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Cyteen (Unionside #2)
by
C.J. Cherryh (Goodreads Author)
In a futuristic world of cybernetics, two young friends become trapped in an endless nightmare of suspicion, surveillance, programmable servants, a centuries-old ruling class, and an enigmatic woman who rules them all. Reprint.
Founded in 2201 by a group of dissident scientists and engineers, the Cyteen star system includes the planet Cyteen and Cyteen Inner and Outer Stati...more
Founded in 2201 by a group of dissident scientists and engineers, the Cyteen star system includes the planet Cyteen and Cyteen Inner and Outer Stati...more
Paperback, 688 pages
Published
November 1st 1989
by New English Library (imprint of Hodder & Stoughton Ltd)
(first published 1988)
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Christmas 2010: I realised that I had got stuck in a rut. I was re-reading old favourites again and again, waiting for a few trusted authors to release new works. Something had to be done.
On the spur of the moment I set myself a challenge, to read every book to have won the Locus Sci-Fi award. That’s 35 books, 6 of which I’d previously read, leaving 29 titles by 14 authors who were new to me.
While working through this reading list I got married, went on my honeymoon, switched career and became...more
5.0 stars (going on 5.5 to 6.0 stars). This is one of the most brilliantly written books I have ever read and I believe is a work of special genius (no pun intended based on the subject matter of the book). This is not an EASY book to read and is not what I would describe as TONS of FUN. It is a complex, richly detailed, psychological science fiction mystery peopled by characters of vast intellect and extreme cunning. This makes the story one in whiuch the reader must pay close attention. Howeve...more
OMG! What a book! Best Cherryh yet! Now I have to read Forty-thousand in Gehenna and Regenesis! I can see why it won the Hugo. It's non stop psychological thriller with so many plot twists and unexpected turns that one can hardly keep up. She makes me hate a character and then come to understand them if not like them in a most interesting way, uncovering layers and layers of meaning.
I could hardly put it down and am now sad that it's over and I'll have to get myself involved in another book to g...more
I could hardly put it down and am now sad that it's over and I'll have to get myself involved in another book to g...more
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I enjoyed this book very much. It fascinated me on a level that I find myself following in Cherryh's footsteps even though this is really the first of her major works (second overall) that I've ever read. That's cool, but scary, but not surprising, given that authors I do love and admire have found such a strong influence is Cherryh's work. I think, sometime when I really want to study the entanglement of science and plot and character, I may re-read this beast and really study it. Not for the w...more
Read the full review here.
The scope of this novel is huge: an in depth study of power, examination of the difference in the psychology of a ‘natural-born’ person and that of a manufactured mind, the story of a ruthless genius, her death and subsequent cloning, and the experiences of the clone herself, who is intended to replace the greatest mind in history and succeeds more completely than anticipated. The large scope makes the novel clunky in some places, but for the most part it is very engagi...more
The scope of this novel is huge: an in depth study of power, examination of the difference in the psychology of a ‘natural-born’ person and that of a manufactured mind, the story of a ruthless genius, her death and subsequent cloning, and the experiences of the clone herself, who is intended to replace the greatest mind in history and succeeds more completely than anticipated. The large scope makes the novel clunky in some places, but for the most part it is very engagi...more
Some people have complained about Cyteen being too long. The reason is because Cyteen was originally written as a three book series. Most people would do better to get the original three paperbacks and read them instead but be warned: C.J. Cherryh is not a writer for people who like short books. She writes for people who want a long, in-depth read and who aren't afraid of being plunged into a world full of new and often confusing terms, ideas, and vocabulary.
Books such as this are usually writte...more
Books such as this are usually writte...more
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Cyteen by C.J. Cherryh. A 680-page paperback but don't be fooled. I'm pretty sure this novel chalks in at 300K+ words. It certainly weighs a few pounds.
A third of the way through, I'm calling it quits. I might pick it up again if there's nothing else in the house to read. But definitely some other time.
The writing itself is very good. Literally, that is the only thing that kept me going (and the hope things would suddenly get interesting). Cherryh's portrait of the universe has a lot of richness...more
A third of the way through, I'm calling it quits. I might pick it up again if there's nothing else in the house to read. But definitely some other time.
The writing itself is very good. Literally, that is the only thing that kept me going (and the hope things would suddenly get interesting). Cherryh's portrait of the universe has a lot of richness...more
I'm not entirely sure why Goodreads doesn't haven't Cyteen available as one book (versus three), especially given the fact that CJ Cherryh does not consider it three separate books, but this review is for the entire thing. In one word: wow. This book is absolutely amazing in scope covering everything from anthropology, to genetics, to politics, to psychology in one compelling and exciting sci fi story. The world set-up at the beginning is kind of hard going but once you get into it this book is...more
Spoilers ahead!
I try to read every Hugo Award nominee. For a reason I don’t remember, I never read Cyteen by C.J. Cherryh when it was nominated in 1989. Maybe my library didn’t have a copy; maybe I was intimidated by the length of the book (680 densely packed pages) (or I didn’t have enough time to finish); or perhaps I had read stuff by Cherryh before and had been underwhelmed. Whatever the reason, I recently decided to give Cyteen a try after I read a blog post extolling its virtues. In fact,...more
I try to read every Hugo Award nominee. For a reason I don’t remember, I never read Cyteen by C.J. Cherryh when it was nominated in 1989. Maybe my library didn’t have a copy; maybe I was intimidated by the length of the book (680 densely packed pages) (or I didn’t have enough time to finish); or perhaps I had read stuff by Cherryh before and had been underwhelmed. Whatever the reason, I recently decided to give Cyteen a try after I read a blog post extolling its virtues. In fact,...more
1 like · like · see review
If asked for a one-sentence summary (which I recognize is doomed to fall short), I would say: Brave New World, cubed. By that I mean, similar themes are to be found, but considered with a new depth of realism, complexity of plot, and philosophical dimension that make it a kind of successor to the classic. Having said that, I feel obliged to qualify that this book is not dystopian like that one, and those themes are just one part of a larger tapestry.
I give this book 3.85 stars on the Goodreads s...more
I give this book 3.85 stars on the Goodreads s...more
There is not much I can say about this book without digressing into emotional rambling, so I will keep it short. This is one of my favorite (if not my absolute favorite) novels, largely because of the rich, relatable characters, and the amazing sense of environment. I love the way this book draws me in, making it impossible for me not to sympathize with even the most unlikable of the characters. I love that the tension of the story was enough to have me reading through my fingers at certain poin...more
This book took awhile to get through, but it was worth it. The characters were believable and complex, as well as highly intelligent. It was interesting to observe the social dynamics of the brilliance; sort of like Flowers For Algernon, in that both the highly independent and the high dependent are ostracized from normal human relationships. The precocious grow up far too quickly and knowing too much.
The book also includes a great deal of my favorite subject, psychology. In fact, it deals with...more
The book also includes a great deal of my favorite subject, psychology. In fact, it deals with...more
For some reason this took me a very long time to read. I just kept losing focus, losing interest, losing the thread. I have been very stressed out lately, however, so I'm not sure it's the book's fault.
Cyteen is a semi-inhospitable world that has become the center of the Union, a far-future federation of human space colonists who have left Earth, the Alliance and the power-hungry Company behind. The main power on Cyteen is Reseune, a scientific facility that researches personality creation, meme...more
Cyteen is a semi-inhospitable world that has become the center of the Union, a far-future federation of human space colonists who have left Earth, the Alliance and the power-hungry Company behind. The main power on Cyteen is Reseune, a scientific facility that researches personality creation, meme...more
1 like · like · see review
One-sentence summary:
When the de facto leader of Cyteen, Special Ariane Emory, is murdered, the Warrick family is scapegoated, but her psychogenesis program soon goes underway nonetheless.
Pros:
1. No dumbing down for the reader! Cherryh's a big fan of introducing terms and information that's not really explained or properly introduced until much, much later. [Admittedly, I can't tell whether this is rather deliberate, or if Cherryh is just a somewhat lazy writer.] Especially at the beginning, I k...more
When the de facto leader of Cyteen, Special Ariane Emory, is murdered, the Warrick family is scapegoated, but her psychogenesis program soon goes underway nonetheless.
Pros:
1. No dumbing down for the reader! Cherryh's a big fan of introducing terms and information that's not really explained or properly introduced until much, much later. [Admittedly, I can't tell whether this is rather deliberate, or if Cherryh is just a somewhat lazy writer.] Especially at the beginning, I k...more
I clicked on 4 stars for the book, but would have given it somewhat less than that. Cyteen is well written, has an interesting future society, has views of human engineering and some other positive aspects. It also has quite a bit of character detail for those who want that. Personally, I felt the detail went to more length than desirable - turning a 500 or 600 page book into a 700 page book.
My mixed feelings about the book include two other areas. First, the book ends at what in some senses is...more
My mixed feelings about the book include two other areas. First, the book ends at what in some senses is...more
Finished this book about Sept. 23.
A slow start because there was so much background to set up. A very good ending where the good guys are finally championed by the young clone of the founder, Ariane Emory, of the scientific center of Reseune on the partially terraformed planet of Cyteen.
Reseune, thru the brilliant Ariane, developed and refined cloning to a very advanced degree and has a monopoly on the business of cloning and genetic engineering for the whole of human space, including Earth. T...more
A slow start because there was so much background to set up. A very good ending where the good guys are finally championed by the young clone of the founder, Ariane Emory, of the scientific center of Reseune on the partially terraformed planet of Cyteen.
Reseune, thru the brilliant Ariane, developed and refined cloning to a very advanced degree and has a monopoly on the business of cloning and genetic engineering for the whole of human space, including Earth. T...more
I read this first in my early teens--a little young for the book in some ways, but I was so enraptured with the density of ideas, the sensawonda, and above all with young Ari that it became a firm favorite. I've read it a few times since then, and found myself, on my first reading in a decade or so, reading it with as much pleased nostalgia as pleasure in the book itself. The political manoeuvrings are positively Byzantine, some of the setup slightly unbelievable, and the ending rather aggravati...more
I can see why this book won a Nebula. It's quite good! It's not the usual kind of ethical questioning about cloning, but it's still interesting. I'm not sure how realistic any of it is, but that's ok. If I slept more (i haz baby), I'd be tempted to think deeply about what this book is really writing about. It has a lot of academia shades in it, and I do wonder if that's really what she's talking about. But I digress. From Downbelow Station, I wasn't sure what to expect on Cyteen and in Union Spa...more
I'm an absolute nerd for anything dealing with bioethics and what it means to be human, so this book hit most of my literary go-to spots.
Honestly, my only real criticism is that the ending felt too abrupt. I don't know if this is because I wanted the story to just keep going (even though it's already something of a huge monster book; I listened to the audiobook, which was something in the neighborhood of 36 hours) or because it did feel like it wrapped up too soon. Even so, I loved the character
...more
Not really comfortable with writing reviews, but giving it a shot -
Cyteen was a long, but enjoyable read. I was fascinated by Cherryh's arguments and definitions of power, survival, and self from within the scope of an individual. As a treatise on the theory of personality, including development of the ideas of self vs other, altruism, need structures, social order, and personal bonds, Cherryh did a remarkable job tying all these assorted facets together in a single, cohesive work, even if some...more
Cyteen was a long, but enjoyable read. I was fascinated by Cherryh's arguments and definitions of power, survival, and self from within the scope of an individual. As a treatise on the theory of personality, including development of the ideas of self vs other, altruism, need structures, social order, and personal bonds, Cherryh did a remarkable job tying all these assorted facets together in a single, cohesive work, even if some...more
This is not a quick read, coming in at about 680 pages, and I almost quit before I reached page 100. I am very glad I stuck it out, as this was an excellent book! It had everything: science fiction, political intrigue, murder, well-developed characters, and a great storyline.
My one problem with it was that some of the science fiction language was tricky and came without explanation. The more I read, however, the clearer a lot of it became, although there were still terms that I never understood....more
My one problem with it was that some of the science fiction language was tricky and came without explanation. The more I read, however, the clearer a lot of it became, although there were still terms that I never understood....more
An intense, riveting novel with a murder mystery secreted inside. Clones, the definition of a human, relationships between "born men" and clones, between humans and humans, between clone and clone, the question of how moral it is to create a copy of another human being for any reason at all, let alone to generate a ready work force -- these are all questions considered within this book's pages. Cyteen will leave you thinking about its characters and its conflicts long after the first read is don...more
I finally have this book in e-book form since it's kinda hard to order it and have it arrive in an hour. :))
I read Rebirth when I was in high school and love it and couldn't wait to get my hands on the other two novels. Unfortunately it was not very easy, unlike Narnia novels which were available at the library I work for.
Anyway, I just couldn't help it, I read it in jumping sequence. Sometimes to the middle, to the front, and then to the back. My favorite character would be Florian and Justin....more
I read Rebirth when I was in high school and love it and couldn't wait to get my hands on the other two novels. Unfortunately it was not very easy, unlike Narnia novels which were available at the library I work for.
Anyway, I just couldn't help it, I read it in jumping sequence. Sometimes to the middle, to the front, and then to the back. My favorite character would be Florian and Justin....more
First off, this is a tough read. It really picks up after the first 100 pages, but getting through those 100 pages takes some determination. It also gets very technical and bogged down in detailed descriptions of political machinations at times, which I find hard to follow.
That being said, it's got some very interesting ideas. It's worth sticking with, because the story involving AE2 growing up and finding out who her predecessor was and what she is is very good. I also found the science behind...more
That being said, it's got some very interesting ideas. It's worth sticking with, because the story involving AE2 growing up and finding out who her predecessor was and what she is is very good. I also found the science behind...more
This is what could be considered an omnibus of The Betrayal, The Rebirth, and The Vindication; which is how I originally read this. I must admit that I loved the artwork when I read it as three novels. However, I happened upon a copy of the book as the author wanted it published and could not resist re-reading it! Of course it was even better than I remembered, and even better was the news that after about 20 years she has a “4th” story, Regenesis… I will have to get it and read it!! If you are...more
Re-read in preparation for the sequel.
Complex, unrelenting, expansive, focused, and the ending still drops an anvil on my head. I first read this when I was too young to understand a lot of it, and to this day I feel as though each turn through it just gives it shading (definitely darker). I find some characters despicable, others compelling, and one in particular I can't make up my mind about. They are, I think, convincingly brilliant far beyond the reader, yet engaged in problems I can (with s...more
Complex, unrelenting, expansive, focused, and the ending still drops an anvil on my head. I first read this when I was too young to understand a lot of it, and to this day I feel as though each turn through it just gives it shading (definitely darker). I find some characters despicable, others compelling, and one in particular I can't make up my mind about. They are, I think, convincingly brilliant far beyond the reader, yet engaged in problems I can (with s...more
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Apr 07, 2013
Guillaume Boivin
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
amazing-reads
What can I say, that's the one book she wrote that I waited for as long as I could to read because I knew she'd won prizes for it. And, by god, was I not disappointed. This is one of those books that prove once and for all that science-fiction is a solid and serious genre not to be mistakenly taken as light entertainment. It remind us that science fiction is not about shooting people in spaceships but about asking ourselves how we will react once we are facing these situations and these technolo...more
Jul 21, 2009
Catherine Siemann
rated it
2 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommended to Catherine by:
Heather & Beth
Shelves:
book-group-books
What good science fiction excells at is the exploration of ideas and possbilities -- in the case of Cyteen (which is a dreadful title and fortunately has nothing to do with cybernetic teenagers), ideas about cloning, genetic manipulation, nature/nurture, identity and so forth. The novel handles these well, though in a world where they are so accepted that perhaps the larger questions don't get the exploration they might. But in 680 pages of political intrigue, scientific possibilities, and human...more
Okay. This book is LONG. The first 200 pages were good but slow, and I was on the verge of giving up, but I persevered and things started to pick up, and then got better and better all the way to the end. I can't think of a single non-spoilery thing to say about this book (and I do try to write non-spoilery reviews, on general principle), except that it's about cloning and replicants and lots of trippy paranoid psych stuff. I'm so glad I read it, and I think I could read the book 2 or 3 more tim...more
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anyone else certain they know? | 6 | 35 | Aug 03, 2012 09:23am | |
| Cyteen | 1 | 21 | Nov 13, 2011 10:06am |
Currently resident in Spokane, Washington, C.J. Cherryh has won four Hugos and is one of the best-selling and most critically acclaimed authors in the science fiction and fantasy field. She is the author of more than forty novels. Her hobbies include travel, photography, reef culture, Mariners baseball, and, a late passion, figure skating: she intends to compete in the adult USFSA track. She began...more
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“He said sometimes when you're young you have to think about things, because you're forming your value-sets and you keep coming up with Data Insufficient and finding holes in your programs. So you keep trying to do a fix on your sets. And the more powerful your mind is and the more intense your concentration is, the worse damage you can do to yourself, which is why, Justin says, Alphas always have trouble and some of them go way off and out-there, and why almost all Alphas are eccentric. But he says the best thing you can do if you're too bright for your own good is what the Testers do, be aware where you got which idea, keep a tab on everything, know how your ideas link up with each other and with your deep-sets and value-sets, so when you're forty or fifty or a hundred forty and you find something that doesn't work, you can still find all the threads and pull them.
But that's not real easy unless you know what your value-sets are, and most CITs don't. CITs have a trouble with not wanting to know that kind of thing. Because some of them are real eetee once you get to thinking about how they link. Especially about sex and ego-nets.
Justin says inflexibility is a trap and most Alpha types are inward-turned because they process so fast they're gone and thinking before a Gamma gets a sentence out. Then they get in the habit of thinking they thought of everything, but they don't remember everything stems from input. You may have a new idea, but it stems from input somebody gave you, and that could be wrong or your senses could have been lying to you. He says it can be an equipment-quality problem or a program-quality problem, but once an Alpha takes a falsehood for true, it's a personal problem.”
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But that's not real easy unless you know what your value-sets are, and most CITs don't. CITs have a trouble with not wanting to know that kind of thing. Because some of them are real eetee once you get to thinking about how they link. Especially about sex and ego-nets.
Justin says inflexibility is a trap and most Alpha types are inward-turned because they process so fast they're gone and thinking before a Gamma gets a sentence out. Then they get in the habit of thinking they thought of everything, but they don't remember everything stems from input. You may have a new idea, but it stems from input somebody gave you, and that could be wrong or your senses could have been lying to you. He says it can be an equipment-quality problem or a program-quality problem, but once an Alpha takes a falsehood for true, it's a personal problem.”
