Daniel F. Galouye (1920–1976)

You know how they say that SF of today is insight into the world of tomorrow? While for several books I definitely would not like this to be the case (i.e. any cyber-punk or social dystopian novel, although current events seem to point towards different conclusion) for this book this statement is true.

Written in 1960's it is incredible how modern this book feels. Even technical details on i.e. electronic drums (old-style hard disks) sound and feel modern. Reason for this is very simple - author did not overload the reader with petty details. Everything is in the service of the story so human interaction is at the front. Everything else is in the background, used to build up the world but never taking the stage for itself. And this is reason why story remains modern. What might be novelty in 1960's for reader today all the technological descriptions sound pretty natural and common.

Story itself is excellent take on our world, inspired by famous Plato's cave - are we sure that we just see actual things or just their shadows, sort of echoes, playing in front of our eyes? Is the "cogito ergo sum" ultimate test for ones sanity?

I don't think there is something more destructive for a person from doubting the reality - is this in front of me real or not, just my perception stimulated by external source, whatever that might be. This type of thinking is a deadly spiral to the bottom because when touch with reality is lost it can only be re-established with great difficulty if ever. Some will embrace the theories of virtuality of their world while others will see no further purpose of living and just bungee jump into depression.

This topic can also be found in Matrix and movie from the same period, called "Thirteenth Floor'. When our protagonist (Doug Hall) starts realizing something weird is happening panic will take place because if his reality is under suspicion can he trust himself at all? Paranoia just creeps in.

Alongside the above, lets call it existential, story-line author manages to show how mass-population-control through various questionnaires (that are not optional but must be answered, I liked this twist :)) and finally simulations and testing on samples of population (by putting the selected set through various tests and prodding, sometimes just purely cruel and inhumane) will be a path taken by despots and wanna-be tyrants so they can manipulate the popular opinion and grab the power.

Book shows how these market-research companies are for all means and purposes very dangerous if left unchecked (and lets be honest how can they be controlled? very act of trying that would cause other issues of same gravity). Run by people who suffer from God-complex, who are automatons and completely devoid of empathy these companies can bring ruin, conflict and division in society (scenes of conflict between two .... well, to be honest since there is no better word, politically opposite populace groups and government alignment with one of them is so contemporary it is scary).

While world shown to us does not show any negative social elements (pestering pollster's aside) this is an ultimate dystopian world. Everything is quiet and at first looks normal until bad things start seeping in at the edge of ones sight.

I think we are already in the same situation as people described in this book, at mercy of various organizations that, playing untouchables, run very vile and cruel social experiments to collect data for future research. There is no creature anywhere in the universe more cold-blooded than these, true automatons that lost their humanity. It is on the rest to find a way to find way of preventing them from exerting full power over our lives.

Very good book, highly recommended.… (mais)

A selection of science fiction short stories and novelettes from overlooked golden-age/new-wave author Daniel F. Galouye. Galouye is best known for Simulacron-3, which was way ahead of its time and more or less The Matrix 35 years early. The book was adapted into a German mini-series called World on a Wire in the 1970s and a film called The Thirteenth Floor in 1999, the same year as The Matrix. Galouye isn't overly stylistic. His prose functions and rarely calls attention to itself, though I would not call it clinical. I have only brushed the surface of Galouye's work, but what I have read tells me that the appeal is in his ideas, which are suitably delivered and usually without the kind of campiness that often comes with the sci-fi of this period. This collection is a mixed bag, but I enjoyed reading most of the stories in spite of some flaws.


Shuffle Board - 3.9

A future setting in which the earth is plagued by an unmanageable build-up of radioactive waste all over the globe. "Shuffle crews" are constantly required to expose themselves and move the materials around to less lethal locations, only for them to negatively impact other areas and cause more problems later down the line; the cycle repeats itself from generation to generation. The coordinator for the "shuffle board", short-staffed and overwhelmed with tasks, finds himself secretly faking his public radiation levels in order to lead necessary operations - but what will the consequences be for his pregnant wife?

This was an interesting concept, functionally delivered. Easy to read and an interesting ending. Worthwhile.


Recovery Area - 2.9

An interesting tale of space colonisation, switching perspectives between the home race and the invader. Starts off in a very intriguing fashion with good worldbuilding but ultimately becomes a bit of a slog. Characters are hard to keep track of here, either because their double-barrelled alien names are plucked from 'how to write fantasy' guides or simply because they are so thinly drawn. Ultimately, it became less compelling for me as it went on.


Rub-a-dub - 3.9

An at times confusing but very inventive and cerebral exploration of identity and nature of the soul. A woman is undergoing a psychological procedure in order to remove three personalities that were previously imprinted on her, done for the sake of a mission that required a light load but several skillsets. The difficulty is these personalities have a sense of individuality; they feel they have a right to live and are being killed off. The story is engaging throughout and features some fun, wacky sequences as the impressions dance about the Id, dodging attacks on their existence and sense of reality. It gets a little weird with a romantic angle that has some odd implications, and I wasn't entirely convinced by the conclusion.


Reign of the Telepuppets - 2.75

A collection of machines sent out to a planet gain a sense of self, forgetting their origins, with one concluding that it must be God. The story concerns an unwitting team sent to investigate the situation and a mysterious third party who observe them from afar. There are a lot of neat ideas, but the story is very muddled and it is not well paced. By the end I was admittedly a bit confused as to what was going on. Not one of the strongest in the collection.


Project Barrier - 2.5

Readable and mildly interesting, but I couldn't quite bring myself to seriously invest in bears with human characteristics. A little too reliant on the big reveal, which I saw coming a mile away. The less you know going in the better, though I would consider it skippable.


The 1st and 3rd stories in the collection are easily the strongest. Simulacron 3 is a much stronger work than both. I'm looking forward to reading Dark Universe.… (mais)

Avant Matrix, la SF traitait déjà de la perception de la réalité. Philip K. Dick était passé maître en la matière et jouait avec nos certitudes en tissant des intrigues biscornues. Galouye signe ici un récit suffisamment structuré pour nous fournir quelques perspectives vertigineuses : un homme a disparu, et personne ne semble en avoir entendu parler - en dehors de Douglas. Illusion ? Paranoïa ? À moins qu'il y ait là-dessous un complot funeste dont il ne parvient pas à comprendre l'ampleur. Arc-bouté sur ses convictions, Douglas va chercher à en savoir davantage jusqu'à ce qu'il se retrouve face à une prise de conscience terrible sur celui (ou ceux) qui tirent les ficelles de cet imbroglio.

Malgré une écriture parfois laborieuse et des personnages manquant cruellement de profondeur, Galouye réussit à aller au bout de son entreprise et à presque nous surprendre avec un happening osé. En 1964, ce roman avait de quoi surprendre (même pour les fans d'Ubik) ; depuis Matrix, le concept des réalités imbriquées est plus étendu et on voit venir certaines révélations de loin. Cela dit, le roman vaut le coup.… (mais)