Gaia's Toys is set in a future where severe environmental damage causes a new class of environmental terrorists or "ecowarriors" to rise up and defend mother nature; where welfare-dependent Americans are forced to undergo cybergenetic surgery, turning their heads into...
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Gaia's Toys is set in a future where severe environmental damage causes a new class of environmental terrorists or "ecowarriors" to rise up and defend mother nature; where welfare-dependent Americans are forced to undergo cybergenetic surgery, turning their heads into military cyberspace; where cooing, genetically altered mantises act as sedative pets; where nanotech surgery can completely change a person's appearance; where....OK...you get the main idea. The future, presented in this novel is pretty peculiar. Despite an overload of sci-fi concepts, I found Gaia's Toys by Rebecca Ore to be worth reading. Regardless of their vast differences, it's characters, welfare drone, Willie; street kid turned ecowarrior turned programed government spy, Alison, and overcurious scientist, Dr. Rae, are essentially fighting the same battle. Each is trying to keep a hold of his or her humanity in a cold, socially stratified, technology-ruled world where nature has been all but obliterated. Her next novel, Outlaw School, is a better example of Ore's impressive ability to create soulful characters and convincing futuristic settings. I would recommend that book first and, if you enjoy it, Gaia's Toys may interest you.
