I-O

Rating:
Summary: a commentary on the integration of technology and culture
Review: I-O by Simon Logan is an eclectic collection of techno noir stories, verging on the surreal and psycho-technic. Set in some distopian reality where only technology exists, it is a commentary on the integration of technology and culture, and culture becoming part of technology. Each of the stories presents a differing picture and story about technology, a dark, unreassuring account of what could and might be - reminding me of the chaotic vortex on the surface of the world where the matrix was set. A good read, and excellent commentary on technology gone to far.

Rating:
Summary: brillance in an inkly manner.
Review: logan pulls off an amazing stunt here---combining mad descriptions and metaphors which would seem so nonsensical when naked from its surroundings, but completely genius together. all stories are set into a futuristic setting, where machines have hearts and humans can divide into two beings---absurdity and absolute beauty.
truthfully, i cannot wait for his next production.

Rating:
Summary: Lots of descriptive prose, little real narrative...
Review: This is less a collection of stories than it is a collection of dark descriptions of a rusting, claustrophobic borg future that gets repetitive after three stories or so. Most are written from first-person perspective, with paragraph after paragraph of scene-setting descriptive prose, 90% of which contains some kind of metal, rust, fluid, or combination thereof. It wears thin quickly.

Story-wise, there's very little "meat" under the surface, and practically zero in the way of any character interaction or dialogue. The final story shows some promise, though. With a good, stern editor and a collaborator to supply a plot, I think Logan's capable of writing a fine book. But this collection is only so-so.