Scardown (Jenny Casey)

by Elizabeth Bear

Book Overview

She wasn't born for this mission. She was modified for it. The year is 2062, and after years on the run, Jenny Casey is back in the Canadian armed forces. Those who were once her enemies are now her... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 055358751X
• Release Date: June 2005
• Publisher: Spectra
• Length: 400 Pages
• Weight: 0.46 lbs.
• Dimensions: 6.8" x 0.8" x 4.2"

Customer Reviews

Not Free SF Reader

China-Canada territorial ambitions, in space. The covers of these might suggest some gung-ho space marine type action. Not really anything like that at all, even with some military type characters. So if you don't like that sort of thing, please don't let that put you off. What you have instead is an Earth in big trouble, some weird aliens, and an artificial intelligence or two. Wars and annihilation are on the agenda unless new places to live can be found. By 'new places' read planets. Spaceships are required, and this is where Jenny Casey comes in, helping out with training and flying such things. It is not all flying around though, as plenty of political skullduggery and research, going on back on Earth. Basically, it is good. I was pleasantly surprised by this trilogy.

Builds on a Good Beginning

As others have noted, you should start with Hammered, the first book in this series. In the first book, Bear's writing was a little stiff, and her dialog was VERY weak in sections. She's clearly learned and improved. Where her first book took cues from early William Gibson, in this one, she clearly cues off his later work, as well as Neal Stephenson and others, moving the action onto a global/space opera stage. For those who have read the first book, things are definitely going downhill, and they continue to do so in this book. Much of the action is dark, betrayal on betrayal in the background, while good folks (Master Chief Warrant Officer Casey and family/friends) fight to be able to do the right thing. On the other hand, we do get to know Col. Valens and his granddaughter Patty much better. We meet a new Chinese pilot, and we learn more about other characters. A much-improved writer telling a dark story. If you liked the first book, or you like the other authors named, you will enjoy this one. Bear could still do with some editing (which seems to be more and more scarce in the publishing world), but she's definitely writing a solid story with a good mix of science, intrigue, and characterization. I had the third one waiting before I finished this one, so I'll be looking for more from this author.

Things take an unexpected turn

"Scardown" goes off in a totally unexpected direction. The three-part saga that in the author's "Hammered" seemed to be establishing itself as a cyberpunky "band of outlaws up against globalism and the corporations" turns into something quite different, soaring off into international conflict, character conflict, space opera, and more than a hint of mysterious aliens. As before, the tale is told in a series of jagged, short, time-stamped chapters from multiple povs. Jenny Casey, with her "wetware" upgraded, is now going to be plugged in as a starship pilot, while the scientists, teenagers, gangsters, et al. from the previous volume continue to play their roles. (Bear cleverly borrows the "mad space pilot" concept from Cordwainer Smith.) The characters' motivations are constantly in flux, and it's impossible to clearly tell who are the good guys and who are the bad guys. Let's just say they're all mostly imperfect, but try to do what they think is best. Also, the author is, fortunately, interested as much in character as she is in plot and action. Indeed, there are times when you're likely to tear up at some of the hard choices that the characters have to make. Bear's a clever writer, too--a great prose stylist, and her dialogue can often go off in unexpected directions. Sometimes a character will begin speaking, after which some other bit of business starts, and the other speaker doesn't respond for a paragraph or so. Disconcerting at first, but you'll get used to it. Notes and asides: Second of three, so obviously you should read "Hammered" before tackling this one.

Bear tops her debut with an even better novel.

Hammered sucked you into Bear's future world of climate change, cyberware and strange technologies of dubious origin, Scardown ratchets up the tension a few more notches. Giving little concession to those who did not read the first, Scardown gives us MORE. Alien technology influenced spacecraft. Space Warfare. Nanotechnology. Artificial Intelligences. And characters we care about. Its no wonder that Bear won the John Campbell award for best new writer at the 2005 Hugo Awards. If you've not read Hammered, go read that, and you will want to read this. And if you did read Hammered, its likely you don't need me to sell you on reading this book, save for me to tell you that its not as good as Hammered. It's BETTER.