Neuropath

Rym

I fairly randomly decided to pick up R. Scott Bakker's Neuropath.

A few points.
1. It was written by R. Scott Bakker.
2. Point the first is easily forgotten until page 26.
3. Do not forget that this was written by R. Scott Bakker.

All of the review snippets on the book jacket basically say things along the lines of "this book deeply disturbed me" and "forced me to accept uncomfortable truths." They weren't kidding. Having remembered that this was written by R. Scott Bakker, I'm getting about exactly what I expected out of it.

Kate Monster

I was thinking of picking up a long while ago. I heard it wasn't so great, so I didn't. Are you recommending it, Rym?

Rym

Are you recommending it, Rym?

I'm not sure yet.

He's definitely going for a more direct style. I'm not sure what to make of it yet, but it reminds me greatly of Strange Days, maybe with a touch of Bladerunner and some Ghost in the Shell.

As an aside, the protagonist appears to live in Beacon, or very near to Beacon.

Alex

I got this for Christmas, and it's on my pile of "things to read". When I get to it, I'll be sure to add my thoughts here; meanwhile, I'll keep in mind point #3.

Ilmarinen

I liked it, but it's not anywhere NEAR the same level as a Prince of Nothing book. I feel like Bakker really thought that he would blow people's minds, but none of the content really disturbed me or was anything new philosophically. Near the end there are far too many deus ex machina. It would probably adapt to movie quite well though.

Rym

So, morals thus far:

1. Psychopaths have the gnosis.
2. The world is going through the semantic apocalypse.

I'm starting to suspect that this work is raising the same basic question that the Prince of Nothing series is. I also still stand (about halfway through the book) by my assessment that the story is deeply similar to Strange Days, and also The Difference Engine.

Also! strong female characters.

gomidog

Also! strong female characters.

Still doubt I will read it. Too much brains.

by my assessment that the story is deeply similar to...oThe Difference Engine.

What story? All I remember was a bunch of cool scenes of tubes and fog held together very loosely by something resembling a plot.

Rym

What story? All I remember was a bunch of cool scenes of tubes and fog held together very loosely by something resembling a plot.

The Difference Engine was half an exploration of how things may have progressed had mechanical computing become viable early enough, but there's another and much more important half.

Periodically, humans catch themselves on the cusp of great change, points where the slope of the line of progress begins increasing. Humans inevitably perceive this to be an end run, a path to some manner of final destination. They perceive increasing change as acceleration toward a literal "end of the world," or in the very least a catastrophe of some kind. They overstate the significance of minor things, and conflate everything with some grand plan or climactic resolution.

The whole point of The Difference Engine (minor spoiler) is that this great catastrophe never comes. Technology progresses, things change, society adapts, and as people acclimate to the new slope of progress, all of the things they feared from the future become routine. There's no plot, no narrative, despite the confirmation bias that causes them all to expect one.

Look at how many times large segments of the population have decided that things were coming to an end, that some great disaster was just on the cusp of occurring, that society was in a death spiral. The Difference Engine builds up just this innate human fear, and shows you that it was all nothing more than simple progress.

Rym

Hmph... An abrupt, anticlimactic, and unsatisfying ending, more than one twist just before the end, and generally the same central point (though less masterfully portrayed) of the Prince of Nothing series.

Good, but not great. It was like reading Strange Days with the opposite effective ending, but the same events, at the end.

George Patches

Look at how many times large segments of the population have decided that things were coming to an end, that some great disaster was just on the cusp of occurring, that society was in a death spiral.The Difference Enginebuilds up just this innate human fear, and shows you that it was all nothing more than simple progress.

My grandfather once tried to reason to me that the world would come to an end in 2012 because mankind had nothing left to invent and therefore god would end the world. I refused to continue the conversation.