Steward is a clone. A beta. His memories are fifteen years old, because his alpha never did have a brain-scan update. And in those fifteen years, the entire world has changed: The Orbital Policorp which held his allegiance has collapsed; dozens of his friends died in an off-planet war which he survived; an alien race has established relations with humanity; both his first and second wives have divorced him. And someone has murdered him.
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Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
Williams's novel Hardwired was a well-written but standard entry in the cyberpunk sweepstakes launched by William Gibson's Neuromancer. This followup, however, is much more interesting and successful. Etienne Steward is the clone ("Steward Beta") of a hero of the Artifact Wars, in which multinational corporations fielded armies to plunder alien ruins. He's been given Steward Alpha's memories minus the last years of the hero's life: the war and its aftermath. Now Steward Beta begins an investigation, tracking down Alpha's wife, friends, enemies and fellow vets to fill in the picture and learn why Alpha was murdered. In particular, Beta probes the war, its horrors, its betrayals and The Powers, the aliens who ended it. Resonances of Vietnam-era moral concerns make this deft updating of the postWorld War II genre of psychological thrillers about amnesiacs one of the best of its kind.
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Review
''Slick and intelligent entertainment. The tension remains high throughout. A taut, satisfying tale of space-age skulduggery.'' --San Francisco Chronicle
''Resonances of Vietnam-era moral concerns make this deft updating of the post-World War II genre of psychological thrillers about amnesiacs one of the best of its kind.'' --Publishers Weekly --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.
''Resonances of Vietnam-era moral concerns make this deft updating of the post-World War II genre of psychological thrillers about amnesiacs one of the best of its kind.'' --Publishers Weekly --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
32 of 33 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
It's probably a good idea to take my review with a grain of salt. I like this book so much there's a passage from it tattooed on my thigh. Yes, you did read that correctly.
Walter Jon Williams is one of the heavyweights of science fiction. His characters are intellegent and engaging, and his books always have a message, but he doesn't go out of his way to beat you over the head with it.
Voice of the Whirlwind, however, is in a class by itself. It has martial arts, love, betrayal, creepy aliens, dry humor, corporate currencies, synthesized drugs, chess, self sacrifice, Uzbekistan...well, basically everything you could ask for in a relaxing, engaging read. Why this book never made the best sellers list is one of the bigger mysteries.
I could rant for hours, but the fact is, the crazier I sound, the less likely it is that you'll listen. So *please* give this one a try.
Walter Jon Williams is one of the heavyweights of science fiction. His characters are intellegent and engaging, and his books always have a message, but he doesn't go out of his way to beat you over the head with it.
Voice of the Whirlwind, however, is in a class by itself. It has martial arts, love, betrayal, creepy aliens, dry humor, corporate currencies, synthesized drugs, chess, self sacrifice, Uzbekistan...well, basically everything you could ask for in a relaxing, engaging read. Why this book never made the best sellers list is one of the bigger mysteries.
I could rant for hours, but the fact is, the crazier I sound, the less likely it is that you'll listen. So *please* give this one a try.
11 of 11 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I picked this off my bookshelf after not having read it for a number of years. Wow, did this book manage to hold up over time! Walter Jon Williams has always been an underrated and underappreciated SF writer; all of his books that I have read have been at least good, with many being great. "Voice of the Whirlwind" falls in the great category. Williams crafted a tightly-written novel that eschews the bloat that often creeps into SF (any genre, for that matter). This book is laser-focused, with no surplusage. The characters are believable, and the story is interesting. It's a military-ish novel without the jingoism and space opera of military SF; a cyberpunk-ish novel that isn't a Gibson clone, and a first contact-ish novel that puts a fresh spin on alien-human interaction. If I have any quibble with the book, it's that part of the plot seems a little overcomplicated to me, but not enough so to be more than a minor distraction than a major problem.
If you like SF, you will almost certainly enjoy this book. I'd even recommend this as a blind purchase for yourself or as a gift. If you don't feel that adventurous, "Voice of the Whirlwind" is definitely worth seeking out at your library.
If you like SF, you will almost certainly enjoy this book. I'd even recommend this as a blind purchase for yourself or as a gift. If you don't feel that adventurous, "Voice of the Whirlwind" is definitely worth seeking out at your library.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Paperback
An intense story with three dimensional characters and realistic portrayals of action, this is a fast-paced, gritty ride into the future. This novel is based on plot and characters (not technology or glitz) and is a real literary contribution to the cyberpunk movement. An enduring classic the day it was published, it addresses issues that are common to veterans of any war--what is life like in peacetime (after the struggle) and what is the value of a so called "broken" veteran of a horrible conflict.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
New to Sci Fi? This is a great introduction to the genre!
For being such a quick read, it is commendable that the author was able to touch on so many different aspects of Sci-Fi. Read more
Published 22 months ago by Keogh
2.0 out of 5 stars
Im going against the majority giving this book a negative review here...
Voice of the Whirlwind is a fairly decent scifi book that lacks oomph. The writing style here is dry and thick. Read more
Published on September 6, 2009 by clifford
3.0 out of 5 stars
Smart SciFi.
Three and a half stars rating. Mr. Williams is a good story teller and his futuristic ideas are believable. The plot, and characters are well developed, and the writing is good. Read more
Published on August 2, 2008 by William Oterson
5.0 out of 5 stars
FROM BACK COVER
Steward is a clone. A beta. His memories are fifteen years old, because his alpha never did have a brain-scan update. Read more
Published on April 13, 2008 by Avid Reader
3.0 out of 5 stars
Not Free SF Reader
This novel, set in the same milieu as Hardwired, must find out why the
clone of a military man has been brought back, and what happened to the original man himself. Read more
clone of a military man has been brought back, and what happened to the original man himself. Read more
Published on September 3, 2007 by Blue Tyson
5.0 out of 5 stars
Erase the infamy
Our story starts simply enough. A clone is revived, and is found to be missing some memory. Darwin days, a time of hyper-evolution, where the weak die, from plate glass windows... Read more
Published on November 11, 2000 by C. Bickford
4.0 out of 5 stars
CLASSIC Cyberpunk
Bought this book for the cover and was pleasantly suprised by the contents. Very well written, with all the paranoia and action cyberpunk fans expect. Read more
Published on January 30, 1999
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent Buddhist work
WJW is one of my favorite writers and "Voice.." is one of his best books IMHO, on par with "Hardwired" if not quite as good as "Aristoi". Read more
Published on October 5, 1998 by Michael Ratner
5.0 out of 5 stars
Read this book twice.
Voice of the Whirlwind is a complex piece of work, and I'm not ashamed to say I didn't "get it" the first time through. Read more
Published on September 14, 1998 by Matthew R. Sheahan
5.0 out of 5 stars
An advance mixture of far ranging SF and Cyberpunk
When I read this book, I could find nothing that related it to Hardwired in any way. That said, this is still a fantastic novel. Read more
Published on May 29, 1998 by indanthrene
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