Wealhtheow's Reviews > Spin Control

Generations in the future, those willing to embrace AIs, body mods, and genetic manipulation ascended to live technologically advanced lives far above Earth's atmosphere. Now variations on humanity and sentience travel throughout the galaxy, looking for new planets, resources, and adventures. Those left behind on Earth content themselves with religion, endless rehashings of old wars...and controlling the best known source of water and wild-type genetics. Ordinarily, a Syndicate clone like Arkady would probably never set foot on old poisoned Earth, nor encounter a non-genetically manipulated human. But his exploration team found something astounding on an alien planet, and the Syndicate wants him to deliver it to Earth. Among the bidders for his discovery are our old friends Catherine Li (possibly a war criminal, definitely a hardass ex-soldier) and Cohen (the longest lived AI, whose relationships are integral to maintaining his sense of self). They decided to share a consciousness in the last book, but their marriage of true minds isn't that comfortable in this one.

The world building is fascinating and top notch. I would love to read more about any one of the characters or their societies. The plot got a bit too convoluted for me, and I'm still not entirely sure what the Syndicate's plan was: (view spoiler)[spread fertility through Arkady's infection, I get, but why do they want Earth-humans to be more fertile? To have more wild-type stock to turn back to if something goes wrong with their genetic pruning goes too far, to increase Earth's power and thereby destabilize or diminish the Hub's, thus getting the Hub off the Syndicate's back, or something else entirely? And the Israeli plan also felt a little out of control to me, like too many people were lying or doublecrossing in too many ways for me to figure out what was going on. (hide spoiler)] I really look forward to reading more in this universe.