Customer Reviews

Heads

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I finished reading this book just over a week ago, and I must say the work is lacking. Bear has developed an interesting storyline with wonderful potential that is too rich to be smashed into 151 pages.There is only a superficial attempt at character development which makes the characters one dimensional. This is all very discouraging to the reader, becuase the premise is good sci-fi. In the future there is an independent moon colony originally developed by entrepreneurs. Our heros are a part of the moon elite syndicate of families. They are attempting two aspiring projects. 1)An experiment trying to create absolute zero, purportably able to freeze space-time itself (I'm not sure if this sounds very safe, although the characters seem only moderately concerned). 2)410 cryogenically frozen "Heads" from the 20th century, which will be scanned for memories still intact in their lifeless brains (wierd, but an interesting idea). If this work was stretched into a full length novel, Bear could have created some classic sci-fi, unfortunately he didn't.

I would recommend this book only to die-hard Greg Bear fans.

Don't get me wrong. This book had a very good and original premise that could have had a great story made out of it. However, the writing in it is (in my opinion) pretty weak. Besides some fairly interesting history behind it, there is not much else. Also, a lot of the characters seemed pretty one-sided, but I can imagine that's hard to avoid in writing a relatively short story such as this.

I've become quite a Greg Bear fan lately--for Christmas I got both The Forge Of God and Anvil of Stars, and I'd finished both of them by Jan. 5. Delighted with them, I picked up Heads at a local bookstore, although I admit having some doubts about the book after looking at the blurb. It seemed an awful lot to juggle in such a small space--410 cryogenically stored disembodied heads, along with Moon colony politics and an attempt to reach absolute zero which might change the nature of matter and of time itself, all within about 150 pages. At the same time, I've ocasionally thought Bear was a bit too drawn-out, so I decided I'd give it a try.

Curiously enough, spacetime was indeed apparently affected by Heads, because I must have seen the future--I was right, and it was all a bit much to handle in such a short book. By necessity, Bear's writing was much more expository than usual, and I didn't find that very satisfying. The story was promisingly offbeat, but behind the story was a blatant parody of Scientology--now, I'm not a Scientologist, nor do I know any Scientologists and I have a healthy skepticism of any religion founded by a science fiction writer, especially one that espouses Body Thetans--ghosts of an alien civilization--as the source of physical illness. It's a valid target, but somehow I'd like a touch more subtlety, a soupcon of sophistication about it...perhaps that's a bit much to ask of a book titled after decapitated noggins...

At any rate, it's a good story, with an effective and creepy climax...it's merely the baldness of Heads that detracts.

Synopsis: In the year 2010, post-Boolean three-state logic technology ushers in further quantum logic technology in the seventh decade, which allows the scientists of the lunar Sandoval-Rice communal consortium in the year 2174, or so, to comprehend the data coming from the absolute zero experiment. This collective scientific refrigeration allows for another family member the constitutional right to allow a shipment of `corpsicles' (or frozen heads) to be shipped back to the lunar colony. From this shipment are the heads of the two founding parents of the colony- the current day great-grandmother and father. This acquisition of frozen skulls, including three unknowns, which might be able to be read with other technologies held my other lunar families, stirs up the fury of a religious lunar colony. Thus begins the political debate and silent battle which will embroil the best minds on the moon.

Having read ALL (I repeat, ALL) of Bear's science fiction library to date, Heads is the last book which I have gotten a hold of. Though published in 1990, it has a certain nostalgic theme (cryogenics) of the 1970s like Psyclone (1978) and a progressive drive towards a goal like Blood Music (1985). In the meantime Bear produced great early space opera in his Forge series and The Way series. So, I can see Bear writing retro sci-fi when publishing Heads in 1990 after releasing some operatic science fiction, coming to a more central theme.

Heads starts with a bang, roping in the reader with Triple politics (Mars, Luna and Earth), the quest for absolute zero and the acquisition of the cryogenic heads. The initial one-sixth of the book is a solid lead-in to a prospective greater scope of things to come. However, much of this lead-up is lent to the bubbling caldron of changing Lunar politics, where `politics aside' takes precedence in lunar communal relations. `Politics aside' does not, paradoxically, take priority in this book. The Triple politics takes up a fair chunk of the remaining five-sixths of a plot but the ramifications of the outcome are substantial to the Lunar communal families. The recently-founded religion of Logologists and early-founder K.D. Tierry takes a number of anti-religious hits from the scientific Sandoval-Rice collective, taking one-on-one the religious Task-Felder collective. It gets a fair bit testy at times, especially when the held beliefs are at serious stake.

It is a fairly short read (110 total pages in the British edition) but it is well worth the read. The feel of it all is very obviously pro-science and anti-religion. There is an obvious underpinning foundation of foreshadowing two-thirds of the way through, which any experienced reader can grasp on with the single word of "forced." A good addition to the Bear bibliography.

A member of powerful trade pact, William, has set a laboratory on the Moon to explore mystery of absolute zero. He needs very expensive equipment. He aims to cool hydrogen atoms to zero degrees to see what happens. A good business opportunity of cryogenically frozen human heads need permanent cooling and are shipped to the Moon to benefit from the residue energy from William's experiment. There are 3 heads that are unknown and tapping the memories could provide even more profitable. All in the sudden the trade pact family is politically attacked from all directions. What are they afraid of?

For hard SF reader, the story has interesting gadgets like quantum logic computer -- self-aware AI thinkers with mental aberrations --, post-Boolean three-state logic invented by Chinese and singularity applied to politics(?). The Moon in the 22nd century is very libertarian: business is the driving force behind everything. The trade clicks seldom interfere to each others' businesses and prefer to deal schisms behind the curtains.

One (1) star. Written in 1990 this an old-fashioned tale about human soul. There are two parallel stories that should somehow connect at the, but the end is forced. The search for absolute zero that is supposed to pluck scientific speculation as well as religious and moral questions in contrast to frozen heads is more like a jab at Scientology. The limited hard science content embedded in the story, as good as it is, cannot do marvels to the thin plot. Abruptly switching from trade politic clicks to hard SF content and family bonds is like rumbling in the forest. A novel that had potential, but lacked leverage.

At 125 pages, BEAR'S HEADS, is a, short, crisp story. One very creative idea shaped the story -- the struggle to reach absolute zero. His answer was the formation of crystallized spacetime. Of course current doctrine is that matter can never attain absolute zero -- Heisenberg's theory doesn't allow it. But Bear knew that advances in science often emerge from previously discarded theories.

To take this story seriously is foolish. It was an amusing parody both of religious cults, based on man's stupidity and scientific theories likewise stemming from ignorance. He accomplishes his parody of science by throwing in terms like the super conductivity of crystallized spacetime in which information previously composed of matter and cells dissolved in crystallized space like sugar in warm water. His parody of secular religions, no doubt with Scientology in mind, is accomplished by translating the last words of the frozen, preserved brain of the founder of his Church of Logology. This revealed him to be just another greedy bastard. However, in the end Bear sucked too many of man's simple illusions dry. Bear postulates the Quiet place awaiting those who would transcend obvious human limits. His Quiet place, where all information, has lost its form, sounded a lot like a void prior to the earth's mythical Genesis.

This book was a great read. Bear's writing flowed more than it does in his longer books. Since this book is only 150 pages--not his usual 500--I think he must have written this on a dare from an editor. He wrote a quality sci fi story with great charactarization and plot in a short space. However, he drew on a lot of conventions as well. The Lunar population of the future was somewhat reminiscent of Heinlein's "The Moon is a Harsh Mistress." If you've read Bear's, "Queen of Angels," he makes references to characters from that book as well. It is almost like reading an old Asmiov tale, where things are all connected, and the stories are all in novella form. I highly recommend reading it.

Super-engaging, idea rich novella with all of Bear's characteristic strengths.

Don't waste your time. I can't believe I wasted my money...had a lot of potential but got half way through and decided to go mow the lawn which is a lot more enjoyable.

I can only give a review of the first 30 pages of the book because I couldn't bare reading the rest. Greg Bear is an incredibly incompetent writer. I can't believe he can actually make a living writing his garbage. His writing is filled with grammatical errors that would embarrass a high school student and is peppered with nonsensical technobabble that makes reading the book a frustrating and tedious chore. Stay away from this book. You'd be better off reading a comic book.