Capacity

by Tony Ballantyne

Book Overview

Welcome to the year 2252--and congratulations You're now a personality construct. We know that can be a daunting stage of personal development, especially if you don't remember making this... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0553589296
• ISBN13: 9780553589290
• Release Date: January 2007
• Publisher: Spectra Books
• Length: 416 Pages
• Weight: 0.45 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 4.3" x 6.9"

Customer Reviews

Exciting . . . and thoughtful

"Capacity," Tony Ballantyne's challenging sequel to "Recursion," brings in a new cast of characters, more and different challenges (and challenging ideas), but the same tripartite arrangement. This time the stories involve Justinian Sibelius (heir to one of the dueling corporations in "Recursion,") who in 2223 is sent on a mission to a planet revolving around an isolated star near the M32 galaxy. He and his infant son have been manipulated there by AIs (he's accompanied by an officious robot named Leslie) to find out why AI's there have shut down their higher functions--AI suicide. This thread's a variation on the old SF "problem to be solved tale." The other two threads, which take place 17 years after Justinian's expedition, both involve one of the prevailing nannystate councilors, Judy, who appears physically as the "atomic Judy," in one thread, while her virtual selves (they're called Processing Constructs") appear in what is called processing space. In the "atomic Judy" thread, Judy and her robot Frances are trying to track down a sociopathic construct in the virtual world named Kevin, and in the "Helen" thread the virtual Judys and the virtual Helen--a victim of Kevin's--do the same thing. Lurking over all is the mysterious "Watcher" of "Recursion." Is it real (readers of that novel know, or maybe think they know, the answer), and what are its motives? This tale is darker than its predecessor, lacking the bantering sense of humor and its references to genre fiction; but its ideas are if anything more challenging. And it's complete in itself. It doesn't leave you hanging, although surely you will want to proceed to "Divergence," the last of the trilogy. It's already published.

Expansive, mind blowing, challenging read

I read this book before reading 'Recursion' the first of the trilogy, thinking that 'Capacity' was a stand alone book. My head nearly exploded reading this book. There are a lot of different and cool concepts in the book dealing with multiple versions of people, plots which span for centuries, etc. A lot of the future tech is explained in the 'Recursion' and, the author doesn't slow down to explain things into detail. A reviewer mentioned that Ballantyne's descriptions is like reading a screenplay - very sparse which I agree with (sometimes more sparse than a script!) I just finished reading 'Recursion' and would have enjoyed Capacity more if I read it in sequence. So if you're thinking about jumping into this author's work, I recommend you read them in order. Definitely worth the read if you're looking for new perspectives and complex story lines.

Brilliant, Brilliant, Brilliant

I sometimes wonder what readers could possibly want. Here one is given a snapping literary style (is writing even an important element to folks anymore?), unforgettable characters, originality, a bold plot and lots of action. The book's real concern is the whole notion of freedom, choice, purpose and what it means to be human. Is a replicated pattern of electronic waves a "human being" like our carbone selves? If a machine can predict our actions does that mean we have no free will? Calvin must be jumping for joy. I approach a novel, particularly science fiction, from the viewpoint of the entire package. Particularly I look for characterization and human relations - two areas that many sci-fi writers tend to overlook. In tales of the future most authors resort to having our descendents talk familiarly about our time (as if we sat around discussing the culture and society of the Aztecs, Ming Dynasty or Ghanian Empire). These authors can't seem to escape their boundaries - terrestrial and literary. One gets the idea that Ballantyne is having a little fun with his variations, alternate endings, simulataneous realities and interplay between the atomic and virtual worlds. This is NOT the usual "We are the Zeeboos from Planet X here to demand you stop your atomic testing" LOL Yet, as complex and far-astride as the story reads, it was a blast. Only afterwards did I discover it was the sequeal to Divergence (that I am now reading). Even not knowing beforehand the X-file like mythology - Watcher, Eva, Mary, Social Care, DIANA - I found it a great read. Judy (in all here vairations) is a heroine for the new age. Helen disappoints in the end but Frances, the robot, almost steals the show with her achingly human tenderness and brilliant insights. I didn't understand the swipe against business - as if living under the "corporate yoke" was worse than the Big Brother Nightmare of the future. This authoritarian structure combined the worst from all political areas - the Right's moral purity crusade, the Left's devotion to collectivism over individuals and the middles complacency with increasing encroachment on the power of the State. Social Care controlled people "for their own good" - how many times have we heard this in history? What did not make sense was the unevenness - people lived no longer than today - they got arthritis for Pete's sake! Yetthere is FTL travel, nanotech, and the lives seemed magical from our point of view. Then one recalls the small conversation from the man who opined there was only so much "capacity" in the universe. In fact, the word "capacity" was used skillfully in several contexts throughout the story - another great literary ploy. My grade: A

Good second act

I definitely enjoyed this book, but I was dissatisfied with the way it ended. Ballantyne's writing style makes heavy use of out-of-order revelation. We as readers are given the task of trying to construct a mental framework in which spotty details all fit, and we must continually revise that framework until all of the details are available. I enjoy this style, but details that were important to this book appear to have been held in reserve for the last book, "Divergence". I feel a need to rush out and purchase "Divergence" before the details from "Capacity" start to fade. In my opinion, the author left too many unresolved mysteries hanging for this book to stand well on its own.

Worth the once over

I have the be honest, I picked up this book for all the wrong reasons. That being the cover art. That being said, here are my thoughts! The book is a little confusing at first, as we are introduced to different scenario's played throughout the private network. Humans are able to have personality constructs of themselves created in the virtual world, even if they are still alive in the 'atomic' world. As it sets up, the story steadily progresses to the climax, and the ultimate question 'Does the Watcher truly exist?' however, the ending seems to be a bit rushed, leaving off at what could have been a well written battle between opposing sides only to drop off to a more calming ending. In the end, even with that being said it was a good read and I recommend you either check it out at the local library or pick up a copy to read without the worries of a return date.