Books: Singularity Sky (Eschaton #1) By Charles Stross (2003)

“In the twenty-first century, man created the Eschaton, a sentient artificial intelligence. It pushed Earth through the greatest technological evolution ever known, while warning that any time travel is forbidden, and transgressors will be eliminated. Distant descendants of this ultra-high-tech Earth live in parochial simplicity on the far-flung worlds of the New Republic. Their way of life is threatened by the arrival of an alien information plague known as the Festival. As forbidden technologies are literally dropped from the sky, suppressed political factions descend into revolutionary turmoil. A battle fleet is sent from Earth to destroy the Festival, but Spaceship engineer Martin Springfield and U.N. diplomat Rachel Mansour have been assigned rather different tasks. Their orders are to diffuse the crisis or to sabotage the New Republic's war-fleet, whatever the cost, before the Eschaton takes hostile action on a galactic scale.” 

On the whole, Singularity Sky is as chock-full of bizarre and interesting ideas, but it also reminds me why I don’t read hard science/speculative fiction very often – because I really don’t understand the science and the techno-babble. While this book was not Stross’ first published title, it was the first released by a large publishers and I feel had I not read his Laundry Files books first, this one would’ve probably never wanted me to read another. Because, despite my enjoyment of the Laundry Files, this book is fairly dull, despite its strong story. It gets bogged with a spy vs. spy story aboard a capital ship run by two-dimensional military types. 

Also, is the novel satire? I mean it does have certain parts that seem to be aimed for comedic effect, but Stross alternates between moments of great satire and then bouts seriousness, which makes it feel a bit disjointed. I think Stross is an accomplished writer, and I like his dark humor, but I wasn't blown away by this book like I was by his other series.

There is a second book, which I have. But now I’m unsure if I want to tackle that one.

Books: The Apocalypse Codex (The Laundry Files #4) By Charles Stross (2012)

“Bob has been unintentionally working his way up in the Laundry, the secret British agency where computer scientists, mathematicians, and physicists have, by accident, become sorcerers. For every case he’s been on, Bob has sort of bumbled his way into a successful outcome just by using his brains and creativity. Now he’s being groomed for a leadership position, so he needs some people skills. A lot of his preparation involves sitting in boring management training classes and seminars where he has to use role-playing to learn how to navigate the upper levels of the British government’s bureaucracy. This is not fun for Bob. He’s also learning more about how the Laundry functions and he’s surprised to discover that the agency uses “External Assets” when they need something done that is too politically sensitive for a government agency. In this case, the delicate issue is that the Prime Minister has become chummy with a wacky TV evangelist from Colorado Springs. Why is Pastor Schiller trying to get in with the PM? The Laundry suspects something fishy is going on, so they dispatch Persephone Hazard, an External Asset with an unsettling past. Bob is sent to Colorado Springs to monitor her activities and make sure she doesn’t embarrass the Crown… and, of course, he discovers that the something fishy is more than fishy; it’s tentacled, too.” 

For the most part, The Apocalypse Codex, the fourth novel in the Laundry Files, plays out like the three previous tales -a playful, nerd filled, silly joke ride through a bizarre universe where demons, sorcerers and things from other realms are trying to break into our world. Stross fully takes on the American fundamentalist Christianity, and tears them a new hole, both for their plotting and in general, a more social commentary look at them. He’s bound to find some his fans a bit pissed off at his remarks. But this is a British science fiction writer (whom seem generally to be atheists) who probably see (via our many “entertainment” channels) certain evangelical Christians reject science, believe the earth is six thousand years old, dress their daughters in long dresses that cover every part of their bodies, and are trying to take over the world. I think the British look at religion less as war for souls, and more something they do on Sunday out of tradition.  

Unlike the previous tales, a lot less of The Apocalypse Codex is told through the traditional first person narrative, as it includes Bob narrating third person views, as well as other perspectives, like each member of the free-lance team, the administrator who gives Bob this mission, and some opposing operatives and even Schiller himself. It’s a bit weird, but I can also understand why Stross did this, mostly, I think, because he was introducing some more world-building not previously expounded upon in the three earlier books. It’s sort of like he looked at the trajectory of the series and needed to start dropping more stuff for later volumes. We’ll see, as I go through them.

So I enjoyed the book, even though Stross's maths = magic and Cthulhu tale seemed more designed as a set up for the fifth book than an episodic adventure.

Books: The Fuller Memorandum (Laundry Files #3) by Charles Stross (2010)

“Bob and Mo become tangled up in a plot by some cultists to steal Teapot, also known as the Eater of Souls. The cultists are being manipulated by a bigger, badder, blacker order that wants to bring on CASE NIGHTMARE GREEN (also known as the end of the world) sooner rather than later. If that’s not bad enough, Bob’s boss, Angleton, goes missing, and Bob is suspended from work with pay pending an investigation into a civilian fatality he accidentally caused.”

With what seems like a Robert Ludlum inspired (?) title, The Fuller Memorandum is probably the most accessible of the first three Laundry Files novels - but they’re is still a bunch of somewhat unfriendly tech-speak throughout the book that will go over the heads of us non-computer programming nerds. Like me.

But I would also say this is probably the darkest one so far, as it furthers the arc of Gods, demons, zombies, and other Lovecraftian nightmares that are trying break through the fabric of our reality to destroy the world. The snark remains, however, and there a number of funny bits, like the introduction of the Jesus Phone and The Cult of Steve, along with another jab at British bureaucracy with the spoofiest of James Bond spoofs. But Bob is not your typical suave secret agent; he is a civil servant.

But then are parts –as seen in the previous two books- where Bob goes on for paragraphs at a time about Chthonic beings and Lovecraftian monsters and computational demonology. It’s fun, even cute, but it drags. Stross has created a very clever character, one seemly smarter than everyone else, but it slows the narrative down. But a lot of modern day writers do this, and I’ve always wondered why editors don’t –carefully, I guess- as them to get to the point sooner.

We finally get a bit more background on some characters, most notably Angleton. Last time we learned that Angleton has been with the Laundry since practically its inception—yet hasn’t seemed to age. I like that Stross continues to spin out bits and pieces of Laundry mythology. While each novel is a self-contained, madcap thriller with supernatural elements, the series mythology continues to grow and appearing to head towards some kind of apocalyptic climax.

 

Books: The Jennifer Morgue (The Laundry Files #2) By Charles Stross (2010)

“In 1975, the CIA used Howard Hughes's Glomar Explorer in a bungled attempt to raise a sunken Soviet submarine in order to access the "Gravedust" unit, an occult device that allows communication with the dead. Now a ruthless billionaire intends to try again, even if by doing so he awakens the Great Old Ones, who thwarted the earlier expedition. It's up to Bob Howard and a collection of British eccentrics even Monty Python would consider odd to stop the bad guy and save the world, while getting receipts for all expenditures or else face the most dreaded menace of all: the Laundry's own auditors. Howard is sent abroad with Ramona Random, an operative of the Black Chamber and a member of BLUE HADES, to defeat Ellis Billington's plan to steal and use the Gravedust unit on DEEP SEVEN. BLUE HADES has an interest in preventing this. Ellis has relocated to the Caribbean island of Saint Martin and put it under an occult enchantment which ensures only people who fit a particular stereotype can enter the island safely.”

The Jennifer Morgue is the second collection of stories by Charles Stross featuring Bob Howard, containing the title novel, a short story called Pimpf, and an essay titled The Golden Age of Spying. And yes, as much as the first book played out like an old school spy novel, ala Len Dieghton, this one is a full blown homage to James Bond, with secret island bases, gadgets, monologue prone mad men out to remake the world and beautiful women.

And for those who want to keep with this series, the Black Chamber is an American cryptanalysis agency, which was officially disbanded in 1929, but then secretly re-tasked with occult intelligence duties sometime later. The Black Chamber is basically the US equivalent of The Laundry. "Black Chamber" itself is the designation the Laundry has given to the organization: its internal name is Operational Phenomenology Agency (OPA). Meanwhile, The Deep Ones is the code name for an ancient civilization living under the oceans. They are powerful but pose no immediate threat to the human population so long as humanity does not intrude on their territory, which is defined by a treaty. They have a long-standing issue with Deep Seven, are known as The Chthoians, a race of “polymorphous, occupy areas of the upper crust near the Polar Regions.”

Rooted in Lovecraftian overtones and Stross’ love for Ian Fleming’s James Bond, this book fits nicely into the same sort style that Tim Powers has done for decades. It’s not a diss, more to prove that writers can have similar themes and ideas and still present it in an entertaining fashion. And I adore Stross’ continued in-joke about how PowerPoint is really a tool of the occult.

Like the first book, I did not get every nerd reference in this book –especially the computer ones. I’m assuming Stross knows what he’s talking about, when he goes on describing things –if only because programmers who read his work will call him out on it. But it’s still a fun book with absurd ideas, snarky humor, and good pacing.