ot one of his better works, but rereading this book in light of debates on the advantages (and disadvantages) consciousness, the current American security state, systems theory and Peter Watts stuff, this is pretty good.
The concept is that secret domestic agency discovers something odd that points to a eccentric documentary film maker and his farm in Oregon. In the process of investigating they lose 3 agents and things begin to unravel nastily and fast from there. The thing that is realistic is the way the two sides talk past each other with different agendas and goals, and misunderstanding each other about those goals drives the plot.
Yeah, its creepy (the reproductive stumps (http://www.technovelgy.com/ct/content.asp?Bnum=417)), but the alterations to create workers and the fact that removed from the hive, without breeders or specialized castes could recreate the Hive is a nasty bit. The creepy part is thinking about the Hivers in terms of Peter Watts thoughts on conscious thought vs. the capabilities of the neural networks that conscious thought depends on. It can also be deeply disturbing once you think about the implications.
The concept is that secret domestic agency discovers something odd that points to a eccentric documentary film maker and his farm in Oregon. In the process of investigating they lose 3 agents and things begin to unravel nastily and fast from there. The thing that is realistic is the way the two sides talk past each other with different agendas and goals, and misunderstanding each other about those goals drives the plot.
Yeah, its creepy (the reproductive stumps (http://www.technovelgy.com/ct/content.asp?Bnum=417)), but the alterations to create workers and the fact that removed from the hive, without breeders or specialized castes could recreate the Hive is a nasty bit. The creepy part is thinking about the Hivers in terms of Peter Watts thoughts on conscious thought vs. the capabilities of the neural networks that conscious thought depends on. It can also be deeply disturbing once you think about the implications.
