It was very interesting to read this immediately after [b:Smoke|27208482|Smoke|Dan Vyleta|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1449013739s/27208482.jpg|47250255]. In some ways, they are posing and engaging with the same fundamental question from very different genres and perspectives.

This one was way better than Tech-Heaven. If the characters were outlandish, they matched their environment - which was fascinating. How far could nanotechnology go? Could it make humans godlike? From dystopia to world building to immortality, it's a fun ride. Some aspects reminded me of The Diamond Age and [b:Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom|29587|Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom|Cory Doctorow|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1168033624s/29587.jpg|1413]. I did wonder why there was little discussion of the distinction between the death of the body and the death of brain/mind patterns. (April 15, 2006) ( )

Plenty to like here, but also something that, for me, and perhaps only me fell slightly short of making it a really good read. The idea isn't bad: The Commonwealth--comprised, one assumes, of the heavies of our times, the G-7 and a few hangers-on, has given up a great amount of their power to the "Chief of Police" whose mission is to keep the line drawn between legal and illegal programming of nanobots that can alter life forms at the molecular level. It's a bit simplified and the Chief herself is a bit of a cut-out an amusing deluded sort of good-bad gal (who is really the villain). Was it the names that didn't ring true? "Maker" for the immensely complex programs? Or "atrium" for the in-brain receiving area for "ghosts" - that is the extremely lifelike projections people can send around of themselves. The list goes on. The biggest problem is that while I do think Nagata has her ideas straight in her head, it was not always clear to me who was in their real body, and if they were, how they suddenly were. It is quite rare to actually die in this world (unless you are poor and live in one of the countries that is only tangentially connected to the Commonwealth) because you can have back-ups and copies and you can grow a clone and use a ghost and so on. . . . I have a similar issue sometimes with fantasy when it is just too easy for the person to practice magic, no fatigue, no consequences. It's a shame because some of it really does grab you and IS interesting and DOES work. The deeper question of how far can you go before you alter "life" irretrievably, echoes of GMO and DNA fiddling fears we have now, is a good one. In this case, the issue is particularly complicated by the fact that the poorer people of the Earth have no resources at all--kept from them by the Commonwealth . . . so having this program could change things for the better, even if it would NOT be life as before. It's a great question to explore. I have another Nagata novel, that may even have a character from this one in it, so I will try it. ***1/2 ( )

Exciting read ( )

This was very original and an enjoyable read. ( )