Double Vision"! Astonishing! And a bit embarrassing that I'd never made the connection.

Apparently, Ms Sullivan also made an appearance on "Space Cadets" way back in 1997 but you probably knew that already.

Loaded on the 15th July 2006.
    
Cover of Someone To Watch Over Me
Cover art by M. H. Anthony

Reviews of other works by Tricia Sullivan:
Lethe
Maul
Sound Mind
Occupy Me