Review of 'Accelerando'

Accelerando by Charles Stross

accelerando.jpg Set just a bit in the future, Accelerando tells the story of humanity's step into the “Singularity” - Where computers allow them to transcend their corporal bodies into a digital universe. The story starts out with Manfred who is intimately in tune with the future that is to come as he deftly consumes the data that regularly comes his way to develop inventions (virtual and otherwise) then create companies to capitalize on the proceeds. Manfred is only the tip of the iceberg though as we are taken through the decades to find his children travel virtually via a small probe sent to an intergalactic “router” spotted beyond Pluto - Which opens humanity to the universe beyond. Then things get weird.

It is through Manfred, and his children that we are taken on this voyage of discovery that is very much along the lines of the seminal Neuromancer (by William Gibson). The technobable flies thick and fast as technology quickly outpaces any words that can be used to describe it. Here the bulk of humanity exists outside of anything understandable to the main characters of the book so it is all a bit…surreal.

I found this book quite hard going and often confusing but it is certainly got a lot of interesting ideas. An interesting read for those with a penchant for cyber-punk. I can't really say I found it enjoyable though, unfortunately, this is not my favourite Stross novel.

Rating: “A bit better than average”

Review Date: 2014-12-28


Genre: Science Fiction

Publisher: Orbit

Publication Date: 2005


Other reviewed books by Charles Stross:

Other reviewed books by Cory Doctorow, and Charles Stross: