ZEITGEIST -- Bruce Sterling

Bantam Books -- hc
New York -- ©2000 -- 293pp
ISBN: 0-53-53-10493-4
signed copy

The key to profitting on pop culture is knowing when to get out. Leggy Starlitz is the master of pop but he's thrown a curve when the daughter he didn't know he had becomes his responsibility. How do you stay on top of the culture wars when culture is about to change, big time, because of Y2K, and how does a new family fit into the mix?

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Bruce Sterling is easily one of the most original writers out there today. So many works in the sci-fi/fantasy field are simply remixes of Lord of the Rings, or Conan, or a Heinlein/Asimov/Clarke/Niven novel. But when you open a Bruce Sterling novel you know you will be getting something that isn't like anything you've ever read before.

And for this alone, bonus points.

But I'll be honest...I'm not sure what I read. I liked the style, I got caught up in the characters, but I'm just not sure I'm clear on how the sub-plots and story lines all tied together. What's with the father? Was he really living his life Merlin-like? Arms dealers? Drug smuggling? What did Leggy know? How much did he approve of? Why the importance on getting the girls out alive?

Perhaps I didn't read it carefully enough, or perhaps much of these didn't matter. Chances are I'll read this again, because I am intriqued. The ending, with the observations that Leggy's daughter declared, and her goals, struck a chord. I think she did indeed "get it."

If you've never read a Bruce Sterling novel, then don't start with this one. Pick up Involution Ocean or Heavy Weather. If you have enjoyed Sterling before, then definitely give this a read. If you just want something that is so incredibly original, then this is the book for you.