MultiReal: Taking its Place Among the Classics

Man, I love this Sci Fi Weekly review of David Louis Edelman's MultiReal,which just so happens to be the 700th review of a Pyr book that I have seen/logged. This one is written by the uber-knowledgeable Paul Di Filippo, not only gives the book an A grade, but name checks a host of science fiction greats whose work, he says, Edelman fits right in alongside of.

"The notion of MultiReal as a power-leveling weapon seems rather van Vogtian to me. The amount of attention and insight paid to the workings of political and social institutions would please a Heinlein or a Brunner. There's a definite Spinradian New Wave anger at authority and also a cynicism at work here as well. And the MultiReal experience resembles Paul Atreides' precog abilities, as described by Frank Herbert."

As far as contemporary classics goes, he adds that Edelman, "brings all the intellectual firepower and verisimilitude of the digerati like Sterling, Stross and Doctorow to his text. And the ontological twists and implications of MultiReal would do honor to Greg Egan.

But he says, "The strongest overall vibe I get is that of Alfred Bester...Bester is much admired verbally, but very few authors really try to emulate him in print—he set the bar so high—and Edelman's success is commensurate with his ambitions."

The love that this book has gotten so far (including it and its author getting nominated for BOTH Campbell Awards) really, really makes me proud.

(PS - Paul just launched a group blog called Weird Universe that is sure to be worth checking out.)