(Near-Future SF) Zoe’s young brother is dying of an undiagnosed genetic disease, and the only way to save him is to get illegal access to proprietary global databases that cross-reference DNA and disease. (6,608 words; Time: 22m)
Rating: ★★☆☆☆ Not Recommended
"Vectors," by Stephen Gaskell [bio] (edited by David Brin and Stephen W. Potts), appeared in Chasing Shadows (RSR review), published on January 10, 2017 by Tor.
Mini-Review (click to view--possible spoilers)
Pro: There’s a good bit of tension as Zoe sneaks into places she shouldn’t be. The narration and dialog are clean and natural.
Con: Perhaps the worst problem is that, as the story is presented, Zoe is a terrorist, and it’s impossible to root for her to succeed. Beyond that, though, several things undermine suspension of disbelief.
She’s fighting a cardboard corporate villain that can’t shoot straight. They’ve got surveillance so good that individuals can see info about each other’s families, and yet security cannot figure out that she wasn’t invited to the event.
And the idea that a single sabotaged press event would lead to a government takeover of a major company is laughable.
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Stephen Gaskell Info: Interviews, Websites, ISFDB, FreeSFOnline
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Con: Perhaps the worst problem is that, as the story is presented, Zoe is a terrorist, and it’s impossible to root for her to succeed. Beyond that, though, several things undermine suspension of disbelief.
She’s fighting a cardboard corporate villain that can’t shoot straight. They’ve got surveillance so good that individuals can see info about each other’s families, and yet security cannot figure out that she wasn’t invited to the event.
And the idea that a single sabotaged press event would lead to a government takeover of a major company is laughable.
Other Reviews: Search Web, GoodReads.com
Stephen Gaskell Info: Interviews, Websites, ISFDB, FreeSFOnline
Follow RSR on Twitter, Facebook, RSS, or E-mail.
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