Halting State by Charles Stross

Halting State is pretty interesting. It is really a book about new tech - instant communication, augmented reality - how the world will change for us Developed Worlder's once these things become really established. In that sense it's a fascinating exploration of how society might be impacted. It's also already dating as it misses out on huge tech developments such as the overwhelming (if temporary) importance of social media.Is this a fault? Of course not - that's the one issue with near future fiction - you're going to look both visionary and limited to readers down the line. Stross, I'm sure, isn't concerned with that.

However, the story does have other issues. It's written in this kind of accusative inner monologue where every character's viewpoint is written as "You'd normally do this and then you'd think that." It's disturbing at first because it feels deeply gimmicky but I got used to it fairly rapidly and in the end found the approach pretty neat if not completely immersive. Additionally, I know Edinburgh pretty well (having lived there for a time) and although the city itself feels authentic the language and idioms, whilst completely accurate, seem too twee and contrived for the story. In a book about how society changes to see professionals and people exposed (if not completely at one with) globish use far colloquialisms (as opposed to near ones - those that someone from another part of the world who speaks their own English could understand) seems anachronistic.

The story does zip along at a decent pace and I read it as a happy punter but its nearest rival is Reamde and it doesn't compare well. It's not really fair to compare I think but if there's one thing that the two differ in it's the depth with which the characters are drawn. Here, the two leads are fairly well developed and I felt something for them but the rest of the cast was out of casting central and I really wish Stross had spent a little more time helping those bit part characters (including the villians) feel more real.

Did I enjoy it? Yes, but it would be half way down my list. Alternatively, it's a great read for for holiday, long journey or saturday afternoons.