Customer Reviews

Skye Object 3270a

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I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It combined the best of both science fiction and young adult: likeable teenage characters struggling to find their place in a high-tech alien world. In particular, I found it fascinating how the widespread nanotech shaped both the society and the universe.

But the story isn't about the technology, it's about the characters, their adventures, and the friendships that form between them. This was what really made the story come alive for me. There's a small amount of wish fulfillment, which may or may not be your thing, but overall I found the characters to be both believable and likeable. It was a lot of fun to watch them grow and learn together.

At times, though, it felt as if the characters weren't challenged enough. The friendship and relationship issues were well done, but it wasn't until the end that they started to have any significant try-fail (or try-almost fail) cycles in their adventures. Also, while the ending was quite satisfying, it was also a little abrupt.

Those didn't detract much from the rest of the story, though. Overall, I thought it was a very satisfying read-the sort of book I wish I'd found when I was twelve or thirteen. If I wasn't already hooked on science fiction by that age, I have the feeling that this book would have turned me into a lifelong fan.

In this young adult novel, fourteen year old heroine Skye Object 3270a (the awkward moniker refers to the astronomical designation given to the drifting lifeboat she was discovered in) is found to have "puzzle pieces" in her blood, building blocks for a plague that could wipe out Silk, her home in space.

While Skye's blood contains a potentially lethal infection, Nagata's story has spliced, into the usual literary base pairs of the juvenile, aka young adult, sf story, a more benign packet of information: a collection of memes designed to rewrite the tastes of young readers.

I refer to the usual formulaic elements of the young adult story. There is the group of teens, sometimes cunning and sometimes rather clueless in the operation of the physical and social worlds: Skye, orphan and wild girl who has spent a lot of time under the surveillance of cute companion/robot/pet/city- designated overseer Ord and who lives with the city's oldest citizen; her friend Zia, slightly older than Skye with parents who grow the octopoid lydras, creatures genetically engineered for construction work in the hard vacuum in space; the boisterous Buyu, would-be planetary explorer and victim of unrequited interest in Skye; Devi, a sixteen year old suffering from an overprotective mother who has cloned him from a brother dead far in the past. It will come as no surprise that young romance crops up between Devi and Skye. Adults are, of course, rather clueless to the threat to Silk.

You will note, I didn't say these are clichés. I am not a fan of the young adult stories or, generally, stories with young protagonists, but I liked this story. I found the teen characters realistic and not annoyingly plucky or unrealistically competent.

Part of my enjoyment came from the story setting. Silk, you see, is on the midpoint of a space elevator with its anchor being Deception Well, a planet full of alien nanotech, and I've always found space elevators a nifty alternative to the more conventional rocket travel. And there is the back story of Deception Well's original inhabitants and their enemies, the alien Chenzeme. With some of Nagata's scenes hinging on concepts of gravitational acceleration and rotational velocity, some actual science and math is introduced in the manner of Robert Heinlein's or Robert Silverberg's juveniles. My adult brain was kept intrigued and entertained. The heavy use of genetic engineering and nanotechnology, realistically presented with a surprising amount of detail for a juvenile work, further added to my pleasure, and, I suspect, a young reader might find those elements and the space elevator intriguingly and realistically different from the wonders of the juvenile fantasy genre.

In short, Nagata, I think, has a good chance with this work to accomplish her goal of infecting the next generation with the meme of science fiction, the love of plausible speculation and the wonder of science. And adults like me will be happy to follow along.

I didn't exactly miss Nagata's work the first time around. I bought, on the strength of reviews, her first two novels which, coincidentally, are set in the same universe as this novel, but I didn't read them, and they definitely are not prerequisites for jumping into this story.

[Review based on copy of work provided by author.]

Skye Object 3270a,named for the designation of the life boat she was found in, and her friends discover a secret that can threaten everyone they know. The book details their search for an answer that will save not only themselves and their world, but also other children still in lifeboats. An excellent book for the young adult reader.

I just finished reading Skye Object 3270a by Linda Nagata, a highly adventurous and futuristic book. Generally, sci-fi stories don't interest me, but I was instantly hooked after reading the first chapter. A scientist from the city of Silk discovers a lifeboat floating amidst the solar system. Inside is a 2 year old child, who is in a frozen induced sleep and believed to be the only survivor of her kind. She is given the name Skye Object 3270a. Skye has grown up in Silk and is currently an adventurous teen who questions her past and where she came from. With the help of her friends, Skye sets out on a mission to seek answers. Unfortunately in doing so, there are many dangerous tasks involved, as well as knowledge that may jeopardize every life on Deception Well.

I felt like Linda Nagata did a fantastic job bringing her readers into this fantasy world. Often I've found sci-fi books to be hard to understand, but this is not the case with Skye Object. The story reads smoothly and draws its readers in. I appreciate the friendships and coming of age struggles that Linda's characters must face. She gives a realistic feel to building relationships and overcoming dilemmas. Her characters are fun loving teens in an other than ordinary, but exciting future world.

I would recommend this book to mature middle grade students, as to I think it may be a little advanced in terms of reading level. However, the content is appropriate for this age group, unlike many books geared toward this crowd. Likewise, I think YA `s and adults will enjoy this book, because it's fast paced and packed with action.

Skye Object 3270a is certainly one of the best books I've read and I encourage anyone who enjoys an adventurous story to pick this one up. Don't let the genre discourage you if you are like me and not a sci-fi fan. Since reading this book in a matter of a couple days, I've already looked Linda Nagata up and will be delving into her other stories as well.