Quarantine

by Greg Egan

Book Overview

It causes riots and religions. It has people dancing in the streets and leaping off skyscrapers. And it's all because of the impenetrable gray shield that slid into place around the solar system on the night of November 15, 2034. Some see the bubble as the revenge of an insane God. Some see it as justice. Some even see it as protection. But one thing is for certain -- now there is the universe, and the earth. And never the twain shall meet. Or so...

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0061054232
• ISBN13: 9780061054235
• Release Date: January 1995
• Publisher: Harper Voyager
• Length: 288 Pages
• Weight: 0.53 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 4.2" x 6.8"

Customer Reviews

Learn Quantum Theory the Greg Egan Way!

Quarantine is a brilliant page turner. I love the science fiction private-eye sub-genre but what surprised me was Mr. Egan's intuitive grasp of quantum theory. I would recommend this book for the enjoyable story but also to anyone who is about to embark on learning quantum mechanics. People who study it always complain that QM is all mathematics with very little intuitive grasp. A few authors have quantum insight like Feynman but even he said that no one truly understands the quantum world (siding with Neils Bohr). Well, Egan manages to make the implicit manifest in the "normal" world for us. At the same time he gave me a mystery that kept me guessing. A great read! I am now primed to read all of his books especially his short stories. Check out Greg's home page for a real treat! Greg, you are brilliant!

Sense of wonder SF at its finest

Some people have criticized Quarantine for its lack of characterization. Frankly, if you're looking for that kind of book, you're in the wrong place. Don't get me wrong: I love a good character-oriented book--but Quarantine is much more about drowning the reader in a profound sense of wonder.Be forewarned, this is not light reading material: Egan demands full intellectual participation from his reader, and a reader without a basic understanding of quantum mechanics and the many-worlds theory might not enjoy Quarantine as thoroughly as someone with that background. But if you're willing to put in the effort, this is a richly rewarding book to read.(One more warning: I strongly suggest that you not read the description on the back of this book. Not only does it spoil the plot, but it is also very misleading and it ruins a great deal of the story's suspense.)

"Stop collapsing those wave-functions!"

Quarantine begins as a high tech future thriller, with a private detective being hired to find a missing woman in a late 21st century Australia where, among other things, one can download software into one's brain, something has sealed the solar system within an impenetrable Bubble, and New Hong Kong has been built on top of Arnhem land. But these glimpses of an exciting future are never really developed or explored in detail, as the book's focus quickly shifts to the metaphysics of quantum mechanics. This is a science fiction oldie, and one that is usually dealt with rather poorly. (Giving humans conscious control over fundamental physics is all too often used as a deus ex machina to solve the plot problems at the end of a novel. Orson Scott Card's Xenocide is a recent example of this.) Egan makes one big (massively implausible?) assumption - that wave function collapse is the responsibility of a particular part of the brain and that with the right neural modification people can learn to avoid doing it, producing a "smeared out" universe - but otherwise his scenario is internally consistent. Even more importantly, Quarantine actually tries to "follow through" on the consequences of its assumptions, and manages to bring something of their full metaphysical immensity home to the reader. If you are interested in this kind of exploration of quantum mechanics then Quarantine is worth a look; if not then you will probably find it rather frustrating

Quatum physics, mods, reality, and much much more...

You don't have to be a physics genius to understand quantum mechanics, JUST READ THIS BOOK! (Take it from a physicist)Greg Egan manages to give us a brilliant look at a very possible future while investigating some of the most fasinating implications of physics, and philosopy. I first heard about this book from a friend of mine, I was fasinated by the idea! It will blow your mind because it not based on some magical idea such as warp drives, but real physical laws.

Book of the Year

Quarantine was an extremely good book, questioning our reality and how easily it can change. A mod(brain implant)-altered PI takes a case that leads him to a corporation with universal aspirations. Hoping to unlock the "Bubble" that formed around our solar system, they kidnap a seemingly brain-damaged patient from a hospital. He begins a quest into the very nature of our existence and the effects of quantum mechanics. The ending satisfied me, for it brought the only plausible solution to a problem that wasn't ready to be faced. Any work by Greg Egan is worth reading if you are prepared for the sudden jarring of your mind opening to intriguing possibilities.