Customer Reviews

Kil'n People

5 star:		(32)
4 star:		(25)
3 star:		(19)
2 star:		(8)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

David Brin has always been an author I can count on. First with his "Uplift" series, then with the novel "Earth" (and man, what a book that was). I started to wonder about him when he wrote some Star Trek comic book fiction and a series of books for kids about time travel. But it looks like he was cooking up something good in the interim. "Kiln People" (in my humble opinion) is by far his best.

To me, Brin is always best when he remains grounded. Like someone said about his novel "Earth", extrapolating 1000 years into the future is easy. You have no reference point and who knows what scientific breakthroughs will take place over the next millenium. Extrapolating 50 to 100 or so years into the future, a future you may conceivably live in....that's hard to do. Hard to make fantastic and believable at the same time. He succeeded admirably in "Earth".

"Kiln People" takes place a couple of centuries from now. Society is a vastly different place, but the people in it are very familiar. The major difference? A technology which allows the user to create short-lived duplicates of oneself. These duplicates, called "dittos", made of clay, with a one-day life span, are infused with the personality and memories of it's archetype. The duplicates are assigned a variety of tasks, depending on it's original. Going to work for the day. Fighting prearranged wars that decide national issues. Sleuthing for missing persons.

And once the ditto has reached the end of it's useful lifespan, it's memories can be reinfused with the original user.

The main character, Albert, becomes embroiled with a case involving a possible advance in Kiln technology, something that could completely change the way Dittos are made, and their prospective longevity.

Giving away any more would do you a possible disservice.

I was struck by the ease with which Brin switched perspectives from one Ditto to the other, all originally from the same user. How their thoughts after initially waking into this world were all the same, and how they grew into their own personalities by the end of their life span. Each time a ditto expired...well, you're a little saddened by it, and a bit surprised by how haphazardly they are treated by both their users and by other "real people".

That thought is the major "meat" of this novel.

Anyway, I enjoyed "Kiln People". Another book that shall remain on my shelf for years to come.

I am a huge fan of Brin, and have read everything he has put to print, including many of his scientific and social papers. He has always been one of the most imaginiative and creative SF writers out there. Kiln People starts out like a good old fashioned mystery novel. It reminded me early on of the Old "Gil The ARM" series of novellas by Larry Niven, which I think are among some of the best SF mysteries to be found. Unfortunately, by the time that I had reached the end of Kiln People, I just didn't care about the resolution anymore, even struggling to finish the last three chapters!

Overall, this effort is interesting in it's central idea, but flawed in it's execution. The departure to some "super soul plane" dimension didn't seem to serve any purpose, and certainly didn't manage to solve any mysteries, spritual or otherwise.

Brin seems to be trying to send some sort of message about where technology is taking us on the spirtual level, but sorry, I just didn't get it! If you really liked "Earth" by Brin, with it's myriad of characters and somewhat contrived finish, then you will probably enjoy Kiln People. On the other hand, if you prefer his Uplift series or maybe the Practice Effect, you are going to find yourself little bit irriated at Brin for this one!

I found "Kiln People" to a great example of both David Brin's best and worst qualities as a writer.

First, the best: Brin comes up with some of the most novel, intriguing, and well-developed ideas in SF. In "Kiln People", Brin describes a futuristic society based on "ditto" technology, which allows everyone to create short-lived clay clones of themselves. Brin's exploration of this concept is truly compelling, and for that alone I'm glad I read the book.

Now, the worst: Brin has shackled these ideas to a confusing plot that is at times frustratingly lightweight and at others is maddeningly incomprehensible. Like "Sundiver", the novel unfolds as a detective story, and one that's not particularly interesting. The story then meanders from one bizarre episode to the next, without seeming to head much of anywhere. Towards the end, it spirals nearly out of control, echoing the pretentious incoherence of the end of the New Uplift Trilogy. When I finished, I couldn't honestly tell you what happened or why, or whether I cared or not.

Despite those criticisms, "Kiln People" is worth a read to savor in Brin's exploration of the "ditto" concept. Just don't expect much from the story, and you won't be disappointed.

Larry Niven once wrote that science fiction mysteries are among the hardest stories to write. You need to come up with an interesting science fiction premise, a mystery, then synchronize the two so that the science is necessary to solve the mystery, but doesn't give away the ending or cheat. Brin is one of the last people writing SF mysteries. I think his earlier work, Sundiver, is a lot better, but Kiln People is still very strong, and well worth reading.

Kiln People is set in the near future, with a slightly advanced version of the internet, superlight electric cars, and one radical technological advance - "dittoing." Specifically, dittoing rests on the discovery that the mind (or soul) can be copied onto 24-hour clay copies of yourself ("dittos"), that can be designed to be smarter, stronger, breath underwater, or what have you, for the right price. If the ditto makes it back in time, you can even upload its memories back into your real head.

The main character, Albert Morris, is a private detective. Mostly, he works from his houseboat, sending dittos out to do his investigations, particularly those related to his arch-nemisis - "Beta" - a crimelord who specializes in pirating other people's personalities for his own dittos, and who Morris has never met in the flesh.

The story is inventive and clever, introducing us to the idea, then meeting wilder and wilder extrapolations of the possibilities created by ditto technology as Morris digs himself into a modern version of a film noir mystery. (Specifically, his story is close enough to the Big Sleep that I'm surprised no one recognized it).

I gave this 4 stars instead of 5 because of the ending, which I found unsatisfying. As with a number of his recent books (Earth, Heaven's Reach), Brin takes his new idea and converts it into a Deus Ex Machina that resolves the plot without any seriously satisfying outcome. Other than that, however, the book is very solid.

This novel contains many of the strengths of David Brin, but is ultimately haunted by weakness. Brin's brilliance in world-creation, i.e. the ability to create an alien culture that may or may not be related to our own, populated by interesting creatures, makes the idea of Kiln People enticing. The setting is about 100 years in the future. People have developed the ability to create clay doppelgangers of themselves, which they send about on various errands each day. At the end of the day, the memories of this golem are downloaded into the mind of the "real" person.

The moral question of who is real and who is not is an interesting one that is well-explored, a highlight of the novel. But the surrounding culture is not as developed as, say, the world of Jijo in "Brightness Reef" or the planet in "Glory Season." Brin makes a valiant attempt at fleshing out the world in the first hundred pages or so, but abandons any further attempts which might lend further tension to the mystery which is the core of the story.

And that mystery could use some help. While I was delightfully confused by the culprit for the first half of the novel, the gradual revelation of the crime details leads only to anticlimax. And, like the "The Postman," Brin's action finale makes you wish the last 100 pages had never happened. The ethereal spiritualism that follows is so abstract as remind the reader of "Heaven's Reach," the sad end of the latest Uplift Trilogy.

Another of Brin's strengths, at least compared to his peers, is character development. Alas, due to the very nature of the novel, the detective is the only character developed. Any other viewpoints are those of his doppelgangers, which are necessarily very similar to him.

Overall, I have to admit I enjoyed it, as I've enjoyed all of Brin's work. But if you want a stand-alone novel of his to try out, I'd try Glory Season. And if you want a sci-fi mystery of his, check out Sundiver.

David Brin's 2002 novel Kiln People distinguished itself by coming in second place for every major science-fiction award. You're probably already familiar with the plot and setting from the other reviews so let's get to the actual reviewing.

Kiln People is fast-paced and tightly-plotted. The writing is gripping, suspenseful, and never drags, despite the book's five hundred seventy page length. Morris' narrative voice is pleasant and down to Earth. Mr. Brin uses the technique of "exposition by indirection," where the reader is led to deduce information about the setting by allusions the characters make. This helps avoid bogging the novel down in description.

The characters are likeable and interesting. From Pal, a paraplegic maverick, to enigmatic Universal Kilns tycoon Aenas Kaolin, to the flamboyant crime lord Beta, to Morris' tough soldier girlfriend Clara, all the characters have distinct and memorable personalities. It is never difficult to tell characters apart or remember who they are. One minor quibble is that occasionally a character's personality becomes so extreme that it is difficult to believe that a real person would act that way. But for the most part Mr. Brin's characterization is excellent.

Part of the fun of books like this is the setting itself. The extrapolations Mr. Brin makes are fascinating; they cover everything from popular culture to religion, and really make the reader think about how technology alters the way people think and act.

One phrase frequently used when discussing science-fiction is "sense of wonder." It is a hard term to define, it usually refers to a situation where a new idea astounds the reader and expands their mind and way of thinking. Kiln People has plenty of this; it is full of ideas that thrill the reader, from the changes in society brought on by ditto-technology to the transcendent notion of scientifically proving the existence of the soul. It fills the reader with wonder at how technology can radically change the human condition.

Mr. Brin is not a particularly preachy writer, but occasionally he subtly uses this book as a soapbox for some of his views. Mr. Brin frequently advocates use of surveillance technology to guard against tyranny and has written a non-fiction book, The Transparent Society on the subject. The Big Deregulation frequently alluded to demonstrates some of Mr. Brin's other political views, support of free markets, a strong dislike of paternalistic government, and freedom of individual to conduct their personal lives as they wish. Mr. Brin also demonstrates his dislike of superstitious mysticism throughout the novel, which advocates rational inquiry and the scientific method, and argues that science is better suited for investigating spiritual issues than religion. These portions of the book may offend readers who are socially rightist or economically leftist. However, Mr. Brin never lectures at the expense of his work and the messages are never too intrusive.

Kiln People is definitely one of David Brin's best books. It is a brilliantly plotted and extrapolated hard science fiction story with fascinating characters. It easily equals his previous Uplift series in quality. It is definitely one of the best science-fiction novels recently published. If they have time to read a long book, fans of Brin's previous work, and fans of hard science-fiction in general will doubtless enjoy it.

Very few science-fiction authors can make the leap to writing actual literature. David Brin, the Hugo- and Nebula-award-winning author of Startide Rising, The Postman, and Earth is one of those writers. One of the three "Killer B"s of American sci-fi, Brin has returned with one of his most compelling and best-written books, Kiln People.

A chimera of detective novel, utopic speculation, dystopic fear, and dark humor, Kiln People is set in a near-future where golems, or inexpensive clones of people, are commonplace for those who can afford them. Golems, or "dittos," do all the things that you can't in a day: one might go to the gym and work out, another will go to the library and do research, while a third meets with your mother-in-law. At the end of the day, the golem's memories are transferred back to the original person. The action follows Albert Morris, a private detective who is investigating the murder of research scientist. The story begins to fold in on itself as the lines blur between reality, fantasy, and cloned reality. The climax and conclusion is classic Brin, and is as shocking as it is poignant.

Like all great sci-fi writers, Brin weaves a story of utmost importance as we approach a new century concerned about the notions of privacy and the ethics of cloning. But he never hits us over the head with morality, and leaves us to form our own conclusions about the content presented here. Add to that Brin's infinitely readable prose, and Kiln People becomes as accessible as it is important, which is a refreshing change of pace from a genre dominated either by juvenile, pseudo-gothic scribblings or stuff that's so far over most reader's heads that it belongs in a textbook.

Kiln People is an excellent, delightful read, and will appeal to fans of Brin's work as well as those interested in the current debates over cloning and privacy - and those of us who just like a good, if slightly unconventional, detective story. Brin is an author who can continually be counted on for great writing and outstanding subject matter, and he continues to weave dazzling tales here. For good reading in the new year, you can do a lot worse than to pick up a copy of Kiln People - this science fiction isn't just for the nerds anymore.

There have only been a few serious attempts to meld the crime/detective genre with hard-core science fiction, of which Asimov's and Bester's works are probably the most well known. Brin latest accomplishes this feat with a fair amount of elan, as he envisages a world where people can make ditto copies of themselves, impressed into variously hued clay molds that can only 'live' for a day, after which they must return to their originator, 'upload' their day's memories, and expire.

Our protagonist, Albert, is naturally a detective, blessed with ability to make near perfect copies of himself that he can send out to do the leg work of his business. He must operate in a world where almost all work is done by ditto copies, where 99% of the 'real' population must live on the dole, not having any marketable unique abilities to sell. As a result of a supposedly successful 'bust' of one of his arch-enemy Beta's illegal ditto-cloning operations, he comes to the attention of Ritu, daughter of one of the founding scientific minds of the ditto-cloning technology, who has turned up missing. From here the plot gets complicated, as the missing father shows up dead, but his ditto clones are still around, bent on some incomprehensible scheme of their own, and one of Albert's dittos is hired to (unknowingly) sabotage one of the main ditto manufacturing plants of Vic Kaolin, recluse and close collaborator with Ritu's father. Complication is piled on complication, and Albert's multiple dittos each become characters in their own right as they follow various threads of the mystery.

This is probably the best part of this book, as by showing how each ditto, starting from the same base, is modified by the events he experiences; each one, while retaining the greater part of their originator's character, slowly morphs into a distinct individual. This is some excellent characterization work. It also brings forth some of the thematic drive of the novel, a questioning of what makes each person unique, more than just an organized collection of atoms. As part of this Brin envisions that the metaphysical 'soul' has a real physical aspect, a field or 'Soul Wave'. Indeed it is this aspect of a person that allows the 'ditto' cloning technology to exist.

However, Brin stretches this concept too far, trying to make it extend from quantum mechanics to what is God (and how to make one!). His explanations become rather rarified, especially as delivered by Ritu's 'ditto' copy father, who by this point is that cliche of cliches, the mad scientist out to remake the world in his own warped image.

Brin does a fair amount of punning in this book, especially in his chapter titles, and while some of them are absolute groaners, they add a certain amount of warmth, a leavening of humor to what is essentially a very serious story. In general style it follows the precepts of the hard-bitten detective genre and does of pretty fair job without becoming a parody.

The denouement, when all the various threads are tied together and all the mysteries are solved, is marred by the fact that one of the major players in all the action is never really presented as a character in his own right, whose motivations the reader cannot possibly know, and thus leaves the reader feeling a little cheated, that Brin has pulled one too many rabbits out of the hat.

An ambitious book, with some great ideas, a lively investigation into individualism, privacy, and psychology, some great characters, but doesn't quite form a fully fleshed out mystery and fails in its upper reaches for meaning.

At the World SF Society convention in Philadelphia last year, Brin read the first chapter of "Kiln People." I immediately knew that I would have to read it as soon as I could. And it was definitely worth the wait (and, BTW--it's 470 pages or so, not 336).

Brin's basic premise is that most people in society now have a way to mass-produce temporary "golems"--clay copies of themselves--that can function independently of their creators, and then fall apart after 24 hours; if they choose, the creators can download the golems' memories into their own brains. [So, for example, you could go to college, work a job, and go on vacation at the same time.]

Rather than explain the plot of the book (which is explained above), let me simply say that Brin did an amazing job with fleshing out the world in which "Kiln People" takes place. It is fairly clear that it's a world where golem technology has been accepted; just seeing his ideas of how humans would adapt to such a world makes the book worth reading. And, thankfully, he keeps the tone fairly light: there are just enough puns and jokes to keep a smile on your face, but not enough that the book verges on parody.

And while I have to admit that the ending does border, as some other reviewers have pointed out, on deus ex machina (as it does in "Earth"), it seemed like he laid the foundation for it over the course of the novel, so it doesn't come as a shock.

IMO, this is the best Brin book I've read (I haven't reached the Uplift trilogy yet, though), and I would highly recommend it to anyone, even people who don't normally read SF.

I read this entire novel while traveling from Baghdad, Iraq to Atlanta, Georgia on my two weeks rest and relaxation so kindly afforded to me by the government as a reward for serving in a combat zone.

Kiln People is a fun read, with plenty of plot twists around the central idea that society has discovered a way to make a cheap replaceable you. People can have cheap copies of themselves made for various purposes. These copies only last one day, but multiple copies can be made per day if you have the resources.

The central character in Kiln People is detective Albert Morris, who has been hired by multiple groups with multiple agendas to solve the same central mystery. The mystery revolves around changes to the people copying industry. Without giving away anymore of the plot, if you can imagine a world where someone has reduced the soul to a science, and figured out how to copy it into a clay vessel, then you will probably enjoy some of the resulting imagined social changes as described by author Brin.

Some of the scenarios envisioned are very interesting. Casual sex without any consequences that we face today, such as disease. Dying over and over again being of no consequence because the original you survives. Most interesting is the plethora of changes to social mores as most people spend most of their time in throwaway bodies and the new social groups that result in support and opposition of cloning and cheap throwaway selves.

The book got almost unbearable towards the end as the central character is changed. Without throwing in massive spoilers, suffice it to say that I thought Mr. Brin spent way too much time trying to explain quantum mechanics and the Soul Standing Wave ruined my suspension of disbelief somewhat. Overall though, I enjoyed Kiln People's action, mystery and massively complex plot sequences that all inexorably drew together into a grand finale that was odd but enjoyable. I'd pick up another Brin novel in a heartbeat.