Richard S's Reviews > Distress

Egan is very heavy on the science in his science fiction, but his writing struggles a bit otherwise. He is a great writer of ideas, many of which are interesting but some are kind of not all there. Anyway it was slightly better than the second book in the series but still suffered from the vagueness of the second.

Some parts are extraordinarily good, especially the idea for Stateless, a country formed out of bioengineered coral. So is the concept for the main character, a journalist of the future. He is consistently interesting.

Egan is a bit of a recluse and refuses to be photographed. I suspect he's a bit crazed like Rothfuss. Some of his ideas are a bit paranoid and I am incredulous. The views on sex and autism expressed are just too outside the believable. When the ideas expressed in science fiction make you worry about the mental health of the author it's a distraction. Could have been dealt with in a better way.

Anyway I admire the bravery of his writing, but too uneven.