Murder in the Solid State [Paperback]

Wil McCarthy (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: Tor; First Mass Market Ed. edition (1996)
• ASIN: B000OTSF40
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Perhaps the most believable nanotechnology in SF today, April 18, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Murder in the Solid State (Hardcover)

Although he doesn't prove completely immune in his other works (Fall of Sirius, and especially BLOOM), in this work Wil McCarthy proves himself one of the only writers in modern science fiction with the restraint and realism to tackle nanotechnology and not resort to deus ex machine. I've read most of the nanotech related stuff out there, and, as one of those people actually involved in the developing physics behind it, I've been horrified at the depth of ignorance and panic strewn fantasy rampant in the literature. I'm not sure if Linda Nagata or Kathleen Goonan is the worst offender, but I do know that all of the writers out there portray worlds that are not only unrealistic, but generally incoherent, once nanotechnology is involved. The only merciful exceptions I've found are Dave Wolverton, who is a good enough writer, but likes his overly dramatic flourishes, and, in this novel, Wil McCarthy. The story blends elements of conspiracy and intrigue with a believable technological and political world. The scientific community felt more real than any I've encountered in fiction before this. I could see people I knew in that crowd. But most importantly, I could see the mind and motives behind the protaganist, and believe in them. Sanger was a very real scientist. His world was equally real. The action was a little slower than is typical of the genre, and of the author. I did not find this a fault, but I hadn't expected a light romp to pass the time. The book was not overly preachy, but it did have a lot to make a reader think about. Most importantly, unlike the majority of books in the genre, it was science fiction, not thinly disguised surrealistic fantasy.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great combination of thriller and science fiction, February 4, 2001

By 

"g_williams" (Tampa/St. Petersburg, FL) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Murder in the Solid State (Mass Market Paperback)

I loved this one-- it was, to me, the perfect combination of a thriller and a thought-provoking science fiction novel. The novel takes place in the research laboratories of the beginning days of nanotechnology (prefiguring the awesome nanotech of McCarthy's later novel BLOOM). There is some interesting speculation about the effects of longevity on society, and the effects of nanotechnology, but the science speculation is not overshadowed by the thriller plot and the realistic characterization. A definite rec if you like both thrillers and sf, as I do.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Murder And Early Nano, January 23, 2002

By 

Kevin Spoering (Buffalo, Missouri United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Murder in the Solid State (Mass Market Paperback)

I have never read anything by Wil McCarthy previously, and he seems to be a decent writer. This novel is a combination murder mystery and science fiction tale. David Sanger is a nanotechnology researcher (the science of manipulating the ultra small, in case you don't know) and during a trade convention becomes entangled with a murder he did not commit, and it gets intense and complicated from that point on..........no more here, no spoilers!

Although it was not a page turner for me (it almost was) still it is one of only a handful of science fiction novels that portray the coming era of nanotechnology, in this novel it is in only the nascent beginnings. This is hard science fiction without any fantasy whatsoever, completely to my tastes. Character and plot development were acceptable, although the ending seemed to be a trifle rushed. Also, the novel could have been a bit longer to flesh out the nanotechnology ideas more thoroughly.