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The Minneapolis Star Tribune named Dreaming Metal an "Editor Pick for 1997", saying "Dreaming Metal makes one of the oldest and purest sf themes -- artificial intelligence, the Frankenstein thing -- once again new and stirring".Scott now returns to the world of her earlier novel, Dreamships (Tor, 1992). In Dreaming Metal, Persephone is a planet racked by class struggle and economic and political upheaval. Celinde Fortune is an entertainer, an illusionist who makes good money but plays the Empire theater, a venue that also books socially controversial bands who attract bomb threats. When she combines two advanced computer chips in a new way in order to sophisticate her act, the resulting form of computer life seems awfully like a true artificial intelligence. This is beyond controversial -- it could get her killed.
Despite an overlong first act and an abrupt ending, I liked this one a lot for its richly detailed setting and its provocative take on AI. I'll read more Scott.
MogoegDreaming Metal, which is set in the same universe as Dreamships (& is sort of a sideways sequel to it) is one of my favorite books. I picked it up at the library years and years ago & it was the book that got me into far-future science fiction. Scott was a true pioneer & did not get much mainstream attention as she wrote LGBTQ+ characters regularly. Her world building is unparalleled IMO, but her pacing and plotting sometimes aren't as strong.4y
swynnI'll have to read that one soon, while Dreamships is fresh. Thanks for the rec@mogoeg!4y
Mogoeg@swynn - my pleasure! I've read most of her original sci-fi and some of her early fantasy (she also wrote a lot of Star Trek novels I think, & recently work focuses on paranormal mystery which is not my thing). Most of her sci-fi is strong, & although some is a bit dated, a lot was ahead of its time in terms of the zeitgeist (she has a whole novel based on gamers as I recall - which anticipates a lot of current culture). 4y
Dreamships | 
pick
4y