My review of Echoes of Another: A Novel of the Near Future, by Chandra K. Clarke. This fair and unbiased review was conducted with gratitude for the free electronic copy of the book which I received. The groove. The zone. Whatever you call it, chances are we’ve all experienced it at some point in our lives; that mental state where everything just clicks. Whether it’s work, gaming, studying, it’s a state we all hope to attain and then, crucially, maintain. But what if you could turn that mental state on at will? That’s the question posed by Chandra K. Clarke in her new novel Echoes of Another: A Novel of the Near-Future, in which a scientist (Kel) researching Alzheimer’s Disease manages to create a device which is capable of recording a brain state and playing it back at will. Her intentions are pure, with the aforementioned state of “flow” being her aim, but when the device goes missing, others come up with far less altruistic ideas for the tech. Seen from the viewpoints of multiple characters, the applications for Kel’s device outstrip anything she could have imagined for it.
Set in a not-too-distant-future Toronto, Echoes of Another gives us a vision of the world as it could be soon, with currently existing technology improved upon and mass produced. It is a world with self-driving vehicles, longer lifespans, hydroponic farming and more besides, with everything networked and connected. Digital assistants monitor dietary requirements, with meals produced by fabbers - essentially 3D printers that are capable of creating food as well as objects. Much of the technology in the novel is existing in some form at the moment, but lacks the wider or grander applications it’s put to here, making it essential reading for anyone even vaguely interested in modern technology, futurism, sustainability and environmentalism. The various gadgets and systems in the novel never feel jarring or difficult to rationalise, making the world itself feel meticulously considered and constructed. Body modification adds a touch of cyberpunk to proceedings too, but not enough to push the novel into that genre altogether. To some, indeed many, this world might sound like a utopia, but Clarke isn’t keen on sugar coating her vision of the future - there is still inequality present, with residents of the notorious “J-District” being the worst off. Even with the advances in technology, there are still those who fall through the net, whether through their own doing or bad luck, and the message is clear - technology can’t solve all our problems. And what a lot of problems we would still have. Organised crime, for example, is still a blight in Echoes, but the criminals have become more creative with how they make their money. Ray, one of the main characters of the novel, is our eyes on this, and it’s not long before he’s on his first job for the organisation. Ascending through the ranks as he tries to uncover information for his own ends, Ray is perfectly placed to witness the effects the new “Flow” device has when it hits the streets and falls into the wrong hands. As quickly as one illicit use is discovered for Kel’s invention, two more spring up, the endless imagination and creativity of the populace working against her to repurpose her creation. Parallels are easily drawn between this and real-life examples of leaked intellectual property, as well as jailbreaking and hacking, but the novel doesn’t get bogged down in sermonising on IP law reform, instead focusing on the end users themselves. Whilst some use the technology for the reason Kel created it in the first place, others have some very dark designs on it indeed - without wishing to spoil anything, I’ll just say that these were some of my favourite moments in the novel. They felt like the very best episodes of Black Mirror, where I would keep thinking about the implications, the possibilities and the ethical issues raised long after the credits had rolled. I find I’m still thinking about the ideas in Echoes now, days after finishing it. What would I use such a device for, I wonder? What place would I have in this society of the future? And how long until we’re there ourselves? With multiple protagonists and storylines, Clarke skilfully sets up her world, establishing relationships, motivations and settings, before tweaking it ever so slightly and allowing us to watch what happens. It’s almost as if the novel itself is a carefully designed lab experiment, in which a foreign body is introduced into an environment and we’re invited to observe the effects. Echoes of Another is not just highly believable, it crucially never loses sight of the importance of telling a good story. Thoughtful, imaginative and enjoyable, it’s essential futurist fiction. Echoes of Another: A Novel of the Near Future releases on the 7th of April 2020, published by the wonderfully named Fractal Moose Press. Pre-order your copy here! Currently reading: The Human Son, Adrian J. Walker Currently listening: Scared Straight, New Bomb Turks
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorOllie - BA English and Creative Writing, MA Publishing. Archives
April 2020
Categories
All
|