Strossed up
Feb 26th, 2008 by lavonardo
After the disappointing-ish Glasshouse I was wondering whether Charles Stross had over-extended himself with a very ambitious publication schedule. While the premise is intriguing, the pacing is off. The book feels padded, this reverse take of the Stepford Wives could easily have been told in with a much smaller page count.
The fears were premature indeed, as the Jennifer Morgue proves that the slip in quality was only momentary and not a permanent feature. The bubbling mixture of espionage, geekery, pop culture and Cthulhu is highly recommended, even if the second story in the book doesn’t have the space or the plot to reach the same heights. Inspired by Delta Green, I’m sure, and inspiring for the fans of the genre.
Next up, Clan Corporate, the third book in the series of at least six parts, and the mystery novel that crosses the border between real life and MMORPG, Halting State. But not back to back, definitely not back to back, there’s plenty of other recent fish caught.
