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Robert Charles Wilson has made a career out of reinventing science fiction, mainly by taking the classic elements of the genre and updating them to the 21st century.
Darwinia returned to the fantastic adventure writing of Jules Verne and Arthur Conan Doyle by transforming Europe into a new Lost World, while
The Chronoliths used time travel to comment on the future direction of our civilization. Now, with
Blind Lake, Wilson revisits perhaps the most classic of sci-fi subjects: first contact with aliens. Set in the Blind Lake research facility, the book follows a group of scientists who are using a form of quantum technology they don't understand to study aliens on a distant planet. The scientists are unable to communicate with the aliens, who are apparently unaware of the humans. There is little chance of the two species ever meeting, and an even smaller chance of the humans ever understanding the workings of the alien society. The situation becomes even more frustrating for the scientists when the facility is sealed off after a mysterious incident at a sister installation and the quantum technology begins to malfunction.
The book has a few flaws--the characters are sometimes little more than ciphers, and the plot occasionally stretches the believability factor--but these are minor points. This is a novel of ideas, and Wilson explores some very big ideas here as the study of the aliens becomes a thoughtful meditation on our own place in the universe. In the process, the book touches on a range of present-day issues, from the politics surrounding space exploration to new forms of spirituality. The book rejects closure throughout, instead embracing uncertainty and ambivalence. Wilson doesn't want to leave us with neat, simple answers to complicated questions; he wants us to question where we go from here. --Peter Darbyshire
From Publishers Weekly
Wilson (The Chronoliths) grapples with the ineffable in a superior SF thriller notable for credible characters and a well-crafted plot. In the mid-21st century, revolutionary new technology allows scientists to watch life forms on planets circling other stars as if they were just a few feet away. At Blind Lake, one of two installations devoted to this purpose, Marguerite Hauser studies an enigmatic alien being who has been dubbed Subject, while also dealing with her ex-husband, Ray Scutter, a mid-level bureaucrat who constantly questions her fitness to have custody over their daughter, Tessa. Then Blind Lake mysteriously goes into lockdown the day after Chris Carmody, a journalist beset by self-doubt and a sordid past, arrives in hopes of finding a story that will restart his career. Automated trucks continue to deliver food, but all communication with the outside world is cut off. Military drones kill anyone attempting to break the quarantine. As the months pass, the installation's large population begins to come unglued. In particular, Ray, who disapproves of Marguerite's new relationship with Chris, starts to stalk his ex-wife. Tessa's possible contact with an alien even stranger than Subject adds to the suspense. Thoughtful and deliberately paced, this book will appeal to readers who prefer science fiction with substance.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.