Customer Reviews

Falling Free

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Ms. Bujold's novel won the 1988 Nebula Award for best science fiction novel of the year. It is centered in an orbiting workstation of a megacorporation. The corporation has genetically engineered humans (most of whom are teenagers or younger) having no legs and four arms, called quaddies, so that they are more effective and efficient in a zero gravity environment. The corporation considers them property rather than workers since it was the corporation that actually made them. A visiting welding instructor and engineer named Leo Graf sets out to free them. Actually, this novel is a part of Bujold's science fiction series, most of which are centered around members of the Vorkosigan family. The action in "Falling Free" occurs about 200 years before the action in Bujold's first novel, "Shards of Honor" (1986). The question of who is the real owner of genetically engineered products is a hot topic in biochemistry and molecular biology circles today and, believe it or not, Ms. Bujold's novel has been discussed.

This book is only marginally in the Vorkosigan Saga, but this does not make it a minor book by Bujold. The story is breath-taking, as are all Bujold stories. But the depth of some characters (Leo Graf in particular) is maybe even better here. Bujold's remarkable humanism, which is a constant throughout her work (Ethan of Athos, Mountains of Mourning, etc.) is here at its best.

I absolutely love Lois McMaster Bujold; she is one of my all-time favorite authors. But one of the problems I have with recommending her books is that I don't know where to start! It's hard to find the beginning of her Vorkosigan series. Falling Free, although not really part of the series, is the chronological beginning and a good introduction to LMB. In this book (as with all her books), she combines intelligence, humor, drama, and a touch of philosophy and blends them into a rollicking, quick-moving adventure story. This particular novel also has some good, hard science-fictional ideas, ideas which I found fascinating.

It took a little while to really get into, but this book is a good read. It is not, however, as good as much of Bujold's other work, most of which, for some reason, Amazon does not seem to carry. She has a series of books featuring the very engaging character Miles Vorkosigan (and before that, his parents) that are truly outstanding. 9s and 10s all the way. Some of these have been collected two or three at a time into large-format paperbacks. For the sake of the unitiated (and Amazon stock-holders), I hope Amazon adds all of Bujold's titles to their listings soon

This book is set in the same Universe as the Vorkosigan adventures, but about 200 years earlier.

It is a much more "straight" work of science fiction than some of the Miles Vorkosigan stories, e.g. it is not quite as side-splittingly funny. The tone and style are quite similar to the two books about the romance between Mile's parents, "Shards of Honour" and "Barrayar."

"Falling Free" is the story of the quaddies, a group of modified humans who have been bioengineered for zero gravity, the main change being that they have four arms instead of two arms and two legs. An engineer, Leo Graf, is concerned at the way the quaddies are exploited and decides to do something about it.

It is a well-told story and highly entertaining.

There are two subsequent stories with quaddie characters set in Lord Miles Vorkosigan's time, some 230 years later. The first is the novella "Labyrinth" which is part of the book "Borders of Infinity" - Miles and Bel Thorne meet a beautiful quaddie musician, Nicol, on Jackson's Whole.

A picture of the society which quaddies make for themselves in the years which follow "falling Free" is given in the tenth and currently most recent Vorkosigan adventure, "Diplomatic Immunity" which is set on a space station in Quaddie space.

Bottom line - this is an extremely good book, and if you liked any of Bujold's other SF novels you are very likely to enjoy this one.

This book is set in the 'Vorkosigan' Universe, several hundred years prior to the birth of Miles. A huge Corporation in the Space Habitat construction business has bred a race uniquely suited for zero-gee, the "Quaddies". Not only are Quaddies quite...handy in free fall, they also are physiologically suited to long spells in orbit w/out expensive 'downtime'. A seasoned professional engineer, Leo Graf, reports to the Rodeo system to conduct training classes for the Quaddies - at first he is put off by their unusual appearance, but soon becomes an enthusiast. Technological progress in the form of artificial gravity comes along to steal the Quaddie's rice bowl - most of their cost advantage over humans is nullified in one swift blow. As the Corporation gropes for a way to rid itself of a now costly, risky and worthless investment, Leo finds himself remoreslessly caught up in extermporizing a scheme to save the Quaddies from extermination via cost-accounting hell. Putting his life, his career, his savings and his links to the rest of humanity on the line, Leo eventually discovers the virtues of 'Falling Free.' If you're a fan of Bujold you can imagine the rest. Interesting characters manipulating fascinating circumstances with a engaging and humorous edge. Bujold discovers the inner secrets of the human heart in the unlikeliest places - like a gruff old engineer confronted by a boisterous crowd of mutant children who must surmout impossible odds to survive. A rousing good read.

There are those who consider this below Bujold's usual standard, but I found it quite a fun novel with several highly sensitive sequences, and therefore give it five stars.

It is a story to relax and enjoy, not overly analyze. It takes place 200 years before the Vorkosigan stories, and follows Leo Graf, an engineer sent to the planet Rodeo to be a welding instructor to the genetically altered Quaddies.

He immediately discovers an attitude on the part of the administrators on the planet toward these mutated beings, but takes them as they are, a human species most of whom are still developing youngsters.

This is primarily an adventure story with well developed human and mutated human characters. There are tender scenes such as that between Silver who's deeply attuned to music and Madame Minchenko, the project physician's wife who also is deeply musically inclined. But there's also plenty of action, and the underlying plea for respect for all forms of life.

Read for enjoyment and I think you'll quite appreciate it.

Leo Graf arrives at GalacTech's top secret research installation to train some people in the art of deep space welding. He soon discovers that the secret research involves genetically creating a new race of semi-humans with 4 arms (called Quaddies) who can stay in weightless conditions indefinitely (without loss of muscle mass) and who, with their 4 hands, will be extremely efficient deep-space workers. Unfortunately, not all is as it seems: cost overruns and new technology threaten the existence of the project, and then what happens to the mutants that have been created?

Bujold sets this book in her Vorkosigan universe, but you wouldn't know it - it happens 200 years before the birth of Miles, the hero from that series. Therefore this is a good entry point into Bujold's universe. The book is interesting and readable; if it's a little short, it's because Bujold tells her story efficiently and effectively, much like an old-time sci fi writer (Asimov, Clarke, Heinlein). It's no wonder the Sci Fi Writer's Association voted it best novel - it's old-school style married to modern (genetic engineering) problems.

I bring up Heinlein for another reason. To say this book's plot and characters are borrowed from Heinlein might be harsh, but to say "inspired" is too weak. All Heinlein's favourite characters are there - the hero is an engineer and slight outsider (like the heroes of Farnham's Freehold, The Moon is a Harsh Mistress, and The Door Into Summer), one character might as well be named Jubal Hershaw (from Stranger in a Strange Land), the themes of slavery, political/managerial stupidity, and the clash of old-fashioned know-how vs. high tech are all explored here, in almost exactly the same way as Heinlein has presented them. The book most closely resembles The Moon is a Harsh Mistress, with it's rebellion of the "others" (in that case deported criminals, in this case the Quaddies) who lack basic human rights (in that case because they are criminals, in this case because the Quaddies are classified as a non-human species and therefore outside human law) against their corporate overlords (in that case the Lunar Authority, in this case GalacTech). The main characters are even as 2-dimensional as early Heinlein characters, who exist simply to move the plot forward.

Obviously the theme of colonial rebellion is common in science fiction - but I would never say the Martian rebellions in Robinson's Red Mars or Bova's Moving Mars are copies of Heinlein, because they are not written in a Heinlein style with Heinlein clone characters. In the case of Bujold, it just feels the same. It didn't have to - there were ample opportunities to spread out from the rebellion story. Especially interesting would have been a conflict based on the legality/morality of genetic engineering. She even introduces a character, VP Apmad, who comes from a planet where any genetic tinkering is rigidly illegal, and who herself had forced abortions because her fetuses were not genetically correct. But Bujold does nothing with this character and instead focusses on two of the least interesting characters - the engineer (who is likeable but not interesting) and the cartoonish head administrator of the project. The administrator might as well have had a black mustache to twirl!

In spite of all this, I'm giving the story 3 stars. In spite of myself, I enjoyed the ride and Bujold does give us enough nifty ideas to keep us going, even if some of the niftiest are left unexplored. Perhaps a fan of the Vorkosigan saga will find levels of nuance I missed, but to me it's a straightforward, slightly simplistic but enjoyable story.

Book Review by C. Douglas Baker

Formulaic. This is the best way to describe the disappointing Falling Free, which is predictable from page one. The basic plot line should sound familiar: Multiuniversal (as opposed to multinational) corporation creates genetically engineered human beings that are perfect for work in free fall and drastically lower operating costs; these "quaddies" become obsolete after invention of artificial gravity for space stations; corporation wants to rid itself of the quaddies and cut costs. You can imagine for yourself how they may want to dispose of them. Falling Free also has the standard hero who wants to save the quaddies and is set up against the heartless corporate administrator who will do anything to advance in the company and cut costs. The reader knows what will happen from page to page and it makes for a rather boring book. There is no in-depth character analysis or drama which make the Miles Vorkosigan books so enjoyable. I knew the basic plot and outcome of many of Bujold's Vorkosigan novels but her characters, humor, themes, and surprises from page to page made them greatly enjoyable and entertaining. This is not the case with Falling Free.

The most interesting aspect of Falling Free was the exposition of the horrors of genetic engineering. The "quaddies" are four armed human beings designed to work more efficiently in free fall. The quaddies are raised and completely controlled by GalacTech who exploits them to the fullest. Their eduction, reproduction, reading material, free time, literally every aspect of their lives are controlled by the corporation. When the quaddies become a liability rather than an investment the corporation cares little about how they are "disposed". Bujold could have had a more interesting book had she explored the moral dilemmas presented by genetic engineering and its possible abuses. Unfortunately, the reader's anger at the plight of the quaddies dissipates rather quickly because of the superficial nature of the entire book. Bujold's quaddies are interesting, however, and she does a nice job of briefly exploring their characters. Having been raised and educated on a space station for specific purposes affects their interactions with one another, their sexual mores, and how they interact with two-legged creatures.

For Miles Vorkosigan fans this book is NOT a must read. While the quaddies show up in the The Vor Game you really do not learn anything essential about them in Falling Free. Falling Free does not approach the high quality to which Miles Vorkosigan fans have become accustomed.

This novel is set in same universe as the Miles Vorkosigan series, but about 200 years before the birth of Miles, so connected very loosely to the main series. Main character Leo Graf is an engineer who is assigned to the quaddie project - quaddies being bioengineered humanoid workers who are specialized in freefall work because they have 4 arms rather than 2 arms and 2 legs. I've become a Bujold fan after reading a handful of Miles Vorkosigan novels, but this is by far the weakest novel I've read by the author. The plot is very thin and extremely predictable, the characters are flat, and if not for Bujold's talent in keeping the story moving and the dialogue lively, I would have ditched this book after 100 pages.