Saturday, October 19, 2013

The Diamond Deep-Brenda Cooper

The Diamond Deep

Brenda Cooper

Pyr, Oct 8 2013, $18.00

ISBN 9781616148553



The rebellion between the oppressed Grays against the elitist technologists Reds on the generation ship Creative Fire has been somewhat settled though some ire and revolt remains especially among those who have fallen in status. Ruby Martin, who led the rebellion as a rare dreaming Gray, and her partner Joel North with the collaboration of the ship’s AI leads the vessel on their way home to Adiamo.



However, when they dock at the Diamond Deep station, instead of being welcomed as exploratory heroes, the residents treat the Creative Fire crew with disdain as inferiors. Ruby and her mates are backwater when it comes to the advances in technologies since the ship began the venture many generations ago. Ergo their superiors dump them at the bottom of the social hierarchy.



The second Ruby's Song science fiction (see The Creative Fire) is an exciting outer space first contact thriller that continues to focus on technological class warfare (an issue impacting the world today). Ruby still covets life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, but now that she is in charge of governance rather than leading a rebellion against status quo leadership she seems incompetent which ironically makes her appear real. Although not as exciting as its prequel, fans will appreciate this deep look at the technological revolution especially the impact on those left behind.



Harriet Klausner

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