Rainbows End

I am very much into science fiction, especially the hard-science-based variety. I recently finished just such a novel, Rainbows End, by Vernor Vinge, and it knocked my socks off.

This book has it all--a great human-interest story, action, suspense, mystery, futuristics, and humor--and it wraps this all up in a near-future scenario that is as enticing as it is scary.

As protagonists, we have Robert Gu, a "retread" Nobel laureate who thrives on creating emotional torment in others, Miri Gu, a twelve-year-old girl genius, her dad and mom, who are military-security officers, top directors of various international security agencies, and a mysterious entity who calls himself, "Rabbit" (although Rabbit never actually says, "What's up Doc?" to any of his advesaries, I suspect that Mr. Vinge grew up watching the same Saturday-morning cartoons that I did). Together, these players swirl around the sudden appearance of the worst threat to humanity that has yet to appear (I know this sounds cliche, but wait till you see what it is) in a story that reveals Mr. Vinge's informed view of what our near-future could like if technology continues to progress at the ever-increasing pace of today. Since Mr. Vinge is a computer scientist and mathematician, I place a lot of weight in what he has to say about the possible future trends in technology and society.

Because of how Rainbows End delves into generational family relationships so well while still managing to tell a rip-roaring yarn, even the not-so-technology-interested will find it be an exciting read. And, Mr. Vinge does this with language that, while not necessarily being high literature, is certainly serviceable, often clever, and never over-the-top like some of the overdone stuff that is out there. (One example of why I like his writing is hiding right in the book's title--you'll see.)

I, for one, intend to read his other books. I was lucky to have found this book, thanks to a staff recommendation at my favorite local bookstore .
Now, will somebody please go out and invent some of the stuff in this book, or will I have to do it myself?