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Andrea Cort #1
Emissaries from the Dead
Two murders have occurred on One One One, an artificial ecosystem created by the universe's dominant AIs to house several engineered species, including a violent, sentient race of sloth-like creatures. Under order from the Diplomatic Corps, Counselor Andrea Cort has come to this cylinder world where an indentured human community hangs suspended high above a poisoned, acid atmosphere. Her assignment is to choose a suitable homicide suspect from among those who have sold their futures to escape existences even worse than this one. And no matter where the trail leads her she must do nothing to implicate the hosts, who hold the power to obliterate humankind in an instant.
But Andrea Cort is not about to hold back in her hunt for a killer. For she has nothing to lose and harbors no love for her masters or fellow indentures. And she herself has felt the terrible exhilaration of taking life . . . .
But Andrea Cort is not about to hold back in her hunt for a killer. For she has nothing to lose and harbors no love for her masters or fellow indentures. And she herself has felt the terrible exhilaration of taking life . . . .
387 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published February 26, 2008
32 people are currently reading
1614 people want to read
About the author
Adam-Troy Castro
236 books166 followersAdam-Troy Castro made his first professional sale to Spy magazine in 1987. Since then, he's published 12 books and almost 80 short stories. Among those stories are "Baby Girl Diamond" (nominated for the Bram Stoker Award) and "The Funeral March of the Marionettes" (nominated for the Hugo and Nebula Awards in 1998). "The Astronaut from Wyoming," a collaboration with Jerry Oltion, appeared in Analog and was nominated for the Hugo and Nebula Awards in 2000, before winning the Seiun (Japanese Hugo) for best translation in 2008.
His "Of A Sweet Slow Dance in the Wake of Temporary Dogs" was nominated for the 2003 Nebula. His original short story collections include Lost in Booth Nine (published by Silver Salamander Press in 1993), An Alien Darkness and A Desperate Decaying Darkness (published by Wildside Press in 2000), Vossoff and Nimmitz (2002), and Tangled Strings (2003). He is also the author of the Spider-Man novels—Time's Arrow: The Present (written in collaboration with Tom DeFalco), The Gathering of the Sinister Six, Revenge of the Sinister Six, and Secret of the Sinister Six—as well as the nonfiction My Ox Is Broken! The Andrea Cort novels include, Emissaries from the Dead, The Third Claw of God, and a third installment currently in progress, tentatively titled The Fall of the Marionettes.
Castro, who married the divine Judi on 25 December 2002, lives in Florida with his wife and four cats: Maggie, Uma Furman, Meow Farrow, and the latest acquisition, Ralphie, an orphan of 2005's hellacious hurricane season.
His "Of A Sweet Slow Dance in the Wake of Temporary Dogs" was nominated for the 2003 Nebula. His original short story collections include Lost in Booth Nine (published by Silver Salamander Press in 1993), An Alien Darkness and A Desperate Decaying Darkness (published by Wildside Press in 2000), Vossoff and Nimmitz (2002), and Tangled Strings (2003). He is also the author of the Spider-Man novels—Time's Arrow: The Present (written in collaboration with Tom DeFalco), The Gathering of the Sinister Six, Revenge of the Sinister Six, and Secret of the Sinister Six—as well as the nonfiction My Ox Is Broken! The Andrea Cort novels include, Emissaries from the Dead, The Third Claw of God, and a third installment currently in progress, tentatively titled The Fall of the Marionettes.
Castro, who married the divine Judi on 25 December 2002, lives in Florida with his wife and four cats: Maggie, Uma Furman, Meow Farrow, and the latest acquisition, Ralphie, an orphan of 2005's hellacious hurricane season.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 149 reviews
June 8, 2020
SPACE SLOTH!!
i think an appreciation of science-fiction literature is, like a second language, a skill best acquired in youth, when the thirsty adaptable mind is able to come to terms with unfamiliar worlds, languages, names, descriptions of political sects and painstakingly detailed family trees and planetary formations with a casual shrugged grace.
i myself am old.
and this book is by no means the best or most complicated example of that type of science fiction, but my brain still had a great deal of difficulty conceiving of upside-down town and gravity and AI hoverscreens etc. i am truly unable to "get" science fiction. one time, i tried to read a book by robert sawyer and my head nearly exploded. pwoosh!
there are many things about this book that i did like: (and forgive me for not learning from my mistakes and venturing into the relevant) the main character was well-crafted, and i felt drawn to her in a way that i thought i would have been drawn to dear lisbeth salander but was not - she is emotionally removed but still badass and clever and not averse to a little dirty fighting, plus hates being touched, and also killed a man at the age of eight. bonus. the resolution was as satisfying as any courtroom drama, all pieces tied up, with enough layers to not feel cheated by some necessarily expected turns.
also - giant sloth-creatures. and dragons.
i don't know what more you nerds want.
me, i need to read something set on planet earth.
come to my blog!
i think an appreciation of science-fiction literature is, like a second language, a skill best acquired in youth, when the thirsty adaptable mind is able to come to terms with unfamiliar worlds, languages, names, descriptions of political sects and painstakingly detailed family trees and planetary formations with a casual shrugged grace.
i myself am old.
and this book is by no means the best or most complicated example of that type of science fiction, but my brain still had a great deal of difficulty conceiving of upside-down town and gravity and AI hoverscreens etc. i am truly unable to "get" science fiction. one time, i tried to read a book by robert sawyer and my head nearly exploded. pwoosh!
there are many things about this book that i did like: (and forgive me for not learning from my mistakes and venturing into the relevant) the main character was well-crafted, and i felt drawn to her in a way that i thought i would have been drawn to dear lisbeth salander but was not - she is emotionally removed but still badass and clever and not averse to a little dirty fighting, plus hates being touched, and also killed a man at the age of eight. bonus. the resolution was as satisfying as any courtroom drama, all pieces tied up, with enough layers to not feel cheated by some necessarily expected turns.
also - giant sloth-creatures. and dragons.
i don't know what more you nerds want.
me, i need to read something set on planet earth.
come to my blog!
July 8, 2021
En fin 2020, Gilles Dumay m’a proposé un exemplaire d’Émissaires des morts à chroniquer, j’ai lu vite fait le résumé avec « Space Opera », « Corps diplomatique », « Intelligence artificielle », et mon bingo de la SF-Pas-pour-moi a fait ding-ding-ding et j’ai dit « non merci, bonne journée ». Puis, au fil des mois je voyais passer des tweets et chroniques enthousiastes de plein de monde sur cette série, et j’me suis demandé si j’avais pas loupé un truc. Alors je l’ai acheté. Et oui, j’avais loupé un truc.
Andréa Cort est une femme au passé compliqué, rescapée d’un drame horrible, survivante mais aussi coupable, elle est devenue propriété du Corps diplomatique à vie. Aujourd’hui elle est devenue enquêtrice pour le bureau du procureur, et on lui refile toujours les dossiers les plus casse-gueules, mais sa férocité et sa rigueur dans son travail en font un atout majeur pour le bureau. Concrètement, elle est envoyée quand un crime a eu lieu et que l’affaire peut potentiellement poser un souci diplomatique entre les humains et une autre espèce sentiente. Son job est de s’assurer que les juridictions sont respectées et que le coupable est traité conformément à la loi qui s’applique dans ce cas précis, et condamné par les autorités compétentes. Et parfois c’est un sacré sac de nœuds.
Albin Michel Imaginaire nous propose un peu plus qu’Émissaires des morts avec cet Émissaires des morts, puisque le pavé de 700 pages regroupe en fait 5 histoires d’Andréa Cort, 4 histoires courtes (Avec du sang sur les mains, Une défense infaillible, Les lâches n’ont pas de secrets et Démons invisibles) et un roman de 350 pages (Émissaires des morts, donc). On a une grosse brique avec pas mal à manger dedans, il est d’ailleurs conseillé de picorer un peu, mais ça, c’est si vous y arrivez. Parce que beaucoup le dévorent. Chaque histoire est une énigme, un crime, un casse-tête diplomatique, des espèces extra-terrestres bizarroïdes, qui qui l’a fait ? Qui qui doit le juger ? Comment ? La première grande qualité des textes d’Adam-Troy Castro est la construction de ces énigmes, des crimes dont on connait parfois déjà le coupable, mais qui cachent souvent encore quelques mystères.
On a d’ailleurs même pas toujours des crime, à l’image d’Avec du sang sur les mains où Andréa doit superviser un échange de prisonnier avec les Zinn, mais il y a bien toujours un mystère à élucider. Pourquoi ces aliens veulent un prisonnier humain ? On se base sur les différences de morale, de perception, de psychologie, pour explorer une affaire et ça va très loin, c’est toujours fascinant d’avoir des tentatives de terrain commun avec des espèces tellement différentes, au point que certaines ne nous perçoivent même pas (Démons invisibles fait froid dans le dos). Ça amène aussi le thème qui revient sur plusieurs histoires, le thème du monstre, qui est un monstre, pour qui, pourquoi, et même pour soi-même ? Y’a tellement de développements fascinants sur cette thématique qu’on va pas tout déballer ici, mais ça a évidemment des échos dans les décalages moraux et culturels qu’on connait au sein même de l’humanité, alors imaginez ça face à un alien très pas humanoïde.
Une grande partie de la valeur de ces récits est portée par Andréa Cort elle-même, un personnage plein de mystère et de caractère qui évolue au fil de ces cinq récits. Elle est survivante d’un événement traumatique et, sans être expert de la chose, j’ai trouvé que le traitement de cet épisode et son impact sur la vie d’Andréa était vraiment convaincant. On arrive avec une protagoniste adulte qui ne laisse plus personne l’atteindre, évite tout contexte social et s’accroche à son travail, à la poursuite de la logique, pour se donner une inertie et ne pas se poser. Cette femme et son évolution, surtout dans le roman qui clôture le recueil, constituent une des protagonistes les plus convaincantes que j’ai pu lire depuis bien longtemps. Son statut d’employé contrainte est aussi très intéressant, comme celui de plusieurs autres personnages engagés pour des durée plus ou moins longues par le corps diplomatique. Leur « contrat » est comme une dette qui s’allonge ou diminue selon ses résultats et son comportement, entre peine de prison et service militaire à rallonge, sacrée vision du monde du travail et de l’exploitation des « fonctionnaires ».
Émissaires des morts est une vraie réussite grâce à ces deux éléments associés, une héroïne forte et convaincante au cœur d’énigmes fascinantes qui mettent en scène des contacts avec des aliens en décalage complet avec nous. On explore aussi par ce biais des cultures et des environnements fous dans chaque histoire, le lecteur accompagne Andréa dans son exploration de peuples et d’univers crédibles, construits avec soin par l’auteur. Cette station cylindrique créée par les IA où tout le monde vit suspendu, et la mort attend toute chute, c’était quand même assez dingue. Vous savez que je suis pas un super lecteur de SF et que je suis assez hermétique au « sense of Wonder » mais j’ai trouvé ici des choses fascinantes dans les rapports entre les peuples et l’échelle de nos différences.
Oui, j’étais passé à côté de ce roman, voilà la boulette réparée et le second tome est déjà sur ma bibliothèque. Je me console en disant que j’ai donné mes sous à l’éditeur au lieu de lire gratos, et c’est pas plus mal parce qu’apparemment le tome 3 était plutôt mal barré. Espérons que l’excellente réputation de la saga et son short-listage pour le prix des blogueurs planète-SF sauront convaincre plus de lecteurs. Si vous hésitez, je vous conseille de tenter la lecture de la première nouvelle, disponible gratuitement en numérique.
https://ours-inculte.fr/emissaires-de...
Andréa Cort est une femme au passé compliqué, rescapée d’un drame horrible, survivante mais aussi coupable, elle est devenue propriété du Corps diplomatique à vie. Aujourd’hui elle est devenue enquêtrice pour le bureau du procureur, et on lui refile toujours les dossiers les plus casse-gueules, mais sa férocité et sa rigueur dans son travail en font un atout majeur pour le bureau. Concrètement, elle est envoyée quand un crime a eu lieu et que l’affaire peut potentiellement poser un souci diplomatique entre les humains et une autre espèce sentiente. Son job est de s’assurer que les juridictions sont respectées et que le coupable est traité conformément à la loi qui s’applique dans ce cas précis, et condamné par les autorités compétentes. Et parfois c’est un sacré sac de nœuds.
Albin Michel Imaginaire nous propose un peu plus qu’Émissaires des morts avec cet Émissaires des morts, puisque le pavé de 700 pages regroupe en fait 5 histoires d’Andréa Cort, 4 histoires courtes (Avec du sang sur les mains, Une défense infaillible, Les lâches n’ont pas de secrets et Démons invisibles) et un roman de 350 pages (Émissaires des morts, donc). On a une grosse brique avec pas mal à manger dedans, il est d’ailleurs conseillé de picorer un peu, mais ça, c’est si vous y arrivez. Parce que beaucoup le dévorent. Chaque histoire est une énigme, un crime, un casse-tête diplomatique, des espèces extra-terrestres bizarroïdes, qui qui l’a fait ? Qui qui doit le juger ? Comment ? La première grande qualité des textes d’Adam-Troy Castro est la construction de ces énigmes, des crimes dont on connait parfois déjà le coupable, mais qui cachent souvent encore quelques mystères.
On a d’ailleurs même pas toujours des crime, à l’image d’Avec du sang sur les mains où Andréa doit superviser un échange de prisonnier avec les Zinn, mais il y a bien toujours un mystère à élucider. Pourquoi ces aliens veulent un prisonnier humain ? On se base sur les différences de morale, de perception, de psychologie, pour explorer une affaire et ça va très loin, c’est toujours fascinant d’avoir des tentatives de terrain commun avec des espèces tellement différentes, au point que certaines ne nous perçoivent même pas (Démons invisibles fait froid dans le dos). Ça amène aussi le thème qui revient sur plusieurs histoires, le thème du monstre, qui est un monstre, pour qui, pourquoi, et même pour soi-même ? Y’a tellement de développements fascinants sur cette thématique qu’on va pas tout déballer ici, mais ça a évidemment des échos dans les décalages moraux et culturels qu’on connait au sein même de l’humanité, alors imaginez ça face à un alien très pas humanoïde.
Une grande partie de la valeur de ces récits est portée par Andréa Cort elle-même, un personnage plein de mystère et de caractère qui évolue au fil de ces cinq récits. Elle est survivante d’un événement traumatique et, sans être expert de la chose, j’ai trouvé que le traitement de cet épisode et son impact sur la vie d’Andréa était vraiment convaincant. On arrive avec une protagoniste adulte qui ne laisse plus personne l’atteindre, évite tout contexte social et s’accroche à son travail, à la poursuite de la logique, pour se donner une inertie et ne pas se poser. Cette femme et son évolution, surtout dans le roman qui clôture le recueil, constituent une des protagonistes les plus convaincantes que j’ai pu lire depuis bien longtemps. Son statut d’employé contrainte est aussi très intéressant, comme celui de plusieurs autres personnages engagés pour des durée plus ou moins longues par le corps diplomatique. Leur « contrat » est comme une dette qui s’allonge ou diminue selon ses résultats et son comportement, entre peine de prison et service militaire à rallonge, sacrée vision du monde du travail et de l’exploitation des « fonctionnaires ».
Émissaires des morts est une vraie réussite grâce à ces deux éléments associés, une héroïne forte et convaincante au cœur d’énigmes fascinantes qui mettent en scène des contacts avec des aliens en décalage complet avec nous. On explore aussi par ce biais des cultures et des environnements fous dans chaque histoire, le lecteur accompagne Andréa dans son exploration de peuples et d’univers crédibles, construits avec soin par l’auteur. Cette station cylindrique créée par les IA où tout le monde vit suspendu, et la mort attend toute chute, c’était quand même assez dingue. Vous savez que je suis pas un super lecteur de SF et que je suis assez hermétique au « sense of Wonder » mais j’ai trouvé ici des choses fascinantes dans les rapports entre les peuples et l’échelle de nos différences.
Oui, j’étais passé à côté de ce roman, voilà la boulette réparée et le second tome est déjà sur ma bibliothèque. Je me console en disant que j’ai donné mes sous à l’éditeur au lieu de lire gratos, et c’est pas plus mal parce qu’apparemment le tome 3 était plutôt mal barré. Espérons que l’excellente réputation de la saga et son short-listage pour le prix des blogueurs planète-SF sauront convaincre plus de lecteurs. Si vous hésitez, je vous conseille de tenter la lecture de la première nouvelle, disponible gratuitement en numérique.
https://ours-inculte.fr/emissaires-de...
November 5, 2022
This is the first volume of the trilogy, but can be read as a standalone. It won Phillip K Dick Award in 2009 and this is my first try to read something long by Adam-Troy Castro. In 2020 in Analog magazine I’ve read his novella and he sparked an interest in me. Therefore, this review.
This is a story of Andrea Cort, Associate Legal Counsel for the Homo Sapiens Confederacy Diplomatic Corps Judge Advocate, a woman, who as a 8-year child took part in interspecies massacre, which affects her life to this day.
Andrea comes to a space habitat, a cylinder hundreds of kilometers in length and width. The habitat is ruled/operated by AIsource, a conglomerate of sentient AIs, many created by long extinct species. Several years ago, the AIs informed biological sentient species of the galaxy (there is a score of them) that in that habitat hey created/uplifted a biological species to sentience. It was allowed that human delegation will contact these species to ensure there aren’t thralls of AIs. Everything was fine, until one of the humans was murdered with usage of hi-tech tools, which are allowed only to AIs within the habitat. Andrea is sent to solve the problem and to ensure that whatever really happened, the AIs will be found innocent, for they are god-level powerful and in case of any conflict the can wipe other species from the galaxy.
What follows is a mix of SF and mystery story, with the protagonist, burdened with inner demons, getting knowing people of the delegation and relations between them.
Pluses:
A rare case when humans remain split by culture/languages/states instead of a single civilization. The Homo Sapiens Confederacy is akin to the UN – with almost zero power to prevent wars or atrocities committed by member states. As the book put it It’s never erupted into all-out interstellar war, that being such an impractical and expensive prospect that only idiots and madmen see any point in it (and that’s a damned good thing all by itself, since the hundreds of bickering, warring, and self-obsessed governments that make up the Hom. Sap Confederacy have never gotten along well enough to stand up against any concerted war of conquest or annihilation, from a truly determined enemy from outside).
An economic system in human space is more often than not based on indentured labor, often people working all their lives (including rejuvenation) but not leaving that bondage.
A fascinating world: people and AI created species live not on the ‘ground’ but long way from the bottom, where high-pressure oceans are located that cloud layer below us is sixteen kilometers straight down; the ocean layer many kilometers below that; the atmosphere is unbreathable for most of that distance and only gets more caustic the farther you fall. There’s nothing between us and a nasty drop but the layer of flexible fabric holding us right now. People live in a kind of tented town spread on superstrong cables and risking fall to the death
An unusual aliens, space sloths, clinging to supports for their whole lives. Food is plenty, so they never had a need to hurry up, but it is evolutionary beneficial to move carefully (and thus slowly). The species, Brachiators, assume that people are ghosts of the dead, hence the title.
A very unusual read. While there are some weak points, e.g. the protagonist always reliving her childhood trauma or AIs, while much faster than any human still showing imperfections, overall it was a book strong in ideas. I plan to read more by the author.
This is a story of Andrea Cort, Associate Legal Counsel for the Homo Sapiens Confederacy Diplomatic Corps Judge Advocate, a woman, who as a 8-year child took part in interspecies massacre, which affects her life to this day.
Andrea comes to a space habitat, a cylinder hundreds of kilometers in length and width. The habitat is ruled/operated by AIsource, a conglomerate of sentient AIs, many created by long extinct species. Several years ago, the AIs informed biological sentient species of the galaxy (there is a score of them) that in that habitat hey created/uplifted a biological species to sentience. It was allowed that human delegation will contact these species to ensure there aren’t thralls of AIs. Everything was fine, until one of the humans was murdered with usage of hi-tech tools, which are allowed only to AIs within the habitat. Andrea is sent to solve the problem and to ensure that whatever really happened, the AIs will be found innocent, for they are god-level powerful and in case of any conflict the can wipe other species from the galaxy.
What follows is a mix of SF and mystery story, with the protagonist, burdened with inner demons, getting knowing people of the delegation and relations between them.
Pluses:
A rare case when humans remain split by culture/languages/states instead of a single civilization. The Homo Sapiens Confederacy is akin to the UN – with almost zero power to prevent wars or atrocities committed by member states. As the book put it It’s never erupted into all-out interstellar war, that being such an impractical and expensive prospect that only idiots and madmen see any point in it (and that’s a damned good thing all by itself, since the hundreds of bickering, warring, and self-obsessed governments that make up the Hom. Sap Confederacy have never gotten along well enough to stand up against any concerted war of conquest or annihilation, from a truly determined enemy from outside).
An economic system in human space is more often than not based on indentured labor, often people working all their lives (including rejuvenation) but not leaving that bondage.
A fascinating world: people and AI created species live not on the ‘ground’ but long way from the bottom, where high-pressure oceans are located that cloud layer below us is sixteen kilometers straight down; the ocean layer many kilometers below that; the atmosphere is unbreathable for most of that distance and only gets more caustic the farther you fall. There’s nothing between us and a nasty drop but the layer of flexible fabric holding us right now. People live in a kind of tented town spread on superstrong cables and risking fall to the death
An unusual aliens, space sloths, clinging to supports for their whole lives. Food is plenty, so they never had a need to hurry up, but it is evolutionary beneficial to move carefully (and thus slowly). The species, Brachiators, assume that people are ghosts of the dead, hence the title.
A very unusual read. While there are some weak points, e.g. the protagonist always reliving her childhood trauma or AIs, while much faster than any human still showing imperfections, overall it was a book strong in ideas. I plan to read more by the author.
August 17, 2012
Emissaries from the Dead hits a lot of sweet spots for me. First, of course, there’s AI. Second, it’s a mystery novel. Third, the protagonist is essentially a government agent with diplomatic immunity (though not in this case). Fourth, she’s messed up but not too messed up. The resulting cocktail is a heady mix indeed. Although I found it slow going at first, Emissaries from the Dead quickly grew on me; by the end, Adam-Troy Castro had persuaded me this is a series with great potential.
Love AI. Can’t get enough of it. I know it’s been done to death and is kind of boring the Singularity is so 2000s … but I can’t help it. AI remains, for me, one of the most intriguing parts of our posthuman futures. In Emissaries of the Dead, the AIsource is an all-knowing, all-seeing conglomeration of software that has transcended the organic species who created it. Its motivations are shrouded in mystery, and it no doubt has the capability of wiping out all organic life should it choose. So Andrea Cort is treading on dangerous ground in One One One, especially because all evidence points to the AIsource as the murderer(s). Castro draws on all the wealth of decades of fiction about AI and adds an excellent political dimension that makes the mystery much stronger.
Mystery was the first genre that really grabbed me as a reader. My first novels were Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew, from which I graduated on to Conan Doyle and Christie. I’m more of a science fiction geek now, of course, so I love it when those two genres come together. Emissaries of the Dead starts as a murder mystery—double homicide—but turns into more of a political thriller. Castro knows how to write action scenes and keep the suspense going. That being said, sometimes the novel gets bogged down in the dialogue, particularly during Andrea’s audiences with the AIsource. Sometimes it seems like Castro is so eager to show off Andrea’s train of reasoning, and in this way, he takes exposition to the extreme.
Andrea is not some independent private investigator stumbling into the habitat of One One One. She’s a Judge Advocate for the Diplomatic Corps. I’m fascinated by stories that have mercenaries or other semi-autonomous individuals with great authority parachuted onto planets to settle disputes, kick ass, and take names. It hearkens back to the sheriffs of the Wild West, but it also rings true to how society would function if we spread out among the stars. And it’s clear, from the detail into which Castro goes, that he has thought out the way the Diplomatic Corps functions. The time debt indenturement that its employees undergo is just uncomfortable enough to hint that, in this future, humanity is far from the enlightened federation of planets we might hope it becomes. Andrea’s own past notwithstanding, it seems like we continue to muck around and eke out an existence as best we can.
Indeed, I kind of wish Castro had dropped a few more bombshell big ideas into this story. We’ve got the Diplomatic Corps, the AISource (and their connection to Andrea’s past, which I won’t reveal), the cylinked Porrinyards, and of course the habitat of One One One itself. There are more tangential technologies—the faster-than-light travel and communication and stasis that brings Andrea to One One One in the first place. For the most part, though, this is a locked room murder mystery—just replace the room with an upside down artificial ecosystem. Castro tickles us with a lot of interesting descriptions and hints at bigger ideas, but that’s all they are—hints.
So I return to the characters to find solace in them. Most of them—even the Porrinyards—are unremarkable. They are stock characters, types to fit into moulds to be broken later in the book. Andrea is really the only exception—and I like Andrea. I like that Castro sets up her past from the beginning, showing us the demons that haunt her and taunt her and label her “Monster”. He gives us a good reason for her being so special and unique and capable of doing what she does—something many authors aren’t easily able to do with their protagonists. Yet even with all her issues, Andrea manages to change and grow over the course of the story. She doesn’t stay angry or insular—she gets answers, asks new questions, and makes decisions. I predicted her change of circumstances fairly easily—but I’m happy I was right, because I think it’s an intriguing start to this series.
This book didn’t runaway with my heart, but I definitely want to read more. I want to see how Andrea’s relationship with the AIsource and its problems evolves. I want to see more of this galaxy that Castro has created. Emissaries from the Dead is an OK mystery and a fine standalone novel, but it’s an even better introduction to Andrea Cort.
My reviews of the Andrea Cort series:
The Third Claw of God → (forthcoming)
Love AI. Can’t get enough of it. I know it’s been done to death and is kind of boring the Singularity is so 2000s … but I can’t help it. AI remains, for me, one of the most intriguing parts of our posthuman futures. In Emissaries of the Dead, the AIsource is an all-knowing, all-seeing conglomeration of software that has transcended the organic species who created it. Its motivations are shrouded in mystery, and it no doubt has the capability of wiping out all organic life should it choose. So Andrea Cort is treading on dangerous ground in One One One, especially because all evidence points to the AIsource as the murderer(s). Castro draws on all the wealth of decades of fiction about AI and adds an excellent political dimension that makes the mystery much stronger.
Mystery was the first genre that really grabbed me as a reader. My first novels were Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew, from which I graduated on to Conan Doyle and Christie. I’m more of a science fiction geek now, of course, so I love it when those two genres come together. Emissaries of the Dead starts as a murder mystery—double homicide—but turns into more of a political thriller. Castro knows how to write action scenes and keep the suspense going. That being said, sometimes the novel gets bogged down in the dialogue, particularly during Andrea’s audiences with the AIsource. Sometimes it seems like Castro is so eager to show off Andrea’s train of reasoning, and in this way, he takes exposition to the extreme.
Andrea is not some independent private investigator stumbling into the habitat of One One One. She’s a Judge Advocate for the Diplomatic Corps. I’m fascinated by stories that have mercenaries or other semi-autonomous individuals with great authority parachuted onto planets to settle disputes, kick ass, and take names. It hearkens back to the sheriffs of the Wild West, but it also rings true to how society would function if we spread out among the stars. And it’s clear, from the detail into which Castro goes, that he has thought out the way the Diplomatic Corps functions. The time debt indenturement that its employees undergo is just uncomfortable enough to hint that, in this future, humanity is far from the enlightened federation of planets we might hope it becomes. Andrea’s own past notwithstanding, it seems like we continue to muck around and eke out an existence as best we can.
Indeed, I kind of wish Castro had dropped a few more bombshell big ideas into this story. We’ve got the Diplomatic Corps, the AISource (and their connection to Andrea’s past, which I won’t reveal), the cylinked Porrinyards, and of course the habitat of One One One itself. There are more tangential technologies—the faster-than-light travel and communication and stasis that brings Andrea to One One One in the first place. For the most part, though, this is a locked room murder mystery—just replace the room with an upside down artificial ecosystem. Castro tickles us with a lot of interesting descriptions and hints at bigger ideas, but that’s all they are—hints.
So I return to the characters to find solace in them. Most of them—even the Porrinyards—are unremarkable. They are stock characters, types to fit into moulds to be broken later in the book. Andrea is really the only exception—and I like Andrea. I like that Castro sets up her past from the beginning, showing us the demons that haunt her and taunt her and label her “Monster”. He gives us a good reason for her being so special and unique and capable of doing what she does—something many authors aren’t easily able to do with their protagonists. Yet even with all her issues, Andrea manages to change and grow over the course of the story. She doesn’t stay angry or insular—she gets answers, asks new questions, and makes decisions. I predicted her change of circumstances fairly easily—but I’m happy I was right, because I think it’s an intriguing start to this series.
This book didn’t runaway with my heart, but I definitely want to read more. I want to see how Andrea’s relationship with the AIsource and its problems evolves. I want to see more of this galaxy that Castro has created. Emissaries from the Dead is an OK mystery and a fine standalone novel, but it’s an even better introduction to Andrea Cort.
My reviews of the Andrea Cort series:
The Third Claw of God → (forthcoming)
June 26, 2009
Boy did this book deserve to win the Phillip K. Dick award. Rarely am I surprised by the ending of a book, but the final page of this book held a last twist of such weight that I was reeling and still a little wobbly when I walked back into the house to announce in general, "this book totally rocks!"
I cannot wait for the next one in the series for Adam-Troy Castro has set up an amazing cast of characters in the Andrea Cort series and universe she inhabits. In fact, I am a bit hesitant to say much more about this book as I don't want to give away anything. It is so brilliant. Let me just give you a bit of background: Counselor Andrea Cort has come to world One One One, which was created by AIsource a sentient race of pure intelligence, to solve two murders but she must not find her hosts, the AIsource, guilty of those murders. Andrea does not direction well, has some very scary skeletons in her closet that are scratching to come out.
Castro's story is tightly plotted, extremely well put together and very suspenseful. There were some obvious red herrings, but some doozies that I totallly missed. His world is so rich and wonderful and his characters grow so much in just this one book, it really makes you ache to see how much they will progress in the others.
This is a sci-fi, fantasy, thriller, murder mystery. It has it all.
I cannot wait for the next one in the series for Adam-Troy Castro has set up an amazing cast of characters in the Andrea Cort series and universe she inhabits. In fact, I am a bit hesitant to say much more about this book as I don't want to give away anything. It is so brilliant. Let me just give you a bit of background: Counselor Andrea Cort has come to world One One One, which was created by AIsource a sentient race of pure intelligence, to solve two murders but she must not find her hosts, the AIsource, guilty of those murders. Andrea does not direction well, has some very scary skeletons in her closet that are scratching to come out.
Castro's story is tightly plotted, extremely well put together and very suspenseful. There were some obvious red herrings, but some doozies that I totallly missed. His world is so rich and wonderful and his characters grow so much in just this one book, it really makes you ache to see how much they will progress in the others.
This is a sci-fi, fantasy, thriller, murder mystery. It has it all.
May 4, 2009
I enjoyed this book, it was a bit tough reading, but when I focused on the world and the language, I literally would get vertigo as I read (it's about a world that basically is suspended, you can fall to your death at any time, well described). It was a nice change of pace to get something out of the formulaic romance/paranormal/fantasy arena. The ending seemed a bit rushed and, as an afterthought set up for a sequel, but I liked it and would definitely read more about this character!
March 24, 2018
Der Roman verspricht viel im Klappentext und hat meine Erwartungshaltung voll erfüllt: die Spannungslage zwischen dem aufzuklärenden Mord, der Vergangenheit der Protagonistin und der völlig unklaren Bedrohung wird in vielen inneren Dialogen, Ermittlungen und Befragungen sehr gut ausgebreitet.
Wer viel Action erwartet, dürfte allerdings enttäuscht werden: es wird sehr viel geredet im Roman: Dialoge zwischen der Protagonistin und den menschlichen und nicht-menschlichen Bewohnern von "One One One" machen den Großteil des Romans aus.
Ich empfand ihn als permanent spannend und kann ihn deshalb sehr empfehlen.
Wer viel Action erwartet, dürfte allerdings enttäuscht werden: es wird sehr viel geredet im Roman: Dialoge zwischen der Protagonistin und den menschlichen und nicht-menschlichen Bewohnern von "One One One" machen den Großteil des Romans aus.
Ich empfand ihn als permanent spannend und kann ihn deshalb sehr empfehlen.
February 26, 2021
Coucou mes Mystigris 😉
J'ai lu Émissaires des morts Tome 1 d'une trilogie de Adam-Troy Castro . Merci beaucoup aux éditions @albinmichel pour cet envoi.
🅲🅷🆁🅾🅽🅸🆀🆄🅴 dans ce space opéra, on découvre quatre nouvelles d'Andrea Cort, personnage récurrent de l'auteur. Cette femme est une sorte de Sherlock Holmes de l'espace dans un futur lointain où humains et extraterrestres essayent tant bien que mal de cohabiter sur différentes planètes. Dans ces quatre nouvelles on assiste à la progression psychologique du personnage, mais aussi sa carrière d'avocate puis d'enquêtrice. Ensuite vient le roman Émissaires des morts où Andrea va devoir résoudre l'enquête de deux meurtres sans créer d'incident diplomatique entre les humains et les intelligences artificielles.
🄼🄾🄽 🄰🅅🄸🅂 c'était mon premier space opéra et j'ai adoré cette ambiance peu commune, cet univers sombre, violent complexe et riche. L'écriture de l'auteur est noire, en effet les sujets abordés sont l'esclavagisme, le racisme mais aussi la corruption entre autres. Les personnages sont extrêmement bien travaillés. Andrea est attachante de par son passé tragique, son côté antisocial mais humain. Son côté antihéros, son franc-parler et sa détermination m'ont plu.
Parfois trop de longueurs en termes de politique et gouvernement mais rien de bien grave.
🄲🄾🄽🄲🄻🅄🅂🄸🄾🄽 C'était une très bonne lecture, j'ai aimé m'immerger dans ce décor et cet univers méconnu. J'attends ce tome 2 avec impatience.
J'ai lu Émissaires des morts Tome 1 d'une trilogie de Adam-Troy Castro . Merci beaucoup aux éditions @albinmichel pour cet envoi.
🅲🅷🆁🅾🅽🅸🆀🆄🅴 dans ce space opéra, on découvre quatre nouvelles d'Andrea Cort, personnage récurrent de l'auteur. Cette femme est une sorte de Sherlock Holmes de l'espace dans un futur lointain où humains et extraterrestres essayent tant bien que mal de cohabiter sur différentes planètes. Dans ces quatre nouvelles on assiste à la progression psychologique du personnage, mais aussi sa carrière d'avocate puis d'enquêtrice. Ensuite vient le roman Émissaires des morts où Andrea va devoir résoudre l'enquête de deux meurtres sans créer d'incident diplomatique entre les humains et les intelligences artificielles.
🄼🄾🄽 🄰🅅🄸🅂 c'était mon premier space opéra et j'ai adoré cette ambiance peu commune, cet univers sombre, violent complexe et riche. L'écriture de l'auteur est noire, en effet les sujets abordés sont l'esclavagisme, le racisme mais aussi la corruption entre autres. Les personnages sont extrêmement bien travaillés. Andrea est attachante de par son passé tragique, son côté antisocial mais humain. Son côté antihéros, son franc-parler et sa détermination m'ont plu.
Parfois trop de longueurs en termes de politique et gouvernement mais rien de bien grave.
🄲🄾🄽🄲🄻🅄🅂🄸🄾🄽 C'était une très bonne lecture, j'ai aimé m'immerger dans ce décor et cet univers méconnu. J'attends ce tome 2 avec impatience.
December 30, 2020
Parlons « brièvement » d’abord des 4 nouvelles/novellaes que contient cet ouvrage. Avant tout, je trouve le parti pris éditorial génial, dans le sens où Andrea Cort est un personnage qui évolue à chaque obstacle qu’elle rencontre et que celle du roman est le résultat de ses aventures précédentes. La lecture du roman se trouve très enrichie par la présence des textes le précédant. Et si Gilles Dumay nous conseille de picorer et de ne pas enchaîner les 4 nouvelles à la suite, j’ai pour ma part été absolument incapable de m’arrêter tant chaque texte est haletant et le personnage d’Andrea Cort diablement attachant. La première nouvelle, Avec du sang sur les mains (disponible gratuitement sur le site de l’éditeur) donne le ton et nous présente une enquêtrice soumise à ses démons du passé, asociale, féroce, franche et pourtant, déjà, touchante par son sens de la justice, marquante par son génie et épatante de courage. Et la suite de ces enquêtes, avec les trois autres textes, ne fait que renforcer notre attachement à elle. Le second récit, Une défense infaillible, est [...]
Pour lire la suite de cette critique, rendez-vous sur yuyine.be!
Pour lire la suite de cette critique, rendez-vous sur yuyine.be!
August 14, 2021
Univers, contexte et personnages originaux et intéressants... J'ai adoré les nouvelles, beaucoup aimé notre héroïne Andrea Cort et ses enquêtes diplomatiques à chaque fois sur une planète et avec des aliens différents. Mais j'ai beaucoup moins apprécié le roman, qui est génial côté aliens et mondes décrits, mais qui m'a beaucoup déçue en termes de résolution d'enquête, enquête qui avance à coup d'indices donnés par d'autres ou d'intuitions inexpliquées d'Andrea (et quand je dis inexpliquées c'est que véritablement on n'explique pas au lecteur comment elle arrive à certaines conclusions...). Quant à l'histoire d'amour, elle m'a paru gnangnan et artificielle, et laissée indifférente. Mais le roman pose des bases intéressantes pour la suite, que je lirai sûrement.
March 28, 2022
Un excellent space-opera.
Avant Emissaires des Morts, l’histoire principale, viennent quatre nouvelles, qui permettent de découvrir la protagoniste, Andrea Cort, son passé bien mouvementé et sa situation adulte. Non seulement ces nouvelles sont prenantes, mais en plus elles font bien fonctionner les méninges. Dans la préface, il était conseillé de ne pas forcément lire dans l’ordre, ni tout d’une traite. Mission impossible pour moi, déjà parce que j’aime faire les choses dans l’ordre, et ensuite parce qu’une fois lancée, j’ai eu du mal à lâcher le bouquin (hors intervention du monde extérieur).
J’ai particulièrement accroché à la première nouvelle, Avec du Sang sur les mains, et à la quatrième nouvelle, Démons invisibles.
Très tôt dans ma lecture, j’ai eu des soupçons sur ce qui se tramait, j’ai échafaudé des hypothèses, et quand on est dedans comme ça, la lecture est un vrai plaisir ! Ça démarrait très fort avec la première nouvelle, pendant laquelle j’étais tendue, attendant impatiemment de voir comment ça allait se passer, et convaincue du pire. La toute fin m’a fait trembler, j’ai trouvé que c’était vraiment bien tourné. Les deux nouvelles suivantes étaient bien, mais il faut reconnaitre que Démons invisibles les surclasse toutes. Cette dernière nouvelle fait vraiment froid dans le dos, et elle ouvre tellement de possibilités pour la suite (surtout si on analyse un peu les titres des tomes de la série) !
Je ne sais pas si l’auteur avait déjà en tête un cheminement pour Andrea Cort quand il a écrit les nouvelles, mais elles se recoupent super bien avec Emissaires des Morts. Dans ce plus gros morceau qu’est l’histoire principale, les IA sont très présentes. Je m’y connais peu en space-opera, et c’est la première fois que j’ai affaire à ce genre de « personnage », mais je dois dire « wow ». Tout au long du récit, je me suis demandé qui était le méchant, les IAs ou la Confédération homsap ? Sans jamais arriver à me décider. En zappant complètement un aspect tout bête des IAs.
Ces « personnages » ont soulevé tant de questions ! Quelle est leur origine ? N’est-ce pas là ce qu’on pourrait qualifier de quasi divin ? Que se passerait-il si ces IAs étaient piratées ? Je pense que c’est surtout de cette partie de l’histoire que je me souviendrai, mais le livre dans son ensemble touche à beaucoup de sujets : la criminalité, la monstruosité, le racisme, la communication, le libre arbitre, la liberté, la propriété, le travail et l’esclavage (je ne mets pas ces deux là ensemble en dernier à dessein, mais après avoir lu ce livre, je réalise que je pourrais)… C’est vraiment un livre qui pousse le lecteur à se poser des questions, sans que ça devienne une contrainte.
De plus, l’aspect psychologique d’Andrea Cort joue un certain rôle dans l’histoire, et ce que j’apprécie, c’est que ce n’est pas un personnage figé. Andrea change, elle est influencée par son environnement. Au début, j’ai pensé tout de suite que si je la rencontrais dans la vraie vie, elle me ferait pleurer en moins de 3 minutes. Mais on comprend vite d’où lui vient son caractère, et comme on compatit (ce dont elle aurait horreur) ! En arrière plan commun à toutes les histoires du livre, on a Bocaï, la planète d’origine d’Andrea, et le drame qui l’a traumatisée étant enfant, et duquel découle toute une évolution assez particulière. Ce livre devrait bien plaire à ceux qui apprécient les aspects psychologiques. En tout cas, moi, je trouve que ce personnage tient la route et que c’est du solide.
Quant à Bocaï, ou le grand mystère qui fera parler de lui jusqu’à sa résolution finale dans le tome 3 (vu le titre, on peut très bine imaginer ce qu’il s’y passera), c’est en grande partie à cause de cet épisode que j’ai dévoré ce livre. Il fallait tout simplement qu’il y ait là quelque chose à déterrer !
Enfin, pour ceux qui se posent la question, je tiens à les rassurer : le livre est largement compréhensible par les novices en SF. Ce n'est pas ce que je considère comme de la hard SF, le langage n'est pas trop technique, aucun problème de vocabulaire ou de notion technologique inaccessible.
Avant Emissaires des Morts, l’histoire principale, viennent quatre nouvelles, qui permettent de découvrir la protagoniste, Andrea Cort, son passé bien mouvementé et sa situation adulte. Non seulement ces nouvelles sont prenantes, mais en plus elles font bien fonctionner les méninges. Dans la préface, il était conseillé de ne pas forcément lire dans l’ordre, ni tout d’une traite. Mission impossible pour moi, déjà parce que j’aime faire les choses dans l’ordre, et ensuite parce qu’une fois lancée, j’ai eu du mal à lâcher le bouquin (hors intervention du monde extérieur).
J’ai particulièrement accroché à la première nouvelle, Avec du Sang sur les mains, et à la quatrième nouvelle, Démons invisibles.
Très tôt dans ma lecture, j’ai eu des soupçons sur ce qui se tramait, j’ai échafaudé des hypothèses, et quand on est dedans comme ça, la lecture est un vrai plaisir ! Ça démarrait très fort avec la première nouvelle, pendant laquelle j’étais tendue, attendant impatiemment de voir comment ça allait se passer, et convaincue du pire. La toute fin m’a fait trembler, j’ai trouvé que c’était vraiment bien tourné. Les deux nouvelles suivantes étaient bien, mais il faut reconnaitre que Démons invisibles les surclasse toutes. Cette dernière nouvelle fait vraiment froid dans le dos, et elle ouvre tellement de possibilités pour la suite (surtout si on analyse un peu les titres des tomes de la série) !
Je ne sais pas si l’auteur avait déjà en tête un cheminement pour Andrea Cort quand il a écrit les nouvelles, mais elles se recoupent super bien avec Emissaires des Morts. Dans ce plus gros morceau qu’est l’histoire principale, les IA sont très présentes. Je m’y connais peu en space-opera, et c’est la première fois que j’ai affaire à ce genre de « personnage », mais je dois dire « wow ». Tout au long du récit, je me suis demandé qui était le méchant, les IAs ou la Confédération homsap ? Sans jamais arriver à me décider. En zappant complètement un aspect tout bête des IAs.
Ces « personnages » ont soulevé tant de questions ! Quelle est leur origine ? N’est-ce pas là ce qu’on pourrait qualifier de quasi divin ? Que se passerait-il si ces IAs étaient piratées ? Je pense que c’est surtout de cette partie de l’histoire que je me souviendrai, mais le livre dans son ensemble touche à beaucoup de sujets : la criminalité, la monstruosité, le racisme, la communication, le libre arbitre, la liberté, la propriété, le travail et l’esclavage (je ne mets pas ces deux là ensemble en dernier à dessein, mais après avoir lu ce livre, je réalise que je pourrais)… C’est vraiment un livre qui pousse le lecteur à se poser des questions, sans que ça devienne une contrainte.
De plus, l’aspect psychologique d’Andrea Cort joue un certain rôle dans l’histoire, et ce que j’apprécie, c’est que ce n’est pas un personnage figé. Andrea change, elle est influencée par son environnement. Au début, j’ai pensé tout de suite que si je la rencontrais dans la vraie vie, elle me ferait pleurer en moins de 3 minutes. Mais on comprend vite d’où lui vient son caractère, et comme on compatit (ce dont elle aurait horreur) ! En arrière plan commun à toutes les histoires du livre, on a Bocaï, la planète d’origine d’Andrea, et le drame qui l’a traumatisée étant enfant, et duquel découle toute une évolution assez particulière. Ce livre devrait bien plaire à ceux qui apprécient les aspects psychologiques. En tout cas, moi, je trouve que ce personnage tient la route et que c’est du solide.
Quant à Bocaï, ou le grand mystère qui fera parler de lui jusqu’à sa résolution finale dans le tome 3 (vu le titre, on peut très bine imaginer ce qu’il s’y passera), c’est en grande partie à cause de cet épisode que j’ai dévoré ce livre. Il fallait tout simplement qu’il y ait là quelque chose à déterrer !
Enfin, pour ceux qui se posent la question, je tiens à les rassurer : le livre est largement compréhensible par les novices en SF. Ce n'est pas ce que je considère comme de la hard SF, le langage n'est pas trop technique, aucun problème de vocabulaire ou de notion technologique inaccessible.
April 25, 2010
At first, when I started reading this book it was a little hard to follow. I was nearly overwhelmed with such high tech descriptions with hardly any explanation as to what they were and their purpose, so the setting was very hard to picture and the book was hard to get used to at first. However after a couple of chapters the book slowly started to reveal itself and the plot was interesting and engaging to begin with, it was hard not to let it go. First time readers, don't let the science deter you from reading. Focus on Andrea Cort, as she was a very entertaining character - albeit not very likable. She's very cold, misanthropic, and used to being hated in return. Yet despite those flaws it makes Andrea a very realistic character and although not likable, you can't help but warm up to her as you read further into the book.
The plot was good and interesting, and the setting is what makes it most interesting. The system created by AIs, and indentured humans certainly give it a very distinct sci fi flavor to it but also it incorporates the characteristics of a mystery well enough to merge the two genres nice and neat. However, there is more heavier emphasis on the science fiction part, which makes me think mystery lovers would not really attempt to read this novel in the first place (however I greatly encourage them to try!). The setting does take a while to get used to, as it's not your average everyday planet. Things however do fall into place and start to make sense as you progress through the novel, and it does make for an exciting read as Andrea gets closer to solving the mystery as to who might have committed the murders. It is rather nice when everything does fall into place and it does make sense, it made the story complete and satisfying.
What I really liked about this novel is Andrea actually takes the time to explain about herself, and how she got into her present situation as a Counselor for the Dip Corps. It gave her character a well rounded out background and made her more three dimensional (so to speak). Eventually as the book progressed, I found myself liking her despite her flaws and faults. What I also enjoyed was the subtle changes to Andrea's personality as time passed through the story. She herself wasn't prepared for the changes and it was nice to see her try to resist them but at the same time attempting to accept the changes as well. It certainly made her more realistic than other characters I have read in these types of novels.
The only flaw I can see with this book is the beginning, it does get a little difficult to get into the story. It was hard to comprehend but don't let it scare you away from reading it, it's certainly well worth reading through. As I have mentioned before, once the pieces do fall into place, it makes a very satisfying read.
Overall, this book is really geared towards sci fi fans, but those who love mystery and are ready to go for something completely different give this book a try. I'm looking forward to reading the next Andrea Cort novel myself.
The plot was good and interesting, and the setting is what makes it most interesting. The system created by AIs, and indentured humans certainly give it a very distinct sci fi flavor to it but also it incorporates the characteristics of a mystery well enough to merge the two genres nice and neat. However, there is more heavier emphasis on the science fiction part, which makes me think mystery lovers would not really attempt to read this novel in the first place (however I greatly encourage them to try!). The setting does take a while to get used to, as it's not your average everyday planet. Things however do fall into place and start to make sense as you progress through the novel, and it does make for an exciting read as Andrea gets closer to solving the mystery as to who might have committed the murders. It is rather nice when everything does fall into place and it does make sense, it made the story complete and satisfying.
What I really liked about this novel is Andrea actually takes the time to explain about herself, and how she got into her present situation as a Counselor for the Dip Corps. It gave her character a well rounded out background and made her more three dimensional (so to speak). Eventually as the book progressed, I found myself liking her despite her flaws and faults. What I also enjoyed was the subtle changes to Andrea's personality as time passed through the story. She herself wasn't prepared for the changes and it was nice to see her try to resist them but at the same time attempting to accept the changes as well. It certainly made her more realistic than other characters I have read in these types of novels.
The only flaw I can see with this book is the beginning, it does get a little difficult to get into the story. It was hard to comprehend but don't let it scare you away from reading it, it's certainly well worth reading through. As I have mentioned before, once the pieces do fall into place, it makes a very satisfying read.
Overall, this book is really geared towards sci fi fans, but those who love mystery and are ready to go for something completely different give this book a try. I'm looking forward to reading the next Andrea Cort novel myself.
November 2, 2009
There are some really fascinating concepts here, explored in ways I've not seen in other novels. The concept of spacefaring AI organizations existing long before humans evolved is a cool one, and I'm always up for outrageous artificial environments. The mystery was slightly less powerful, I think, but certainly maintained my interest.
What was most fascinating was the linked entity, the Porrinyards. It's not an easy thing to get your head around, but Castro does an amazing job of defining and describing what it would be like to encounter two people who'd been permanently bonded in the most complete way possible, creating a singular entity as a result. It worked really, really well for me, and I was dubious about the premise at first, so consider me converted.
Some of the plot's a bit meh, but it's one of the more thought-provoking books I've read recently. Tech-heavy and can be a bit of a struggle in places, and I'd have liked to get a much better idea of how a 8 year old can be isolated as an irredeemable genocidal maniac by society (that's what attracted me to the book in the first place, and I just don't think it was really explored).
What was most fascinating was the linked entity, the Porrinyards. It's not an easy thing to get your head around, but Castro does an amazing job of defining and describing what it would be like to encounter two people who'd been permanently bonded in the most complete way possible, creating a singular entity as a result. It worked really, really well for me, and I was dubious about the premise at first, so consider me converted.
Some of the plot's a bit meh, but it's one of the more thought-provoking books I've read recently. Tech-heavy and can be a bit of a struggle in places, and I'd have liked to get a much better idea of how a 8 year old can be isolated as an irredeemable genocidal maniac by society (that's what attracted me to the book in the first place, and I just don't think it was really explored).
July 11, 2010
Upside down world. I'm forced to admit this is as close as I get to visualizing the explanation of how this massive space habitat works. I'm certain if I went back and reread the explanation I'd get a better grasp on it. At it's core, I think that is one of the main reasons people are put off by science fiction.
Having said that, once you get past the “hang ups” this story is a locked room mystery. There are a limited number of characters and very few places for them to go. The mystery wouldn't work without the world building and the two compliment each other nicely.
I was a little put off by the main character at first. Her attitude and background gave me the impression that she was going to be an anti-hero. I can't stand reading anti-hero stories, but this tale doesn't land there. Andrea Cort warms up (at least from the reader's perspective) and becomes more sympathetic relatively quickly. Andrea with the Porrinyards character makes an excellent combination. It is worth reading to see these characters meet and grow together.
A well written story worth the initial investment. Great characters and a subtly woven bit of world building. I'd say this is worth all four stars.
Having said that, once you get past the “hang ups” this story is a locked room mystery. There are a limited number of characters and very few places for them to go. The mystery wouldn't work without the world building and the two compliment each other nicely.
I was a little put off by the main character at first. Her attitude and background gave me the impression that she was going to be an anti-hero. I can't stand reading anti-hero stories, but this tale doesn't land there. Andrea Cort warms up (at least from the reader's perspective) and becomes more sympathetic relatively quickly. Andrea with the Porrinyards character makes an excellent combination. It is worth reading to see these characters meet and grow together.
A well written story worth the initial investment. Great characters and a subtly woven bit of world building. I'd say this is worth all four stars.
July 9, 2012
Story: B-
Narration: B-
The Plot:
As an eight-year-old living on the alien world of Bocai, Andrea Cort was caught up in an inexplicable night of blood-lust and murder. Remanded to the custody of the Diplomatic Corps from that point on, she has traded a life of service to the Corps for safety from prosecution by those who view her actions on Bocai as unforgivable - as Andrea herself does. Now Associate Legal Counsel for the Homo Sapiens Confederacy Diplomatic Corps Judge Advocate, Andrea finds herself assigned to a murder investigation on the fabricated cylinder world of One One One. Created by an artificial intelligence known as the AIsource, One One One is also home to an engineered sentient species developed by the AIsource: the Brachiators. Extremely slow moving primates, the Brachiators spend their lives navigating the vine entangled hub of One One One which, while covered with vegetation, is essentially the “sky” since the pull of gravity is toward the outside of the rotating cylinder - an area of roiling poisonous atmosphere.
Andrea is charged with tracking down the killer…as long as the AIsource isn’t implicated by her investigation. She has a large suspect pool to choose from in the Dip Corps contingent observing the Brachiators while living in a community built of huge hammocks suspended from the Uppergrowth. Complicating the investigation is not just Andrea’s uncertainty about who she can trust on One One One - starting with Ambassador Stuart Gibb; the minder he’s assigned to her, Peyrin Lastogne; and the intriguing one-entity-in-two-bodies Porrinyards - but the occurrence of a second murder, multiple attempts on her life, and the ongoing battle with her own inner demons.
My Thoughts:
This book was a surprisingly seamless blend of sci-fi and mystery and it worked pretty well for me on both fronts. Although it took me an uncommonly long time to get the layout and construction of One One One fixed in my head, on the whole the world-building was well-developed without devolving into needlessly complex detail. The omnipotent AIsource may not strike even the casual sci-fi reader as refreshingly unique (and unfortunately, based on the descriptions I kept picturing them as floating LCD screens) but they were well integrated into the plot and provided a few surprising moments.
The Confederacy is an interesting political animal with far flung member worlds that are, as often as not, basically owned by corporations who have made the inhabitants debt slaves. The Diplomatic Corps offers an alternative to that life but is its own brand of indentured servitude. This sets up fertile ground for conflict not only within the context of this book but I also anticipate it expanding nicely into the rest of the series. I was slightly discontented by how one of the plot threads relating to the murder investigation wrapped up - both in how exposition-heavy the conclusion was and in the whodunit part - but the entire mystery story line was unexpectedly (and pleasingly) multi-layered.
In many ways, Andrea displays the characteristics of an antihero. She’s blunt, often rude, and wholly misanthropic. She’s lacking in ideals other than completing the task assigned to her where she’s not so much pursuing justice as puzzle-solving while giving herself a reason to tune out the inner voice that tells her to stop trying and give up on life. She’s unsuited to an investigation based in “Hammocktown” since she has an aversion to heights and unlike many of the other Dip Corp indentures on One One One, she’s not genetically enhanced.
Adam-Troy Castro did a nice job balancing Andrea’s unlikeable characteristics with understandable motivations for why she acts the way she does. She also has a subtle character arc that I look forward to seeing reach apex over the course of the series. This combination enabled me to maintain interest in what could have been an unlikeable character until the changes that began to take place in her in response to events on One One One started to humanize her a bit. I found the dynamics between her and the Porrinyards particularly engaging.
The Narration:
For the most part, I enjoyed the narration by Kathe Mazur and will continue with the series in audio. She seemed to actively inhabit the character of Andrea Cort and handled the voicing of the AI entity and the somewhat alien Brachiators well. Much of the first person narrative delivery is in an almost confidential in tone, as if I was standing nearby and Andrea were half-whispering her thoughts. I struggled with that in some respects because I interpret that delivery as indicative of strong narrative tension but here it seemed more of a presentation style chosen for a first person narration and I was unable to maintain a sustained engagement with that much perceived tension. It also had the effect of then partially blunting the moments of real tension that the story provided. Andrea Cort is a very tightly wound character with a significant amount of emotional baggage and my read of her character is that because she feels she has nothing to lose, she tends to be blunt and forceful in expressing herself. Where I found the narration to be ideal was in balancing Andrea’s unlikeable aspects (her brusque speech patterns and disregard for anyone’s feelings) with just enough emotional vulnerability tinging her thoughts to keep me from disconnecting from her character. In addition, the supporting cast of characters were nicely distinct in both vocal presentation and viewpoint.
Narration: B-
The Plot:
As an eight-year-old living on the alien world of Bocai, Andrea Cort was caught up in an inexplicable night of blood-lust and murder. Remanded to the custody of the Diplomatic Corps from that point on, she has traded a life of service to the Corps for safety from prosecution by those who view her actions on Bocai as unforgivable - as Andrea herself does. Now Associate Legal Counsel for the Homo Sapiens Confederacy Diplomatic Corps Judge Advocate, Andrea finds herself assigned to a murder investigation on the fabricated cylinder world of One One One. Created by an artificial intelligence known as the AIsource, One One One is also home to an engineered sentient species developed by the AIsource: the Brachiators. Extremely slow moving primates, the Brachiators spend their lives navigating the vine entangled hub of One One One which, while covered with vegetation, is essentially the “sky” since the pull of gravity is toward the outside of the rotating cylinder - an area of roiling poisonous atmosphere.
Andrea is charged with tracking down the killer…as long as the AIsource isn’t implicated by her investigation. She has a large suspect pool to choose from in the Dip Corps contingent observing the Brachiators while living in a community built of huge hammocks suspended from the Uppergrowth. Complicating the investigation is not just Andrea’s uncertainty about who she can trust on One One One - starting with Ambassador Stuart Gibb; the minder he’s assigned to her, Peyrin Lastogne; and the intriguing one-entity-in-two-bodies Porrinyards - but the occurrence of a second murder, multiple attempts on her life, and the ongoing battle with her own inner demons.
My Thoughts:
This book was a surprisingly seamless blend of sci-fi and mystery and it worked pretty well for me on both fronts. Although it took me an uncommonly long time to get the layout and construction of One One One fixed in my head, on the whole the world-building was well-developed without devolving into needlessly complex detail. The omnipotent AIsource may not strike even the casual sci-fi reader as refreshingly unique (and unfortunately, based on the descriptions I kept picturing them as floating LCD screens) but they were well integrated into the plot and provided a few surprising moments.
The Confederacy is an interesting political animal with far flung member worlds that are, as often as not, basically owned by corporations who have made the inhabitants debt slaves. The Diplomatic Corps offers an alternative to that life but is its own brand of indentured servitude. This sets up fertile ground for conflict not only within the context of this book but I also anticipate it expanding nicely into the rest of the series. I was slightly discontented by how one of the plot threads relating to the murder investigation wrapped up - both in how exposition-heavy the conclusion was and in the whodunit part - but the entire mystery story line was unexpectedly (and pleasingly) multi-layered.
In many ways, Andrea displays the characteristics of an antihero. She’s blunt, often rude, and wholly misanthropic. She’s lacking in ideals other than completing the task assigned to her where she’s not so much pursuing justice as puzzle-solving while giving herself a reason to tune out the inner voice that tells her to stop trying and give up on life. She’s unsuited to an investigation based in “Hammocktown” since she has an aversion to heights and unlike many of the other Dip Corp indentures on One One One, she’s not genetically enhanced.
Adam-Troy Castro did a nice job balancing Andrea’s unlikeable characteristics with understandable motivations for why she acts the way she does. She also has a subtle character arc that I look forward to seeing reach apex over the course of the series. This combination enabled me to maintain interest in what could have been an unlikeable character until the changes that began to take place in her in response to events on One One One started to humanize her a bit. I found the dynamics between her and the Porrinyards particularly engaging.
The Narration:
For the most part, I enjoyed the narration by Kathe Mazur and will continue with the series in audio. She seemed to actively inhabit the character of Andrea Cort and handled the voicing of the AI entity and the somewhat alien Brachiators well. Much of the first person narrative delivery is in an almost confidential in tone, as if I was standing nearby and Andrea were half-whispering her thoughts. I struggled with that in some respects because I interpret that delivery as indicative of strong narrative tension but here it seemed more of a presentation style chosen for a first person narration and I was unable to maintain a sustained engagement with that much perceived tension. It also had the effect of then partially blunting the moments of real tension that the story provided. Andrea Cort is a very tightly wound character with a significant amount of emotional baggage and my read of her character is that because she feels she has nothing to lose, she tends to be blunt and forceful in expressing herself. Where I found the narration to be ideal was in balancing Andrea’s unlikeable aspects (her brusque speech patterns and disregard for anyone’s feelings) with just enough emotional vulnerability tinging her thoughts to keep me from disconnecting from her character. In addition, the supporting cast of characters were nicely distinct in both vocal presentation and viewpoint.
January 25, 2025
Premier tome des aventures d'Andrea Cort, par Adam Troy Castro dont j'avais apprécié une novella parue dans la collection UHL, et qui se déroulait dans le même univers de science fiction.
Le livre se compose de plusieurs longues nouvelles suivies du roman qui donne son titre à l'ouvrage.
On baigne dans une ambiance d'enquêtes en accompagnant l'héroïne revêche qui, même si elle a de bonnes raisons, s'apitoie beaucoup sur elle-même dans ce début de cycle.
Rien de révolutionnaire du point de vue littéraire ou science fictif, mais une lecture très agréable. La structure du roman ressemble à un bon vieux whodunit, mais je me suis laissé embarquer sans difficulté !
Le livre se compose de plusieurs longues nouvelles suivies du roman qui donne son titre à l'ouvrage.
On baigne dans une ambiance d'enquêtes en accompagnant l'héroïne revêche qui, même si elle a de bonnes raisons, s'apitoie beaucoup sur elle-même dans ce début de cycle.
Rien de révolutionnaire du point de vue littéraire ou science fictif, mais une lecture très agréable. La structure du roman ressemble à un bon vieux whodunit, mais je me suis laissé embarquer sans difficulté !
August 6, 2023
So very good!
Books like this where you enjoy every page and can't wait to read the next are such a joy. I am now a big fan of Adam-Troy Castro's work.
Books like this where you enjoy every page and can't wait to read the next are such a joy. I am now a big fan of Adam-Troy Castro's work.
August 6, 2014
The combination of being too lazy to write yesterday, and wanting to see if I let things go for a day about Adam-Troy Castro’s award winning book would change my feelings about it. In summation the answer is no, that the writer and book show promise, but insufficient promise for the number of accolades that it received.
The book won the Philip K. Dick award and was nominated for the Nebula, Hugo and Bram Stoker awards (why a horror award I have no idea) the year it came out. Yes this led to higher than normal expectations on my part. Lets look at what Castro does deliver.
An interesting world-check. The AISource that is likely the most powerful civilization in this science fiction novel have created an artificial world inside an orbital station and populated it with life. A world where up and down are literally reversed as the most sentient inhabitants the AI Source created live on the ceiling of the world.
Diplomatic intrigue-check. The Human Confederation is on the world trying to establish if its inhabitants are sentient and that the AI Source is effectively trading in slavery. Two members of the diplomatic mission have been murdered and a human investigator has been sent with orders to find anyone but the AISource guilty of the murders.
Interesting human mixes-check. A cybernetic ally linked pair, a human who had to defect to an alien power to keep from being killed or jailed for life, and Andrea Cort the investigator who is haunted by demons from her childhood.
So a multiple award nominated and award-winning tale with all of the above should rock a science fiction reader’s world-right? In this case wrong. The solution of the murder suffers from television exposition heavy OMG I just figured it out, and this is who did the killing. And, arguably the murder is almost from out of left field. I say almost because in hindsight if was so obvious who did the murders. A near omnipotent AI civilization feels passé in 2010, and I would be more forgiving of the AISource as a plot device, not a character, but a plot device if the book was 30-40 years old when writers were just playing with the AI as running human worlds, or worlds of their own, as a concept.
Cort is not an engaging enough character to carry a 300+ page novel. Maybe a short story, but not a novel.
The likelihood of my buying the second Cort book-near zero, with a slim possibility that I’ll see if the library has it.
The book won the Philip K. Dick award and was nominated for the Nebula, Hugo and Bram Stoker awards (why a horror award I have no idea) the year it came out. Yes this led to higher than normal expectations on my part. Lets look at what Castro does deliver.
An interesting world-check. The AISource that is likely the most powerful civilization in this science fiction novel have created an artificial world inside an orbital station and populated it with life. A world where up and down are literally reversed as the most sentient inhabitants the AI Source created live on the ceiling of the world.
Diplomatic intrigue-check. The Human Confederation is on the world trying to establish if its inhabitants are sentient and that the AI Source is effectively trading in slavery. Two members of the diplomatic mission have been murdered and a human investigator has been sent with orders to find anyone but the AISource guilty of the murders.
Interesting human mixes-check. A cybernetic ally linked pair, a human who had to defect to an alien power to keep from being killed or jailed for life, and Andrea Cort the investigator who is haunted by demons from her childhood.
So a multiple award nominated and award-winning tale with all of the above should rock a science fiction reader’s world-right? In this case wrong. The solution of the murder suffers from television exposition heavy OMG I just figured it out, and this is who did the killing. And, arguably the murder is almost from out of left field. I say almost because in hindsight if was so obvious who did the murders. A near omnipotent AI civilization feels passé in 2010, and I would be more forgiving of the AISource as a plot device, not a character, but a plot device if the book was 30-40 years old when writers were just playing with the AI as running human worlds, or worlds of their own, as a concept.
Cort is not an engaging enough character to carry a 300+ page novel. Maybe a short story, but not a novel.
The likelihood of my buying the second Cort book-near zero, with a slim possibility that I’ll see if the library has it.
June 25, 2017
The AISource has built a huge artificial habitat light years from any system, filled it with life they created and then informed the major sentient races that they had done so. The Brachiators are sentient causing some problems with the other races thinking the Brachiators are slaves. Even though One One One is the only habitat they can live in, and they are not asking them to do anything. The AISource has allowed one group of observers, humans, into One One One, but without diplomatic status.
The environment is sort of topsy-turvy with vines hanging from the top most area, a cloud layer beneath that and in the depths an acidic atmosphere where human life would perish. The Brachiators are sloth like creatures that cling to the vine with all four limbs move very slowly to feed on the fruit. The humans have built a hammocktown for their small contingent. Christina Santiago is killed by falling into the depths when her hammock was cut at one end.
Andrea Cort is sent to investigate the death. By the time she arrives there has been a second death. Cynthia Warmuth was the opposite of the misanthrope Santiago. Warmuth was up in everyone's face trying to make them feel better. Overly empathetic. Andrea interviews Director Gibb, Lastogne the second in command, the cylinked Porrinyards, the three height averse crew that are relegated to the hub, and all the rest of the humans on board. She talks with the AISource, and is still left with many of their actions unexplained. Why bring One One One to the attention of the other spacefaring races? It never would have been found.
It's a murder mystery, because we need to find out who killed Santiago and Warmuth, but there are many more intriguing mysteries as well. What are the AISource up to? Who is Lastogne? Why are there three crew stuck in the hub instead of being transferred to a place where they can be productive? What are Andrea's Unseen Demons?!
Great mystery. Terrific action scenes. Andrea goes through some major character development. Some big reveals. Thoroughly enjoyable.
The environment is sort of topsy-turvy with vines hanging from the top most area, a cloud layer beneath that and in the depths an acidic atmosphere where human life would perish. The Brachiators are sloth like creatures that cling to the vine with all four limbs move very slowly to feed on the fruit. The humans have built a hammocktown for their small contingent. Christina Santiago is killed by falling into the depths when her hammock was cut at one end.
Andrea Cort is sent to investigate the death. By the time she arrives there has been a second death. Cynthia Warmuth was the opposite of the misanthrope Santiago. Warmuth was up in everyone's face trying to make them feel better. Overly empathetic. Andrea interviews Director Gibb, Lastogne the second in command, the cylinked Porrinyards, the three height averse crew that are relegated to the hub, and all the rest of the humans on board. She talks with the AISource, and is still left with many of their actions unexplained. Why bring One One One to the attention of the other spacefaring races? It never would have been found.
It's a murder mystery, because we need to find out who killed Santiago and Warmuth, but there are many more intriguing mysteries as well. What are the AISource up to? Who is Lastogne? Why are there three crew stuck in the hub instead of being transferred to a place where they can be productive? What are Andrea's Unseen Demons?!
Great mystery. Terrific action scenes. Andrea goes through some major character development. Some big reveals. Thoroughly enjoyable.
May 13, 2022
Je ne connaissais pas cet auteur, je me suis donc laissée influencer par les critiques de mes amis pour me lancer (je suis faible). Et j'ai bien fait ! Je ne reviens pas sur les intrigues, déjà très bien décrites par ailleurs.
Les nouvelles au début du livre m'ont beaucoup plues et m'ont permis d'aborder le roman "principal" avec facilité. J'ai trouvé que c'était une bonne entrée en matière pour connaître l'univers dans lequel Andrea Cort, enquêtrice pour le bureau du procureur, évolue. On y découvre plusieurs races d'extraterrestre avec lesquelles Andrea Cort doit interagir et même si j'ai eu du mal à bien visualiser la physionomie de certains ET, j'ai trouvé ces nouvelles passionnantes.
J'aime beaucoup les mondes artifiels (ici un cylindre monde), l'un de mes préférés étant celui de John Varley, dans sa Trilogie de Gaïa, où il est également question de "créations sentientes", mais sur un mode déjanté (ce qui n'est absolument pas le cas ici ! ).
Andrea Cort, a un passé violent, une l'enfance traumatisée et se considère d'avantage comme un "monstre" qu'un être humain. Elle est envoyée sur Un Un Un (un monde articiel "monde-cylindre) pour résoudre un meutre. Sa feuille de route précise qu'elle se doit d'écarter d'office les suspects les plus évidents pour raison diplomatique. Un Un Un est donc un monde artificiel très élaboré créé par des IA sentientes, au milieu d'humains augmentés, d'humain non-humain, d'humain à 2 corps, et de créatures sentientes créées par ces IA omnipotentes. Rien que ça.
Je me suis donc embarqué dans ce "polar" SF, avec une enquêtrice minutieuse, limite sociopathe, limite suicidaire et carrément antipathique, devant trouver un meutrier qui est obligatoirement l'un des protagonistes coincés sur ce monde articifiel.
J'ai beaucoup aimé ce roman. L'enquête et la "richesse" de son personnage principal a donné une dimension supplémentaire et bien entendu, je vais lire la suite. Je suis juste restée sur ma faim concernant justement ce monde-cylindre. J'aurai aimé en savoir plus. Peut-être ce sera le cas pour les prochains tomes ?
Les nouvelles au début du livre m'ont beaucoup plues et m'ont permis d'aborder le roman "principal" avec facilité. J'ai trouvé que c'était une bonne entrée en matière pour connaître l'univers dans lequel Andrea Cort, enquêtrice pour le bureau du procureur, évolue. On y découvre plusieurs races d'extraterrestre avec lesquelles Andrea Cort doit interagir et même si j'ai eu du mal à bien visualiser la physionomie de certains ET, j'ai trouvé ces nouvelles passionnantes.
J'aime beaucoup les mondes artifiels (ici un cylindre monde), l'un de mes préférés étant celui de John Varley, dans sa Trilogie de Gaïa, où il est également question de "créations sentientes", mais sur un mode déjanté (ce qui n'est absolument pas le cas ici ! ).
Andrea Cort, a un passé violent, une l'enfance traumatisée et se considère d'avantage comme un "monstre" qu'un être humain. Elle est envoyée sur Un Un Un (un monde articiel "monde-cylindre) pour résoudre un meutre. Sa feuille de route précise qu'elle se doit d'écarter d'office les suspects les plus évidents pour raison diplomatique. Un Un Un est donc un monde artificiel très élaboré créé par des IA sentientes, au milieu d'humains augmentés, d'humain non-humain, d'humain à 2 corps, et de créatures sentientes créées par ces IA omnipotentes. Rien que ça.
Je me suis donc embarqué dans ce "polar" SF, avec une enquêtrice minutieuse, limite sociopathe, limite suicidaire et carrément antipathique, devant trouver un meutrier qui est obligatoirement l'un des protagonistes coincés sur ce monde articifiel.
J'ai beaucoup aimé ce roman. L'enquête et la "richesse" de son personnage principal a donné une dimension supplémentaire et bien entendu, je vais lire la suite. Je suis juste restée sur ma faim concernant justement ce monde-cylindre. J'aurai aimé en savoir plus. Peut-être ce sera le cas pour les prochains tomes ?
September 1, 2014
I wanted so bad for this to be a good book. Ok, it wasn't bad, but it certainly didn't live up to the potential of its premise. What this book boils down to is a basic whodunnit murder mystery, with a sci-fi theme. The sci-fi aspect made it somewhat more interesting to read, but it really didn't add anything to the plot or the characters.
Yeah... the characters. They were mostly two-dimensional, and the main character was so annoyingly self-pitying (not intentionally, but it came across that way) that I was hoping she'd get lobotomized or something -- which wasn't likely since the story is told from her perspective.
The mystery aspect of the book came across like the vast majority of standard mystery books: the reader is led by the nose through the story line and the entire thing is explained in detail at the very end. The problem is (and this is a complaint of mine with many mystery books), the author doesn't provide enough information or detail throughout the book to let the readers come up with their own ideas and conclusions.
The end of the book was the worst part of it by far. For the majority of the book, we are given the impression that the main character, Andrea, is a closed-off, hard-bitten bitch. Then, quite suddenly, at the end of the book she undergoes a radical change of personality and becomes weepy, caring, and empathetic. Or maybe just "pathetic".
It's hard to get through this book, but you could certainly do worse.
Yeah... the characters. They were mostly two-dimensional, and the main character was so annoyingly self-pitying (not intentionally, but it came across that way) that I was hoping she'd get lobotomized or something -- which wasn't likely since the story is told from her perspective.
The mystery aspect of the book came across like the vast majority of standard mystery books: the reader is led by the nose through the story line and the entire thing is explained in detail at the very end. The problem is (and this is a complaint of mine with many mystery books), the author doesn't provide enough information or detail throughout the book to let the readers come up with their own ideas and conclusions.
The end of the book was the worst part of it by far. For the majority of the book, we are given the impression that the main character, Andrea, is a closed-off, hard-bitten bitch. Then, quite suddenly, at the end of the book she undergoes a radical change of personality and becomes weepy, caring, and empathetic. Or maybe just "pathetic".
It's hard to get through this book, but you could certainly do worse.
February 14, 2021
Ce livre est un sacré morceau, un bon pavé constitué de quatre nouvelles et d'un roman le tout en ordre chronologique.
Le tout retrace les enquêtes d'un personnage très atypique : "Andrea Cort", diplomate et enquêtrice au passé tumultueux devant démêler des conflits, escorter des prisonniers, défendre les intérêts humains, ou encore résoudre des crimes dans tous les recoins de l'espace, sous la gouverne du "Corps diplomatique" de la "race humaine" et ce à vie pour éponger ses crimes, ce qui se résume ni plus ni moins à de l'esclavage.
Le personnage d'Andrea est vraiment le gros atout de cet ouvrage, une femme tellement complexe, butée, n'ayant pas d'affinités avec les autres, quelques soit leurs origines, humaines ou autres, une femme solitaire, obligée de jouer dans un monde qu'elle répugne. En vérité, une femme également très angoissée, rigide et n'ayant confiance en personne, mais alors je l'ai adorée, un sacré personnage !
Côté histoire, que ce soit dans les nouvelles ou dans le roman qui suit, c'est du sur mesure pour le personnage, on ne s'ennuie jamais, malgré des passages assez lents et pas mal de descriptions, il y a toujours des passages surprenants qui vous emmènent à poursuivre l'aventure.
Le "bestiaire extraterrestre" est lui très varié.
J'ai hâte de pouvoir lire la suite des péripéties d'Andrea Cort.
https://unbouquinsinonrien.blogspot.c...
Le tout retrace les enquêtes d'un personnage très atypique : "Andrea Cort", diplomate et enquêtrice au passé tumultueux devant démêler des conflits, escorter des prisonniers, défendre les intérêts humains, ou encore résoudre des crimes dans tous les recoins de l'espace, sous la gouverne du "Corps diplomatique" de la "race humaine" et ce à vie pour éponger ses crimes, ce qui se résume ni plus ni moins à de l'esclavage.
Le personnage d'Andrea est vraiment le gros atout de cet ouvrage, une femme tellement complexe, butée, n'ayant pas d'affinités avec les autres, quelques soit leurs origines, humaines ou autres, une femme solitaire, obligée de jouer dans un monde qu'elle répugne. En vérité, une femme également très angoissée, rigide et n'ayant confiance en personne, mais alors je l'ai adorée, un sacré personnage !
Côté histoire, que ce soit dans les nouvelles ou dans le roman qui suit, c'est du sur mesure pour le personnage, on ne s'ennuie jamais, malgré des passages assez lents et pas mal de descriptions, il y a toujours des passages surprenants qui vous emmènent à poursuivre l'aventure.
Le "bestiaire extraterrestre" est lui très varié.
J'ai hâte de pouvoir lire la suite des péripéties d'Andrea Cort.
https://unbouquinsinonrien.blogspot.c...
February 11, 2025
Imagine WH Smith and Paddy Power opening a join bookshop on a service station near Stoke-on-Trent to push Midland-themed school stationary and regional authors among classics and bestselling novels. That is pretty much what Librairie Rimbaud feels like on a rainy weekday lunch break, back in my home town of Charleville-Mézières (1). I was all the more surprised when, during my idle visit last weekend, I came across a half-shelve (that is, 4 books) of Adam-Troy Castro’s novels duly translated into the local language (which is French, if you have to ask).
The fluctuating destinies of science-fiction writers across Pond and Channel does not cease to amuse me. The genial Ursula Le Guinn reached the recognition she deserved in the US, UK and Canada in due time, but has only started to be read and praised in France in recent years, in the wake of environment movements, gender studies and the woke culture. Philip K Dick was the object of fascinating studies in France decades before he became a household name in the UK. Meanwhile, the greatness of a M John Harrison is still mostly unnoticed in the US and France and the French production (with the notable and very dated exception of Jules Verne) is struggling to make it across any border (2). Adam-Troy Castro’s fortune is equally unequal: praised in the US, mostly unknown in the UK. I was not expecting to find any mention of him on the French side (even though I first heard of him through François Angelier’s radio programme Mauvais Genres), and even less in Charleville’s Librairie Rimbaud.
Emissaries From The Dead is rich with contents, themes and angles. I could list them down here, but I would not do a better job than what has already been done – so I will refer you to existing online reviews. You could do worse than read, for instance, Thomas Wagner’s http://www.sfreviews.net (the old version of http://www.SFF180.com, and I am not getting one penny for referencing him). The novel has fun with AIs in the way only science-fiction permits: AIs precede humankind, they have infiltrated us through nanotechnology, free will is an illusion, we are nothing but puppets in a higher game, but aren’t we already, being the possession of big capitalistic companies who own our mortgaged asses etc.
The novel is far from flawless. Castro chose a narrative approach which puts Emissaries From The Dead at the crossroad between SF and noir. As Wagner points out, its cross-genre may give it character depth, but it also doubles up on clichés. Overall, the quality of writing is not good enough to justify its numerous award nominations and wins (the novel won the prestigious Philip K. Dick award in 2009, succeeding M John Harrison’s wonderful Nova Swing). It lacks visual poetry (Castro’s rendition of artificial worlds pales in comparison to Kim Stanley Robinson’s 2312). At times, there are serious problems with sentences rhythm and melody. See for instance, towards the end: “It was home only because the walls, just as amorphous as the ones in the chamber I’d just left, were here just backdrop to a scene to almost comical domesticity.” Five adverbs! “… only… just… just… just… almost”, 5 gradation adverbs bringing no tangible information or texture to the sentence. Castro wrote as if in a rush and his publisher did a botched job of correcting him. Unfortunately this is enough to take me out of the action and into a ten minutes rant before I drop the book to go for a nerve-soothing run.
Wagner also points out Castro’s tendency to over-explain. Good noir novels keep the explaining to a terse minimum. Emissaries From The Dead does not do that. Andrea Cort’s long, long, loooooong monologue at the end would have made me hate her if, despite all these flaws, there was not something endearing about her character. It took me a while to put my finger on it. It dawned on me after the words “dream” and “nightmare” came back five times in the same chapter. There is a dream-like quality to One One One, the world Adam-Troy Castro has created – a nightmare-like quality, shall I say, and Castro shows all his talent as a horror stories writer here. It does not transpire in the writing, plain and flawed as seen above, more suited for thrillers than for science-fiction. But the setting! Hanging to the planet’s “ceiling”, subject to vertigo, Andrea Cort is stuck, trapped, glued in her phobias – she quite literally is, in one of the final scenes where she finds herself wrapped in a thick layer of sticky sweet sap and unable to escape the inexorable brutality of the slowly approaching, sloth-like, hostile Brachiators. Dangling in their sticky web, aware but paralysed, unable to escape her mortal fate, she is pretty much like a spider pray. This is the stuff of nightmares, the kind of material that wakes me up screaming.
Horror can be endearing. Weirdly enough, in my case, it makes me empathize not with the characters but with the author. Throughout these pages I was not so much Andrea Cort gesticulating to avoid creeping death than Adam-Troy Castro waking up at 2am screaming and sweating from that sticky nightmare, turning the light on, trying to calm down and realising that the only way he will ever be able to turn the light off again is when there is enough daylight. So he sits up and writes. Give it a couple of months (it can’t have been more, given the weakness of the writing!) and you get Emissaries From The Dead.
So, I hear you say, is this a good review or a bad review? Get off that fence! Are you urging us to buy the novel or to throw it away? Well – hehe… hmm… both. Buy it, read it, then give it away. That’s what I am going to do anyway. I plan on relocating to Edinburgh shortly. I need to declutter my house, which is made for 63 percent of books. Castro’s Emissaries From The Dead has joined a few recent reads into the “charity shop” cardboard box. Too good for the bin – not enough for Scotland.
(1) – Librairie Rimbaud is the only place in Charleville which opens at lunchtime and does not serve booze. I have no idea why. I cannot recollect how many times I have put books and wine in close proximity, even large quantities of each, and never has either of them exploded. I have never approached critical mass, no matter how hard I’ve tried.
(2) – I can hear the non-French among my readers laugh as this mention. Want a few names? How about The Hands of Orlac‘s Maurice Renard, Planet of the Apes‘ Pierre Boulle, Quest for Fire‘s J-H Rosny Aisne, Jean-Pierre Andrevon, Serge Brussolo, Michel Jeury, Michel Grimaud, Ayerdahl, Pierre Bordage, …. What can I say? It’s your loss.
The fluctuating destinies of science-fiction writers across Pond and Channel does not cease to amuse me. The genial Ursula Le Guinn reached the recognition she deserved in the US, UK and Canada in due time, but has only started to be read and praised in France in recent years, in the wake of environment movements, gender studies and the woke culture. Philip K Dick was the object of fascinating studies in France decades before he became a household name in the UK. Meanwhile, the greatness of a M John Harrison is still mostly unnoticed in the US and France and the French production (with the notable and very dated exception of Jules Verne) is struggling to make it across any border (2). Adam-Troy Castro’s fortune is equally unequal: praised in the US, mostly unknown in the UK. I was not expecting to find any mention of him on the French side (even though I first heard of him through François Angelier’s radio programme Mauvais Genres), and even less in Charleville’s Librairie Rimbaud.
Emissaries From The Dead is rich with contents, themes and angles. I could list them down here, but I would not do a better job than what has already been done – so I will refer you to existing online reviews. You could do worse than read, for instance, Thomas Wagner’s http://www.sfreviews.net (the old version of http://www.SFF180.com, and I am not getting one penny for referencing him). The novel has fun with AIs in the way only science-fiction permits: AIs precede humankind, they have infiltrated us through nanotechnology, free will is an illusion, we are nothing but puppets in a higher game, but aren’t we already, being the possession of big capitalistic companies who own our mortgaged asses etc.
The novel is far from flawless. Castro chose a narrative approach which puts Emissaries From The Dead at the crossroad between SF and noir. As Wagner points out, its cross-genre may give it character depth, but it also doubles up on clichés. Overall, the quality of writing is not good enough to justify its numerous award nominations and wins (the novel won the prestigious Philip K. Dick award in 2009, succeeding M John Harrison’s wonderful Nova Swing). It lacks visual poetry (Castro’s rendition of artificial worlds pales in comparison to Kim Stanley Robinson’s 2312). At times, there are serious problems with sentences rhythm and melody. See for instance, towards the end: “It was home only because the walls, just as amorphous as the ones in the chamber I’d just left, were here just backdrop to a scene to almost comical domesticity.” Five adverbs! “… only… just… just… just… almost”, 5 gradation adverbs bringing no tangible information or texture to the sentence. Castro wrote as if in a rush and his publisher did a botched job of correcting him. Unfortunately this is enough to take me out of the action and into a ten minutes rant before I drop the book to go for a nerve-soothing run.
Wagner also points out Castro’s tendency to over-explain. Good noir novels keep the explaining to a terse minimum. Emissaries From The Dead does not do that. Andrea Cort’s long, long, loooooong monologue at the end would have made me hate her if, despite all these flaws, there was not something endearing about her character. It took me a while to put my finger on it. It dawned on me after the words “dream” and “nightmare” came back five times in the same chapter. There is a dream-like quality to One One One, the world Adam-Troy Castro has created – a nightmare-like quality, shall I say, and Castro shows all his talent as a horror stories writer here. It does not transpire in the writing, plain and flawed as seen above, more suited for thrillers than for science-fiction. But the setting! Hanging to the planet’s “ceiling”, subject to vertigo, Andrea Cort is stuck, trapped, glued in her phobias – she quite literally is, in one of the final scenes where she finds herself wrapped in a thick layer of sticky sweet sap and unable to escape the inexorable brutality of the slowly approaching, sloth-like, hostile Brachiators. Dangling in their sticky web, aware but paralysed, unable to escape her mortal fate, she is pretty much like a spider pray. This is the stuff of nightmares, the kind of material that wakes me up screaming.
Horror can be endearing. Weirdly enough, in my case, it makes me empathize not with the characters but with the author. Throughout these pages I was not so much Andrea Cort gesticulating to avoid creeping death than Adam-Troy Castro waking up at 2am screaming and sweating from that sticky nightmare, turning the light on, trying to calm down and realising that the only way he will ever be able to turn the light off again is when there is enough daylight. So he sits up and writes. Give it a couple of months (it can’t have been more, given the weakness of the writing!) and you get Emissaries From The Dead.
So, I hear you say, is this a good review or a bad review? Get off that fence! Are you urging us to buy the novel or to throw it away? Well – hehe… hmm… both. Buy it, read it, then give it away. That’s what I am going to do anyway. I plan on relocating to Edinburgh shortly. I need to declutter my house, which is made for 63 percent of books. Castro’s Emissaries From The Dead has joined a few recent reads into the “charity shop” cardboard box. Too good for the bin – not enough for Scotland.
(1) – Librairie Rimbaud is the only place in Charleville which opens at lunchtime and does not serve booze. I have no idea why. I cannot recollect how many times I have put books and wine in close proximity, even large quantities of each, and never has either of them exploded. I have never approached critical mass, no matter how hard I’ve tried.
(2) – I can hear the non-French among my readers laugh as this mention. Want a few names? How about The Hands of Orlac‘s Maurice Renard, Planet of the Apes‘ Pierre Boulle, Quest for Fire‘s J-H Rosny Aisne, Jean-Pierre Andrevon, Serge Brussolo, Michel Jeury, Michel Grimaud, Ayerdahl, Pierre Bordage, …. What can I say? It’s your loss.
April 24, 2010
I have a friend who pretty well summed up SciFi for me in a passing comment he made-the ideas are good, but the execution is generally pretty poor. This particular book stands out as proof that he may have been on to something. We have a noirish space mystery which explores conditions of human enslavement, questions of liberty and socio-political dynamics between creatures of different species, all framed in a bit of pop-psychology. The science is light and fairly well drawn for the most part (a bit too light at times), creating a world that is fun to read through. The fatal flaw of this particular package appears in the persona of our protagonist. She feels like a male character that was administered a sex change at the last moment. This isn't a painful or awkward encounter, she simply doesn't feel at all female in terms of viewpoints or interaction. Primary character failures aside, The plot line (and ultimately conclusion) is filled with all too convenient developments that make this imaginary world difficult to believe in, and ultimately care about in any significant way.
July 25, 2011
Andrea Cort is possibly the the most hateful, self loathing and hostile woman in the galaxy, but she is just what is needed to uncover the truth behind a grisly murder on the loneliest and most isolated space station ever built.
Adam-Troy Castro is unquestionably the only male author I know of to write a female protagonist so authentically. There is no stink of the "man with breasts" ham handedness that sometimes plagues even great writers.
He raises the bar further with the introduction of a very well thought out alien species, a disturbing couple who share one mind and a dangerously autonomous race of sentient software.
The first of a trilogy, this is a smoking hot, well paced sci-fi thriller that I can only hope becomes lauded as the classic storytelling that it is.
Adam-Troy Castro is unquestionably the only male author I know of to write a female protagonist so authentically. There is no stink of the "man with breasts" ham handedness that sometimes plagues even great writers.
He raises the bar further with the introduction of a very well thought out alien species, a disturbing couple who share one mind and a dangerously autonomous race of sentient software.
The first of a trilogy, this is a smoking hot, well paced sci-fi thriller that I can only hope becomes lauded as the classic storytelling that it is.
August 3, 2012
A re-read in preparation for the third Andrea Cort novel FINALLY being available in English in some form. I've actually read this book a couple times -- it's the perfect example for why I wish I could use Goodreads to give books two types of ratings: one rating based on quality, one based on enjoyability. I'd give all of the Andrea Cort novels six out of five stars for enjoyability, but am straining to give this one three stars for quality. I don't know why misanthropic Mary Sue extraordinaire scratches my pulp fiction itch, but, well.
August 1, 2021
Un livre passionnant à bien des égards. Si les 600 à 700 pages de ce livre vous effraient, sachez qu'il est composé de nouvelles et d'un roman ou d'une nouvelle plus longue à la fin. Chacune d'entre elles se présente sous la forme d'enquêtes avec une chute des plus intéressantes. Mais tout l'intérêt réside dans le point commun de ces nouvelles : son personnage principal, Andrea Cort. Une femme au passé terrible et au caractère de fer. Les nouvelles permettent d'appréhender toute la complexité du personnage, souvent en la confrontant à d'autres. En résumé, un très bon livre de SF.
December 28, 2010
The main character gets toyed with and lied to by omnipotent AIs for basically the entire book. At the end of the book, the AIs sort-of explain why they were doing that, and then preemptively drop some cryptic hints that they're going to do more of the same in the sequel.
I dunno. I feel like, once your setting contains an omnipotent AI, your book stops being interesting, because everything that happens is just stuff the AI wanted to happen.
I dunno. I feel like, once your setting contains an omnipotent AI, your book stops being interesting, because everything that happens is just stuff the AI wanted to happen.
March 4, 2011
Pros: Awesome world-building. Good pacing/plotting. Smooth writing.
Cons: Angsty protagonist (she pretty much typifies the premise that prolonged life = prolonged adolescence). An author wish-fulfillment quality to some of the plot points that rather irks me.
As a first novel, this was great. I probably will read the sequel at some point for the sake of the world building and the strong writing.
Cons: Angsty protagonist (she pretty much typifies the premise that prolonged life = prolonged adolescence). An author wish-fulfillment quality to some of the plot points that rather irks me.
As a first novel, this was great. I probably will read the sequel at some point for the sake of the world building and the strong writing.
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