Schismatrix

Schismatrix is a deeply engaging novel about the post-human future of humanity. The novel takes place over the course of approximately 170 years and follows the long career and myriad adventures of diplomat Abelard Lindsay. Schismatrix is filled with grand vistas and big ideas. It had me going to the dictionary on more than one occasion to look up terms such as "clade" and "Prigoginic" (which relates to Ilya Prigogine who, according to Wikipedia, was a Belgian chemist noted for his work on dissipative structures, complex systems, and irreversibility). But this doesn't mean Schismatrix is a dry or tedious book. Not at all. Bruce Sterling's prose is rich and evocative and descriptive and it was entertaining and enjoyable to have my mind challenged and titillated by big ideas, such as what does it truly mean to be human, and does it really matter all that much in the cosmic scheme of things? Schismatrix most assuredly deserves its place in the pantheon of science-fiction classics.