Glasshouse by Charles Stross

"Glasshouse," a science fiction novel by Charles Stross, was first published in 2006. It's a loose sequel to "Accelerando" written in 2005, but it can be read as a "stand-alone" story. This book is a combination of space opera, detective story, hard science fiction and psychological thriller. The first person narrative works very well in this book.Robin, the protagonist, wakes up in a rehab clinic in a different body, with very little memory of who he was before. Soon he discovers that someone wants him dead, and his only chance to elude the killer is to join a sociological experiment called the Glasshouse. Five couples, with assumed identities, will sign contracts obligating them to live in a controlled atmosphere for three years. Their environment will simulate the historical time period of 1990 to 2010, which is ancient history to people living in the twenty-seventh century. Robin's identity is a 1950's woman, Reeve. She tries to figure out the purpose of experim
ent as memories suddenly start coming back. But is the real danger outside or is it inside what is looking more like a prison than an experiment? Did Reeve aka Robin put himself in greater danger?Stross has created a fascinating, richly detailed universe with a clever plot that is also convoluted and complex. The pace is quick, sometimes too quick and it may take you a few chapters to get in synch with his technology driven twenty-seventh century future universe. Some passages may leave you scratching your head in confusion, but if you like sci-fi and lots of technical jargon, you will like this book.Publisher: Ace (June 2007)ISBN: 978-0441015085Pages: 352Price:  $7.99

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