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Silver Screen Paperback – October 3, 2005

by Justina Robson (Author)

21 ratings

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Silver Screen presents an enjoyably different, subversive slant on the science fiction themes of AI and cyberspace. Insecure and overweight heroine Anjuli O’Connell is one of a group of friends who have been hot-housed from an early age to perform in genius-level jobs. But Anjuli worries that her eidetic memory and her friendship with genuine smart boy Roy Croft has been her ticket to success, rather than any real intelligence of her own.

She’s put to the test when Roy kills himself in an experiment to upload his mind into cyberspace, seeking that SF dream of bodiless immortality, which doesn’t work as expected. At the same time her boyfriend’s research has led to him harnessing himself to dubious biomechanoid technologies, which pull the user into mental symbiosis, creating hybrid consciousness – a new "I", continuous with the old, but different. "Where does life end and the machine begin?"

Meanwhile Anjuli’s grasping multinational employer, OptiNet, the owner of global communications AI, 901, is locked into an increasingly bitter war with the Machine-Greens, who preach AI liberation. As the case for 901’s humanity, or otherwise, comes up before the Strasbourg Court, expert witness Anjuli is targeted by assassins and entangled in the hunt for an algorithm which is the key to machine consciousness, and which may even be the master-code of life itself.

This story explores many interfaces between humans and their technologies, between the promises of science and the explanations of faith. It is written in a first-person style that mingles elements of detective story and confessional. Alongside its SF content, the book delves into the complexities of friendship, loyalty, love, and betrayal from an intimate human perspective.

This is "grrrl-style" SF: as well as all the favorite "Airfix" features, the protagonists deconstruct personal relationships amidst macrocosmic and deeply philosophical goings-on. The writing is punchy, but with a literary sheen. It delivers complex concepts and a twisting plot with a deceptively light touch.

Print length

383 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Pyr
Publication date

October 3, 2005
Dimensions

6.03 x 1.09 x 8.96 inches
ISBN-10

1591023386
ISBN-13

978-1591023388
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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

"Where does the life end and the machine begin?" asks one of the cyberscientists in Robson's 1999 UK debut, now making its overdue American appearance after the critically acclaimed Natural History (2004). Yes, it's the same old AI question framed in Matrix-style allure, and many readers are likely to find the whole idea a little too familiar. Nonetheless, while Natural History is a superior read with a tighter plot, this messier treatment is also thought-provoking SF. When Anjuli O'Connell, an "AI psych" and self-described "human file server," discovers the body of fellow OptiNet employee and friend, Roy Croft, after he's uploaded his essence into 901, OptiNet's giant AI, Anjuli becomes involved in a deadly game. Is Roy, an anarchist and machine liberation advocate who interfaces with others through projected holographs of silver screen legends, dead or part of 901? Anjuli must find Roy's old diary, the "Source," and the key to the mystery. Roy's zealot father and Anjuli's testimony in an important trial further complicate the quest. Sometimes, the confessional style-narrative slows to a snail's pace, while Anjuli mulls over the puzzle pieces and takes a brief detour into a goofy subplot with her cyborg boyfriend. Still, this is a fascinating peek into the development of one of SF's brightest new stars.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

About the Author

Justina Robson is the author of Selling Out, Going Under, and Chasing the Dragon (Books 2-4 of the Quantum Gravity series). Her first novel, Silver Screen, published in August 1999 in the UK and in 2005 by Pyr, was short-listed for the Arthur C. Clarke Award and the BSFA Award, and was nominated for the Philip K. Dick award. Her second novel, Mappa Mundi, together with Silver Screen, won the Amazon.co.uk Writer's Bursary in 2000 and was also short-listed for the Arthur C. Clarke Award in 2001. A third novel, Natural History, a far-future novel, placed second in the 2004 John W. Campbell Award, was short-listed for the Best Novel of 2003 in the British Science Fiction Association Awards, and was also nominated for the 2006 Philip K. Dick Award, receiving a special citation. A fourth novel, Living Next Door to the God of Love, was a finalist for the BSFA Award.

Visit Justina Robson's Web site at www.JustinaRobson.com.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Pyr; Reprint edition (October 3, 2005)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 383 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1591023386
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1591023388
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.3 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.03 x 1.09 x 8.96 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #6,577,675 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #233,158 in Science Fiction (Books)

Customer Reviews:
21 ratings

About the author

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Justina Robson

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Justina was born in Yorkshire, England, in 1968. She sold her first novel in 1999. Since then she has won the 2000 Amazon UK Writers’ Bursary Award. She has also been a student (1992) and a teacher (2002, 2006) at the Arvon Foundation in the UK. She was a student at Clarion West, the U.S. boot camp for science fiction and fantasy writers, in 1996.

Her books have been variously shortlisted for the British Science Fiction Best Novel Award, the Arthur C. Clarke Award, the Philip K. Dick Award, and the John W. Campbell Award. An anthology of her short fiction, Heliotrope, was published in 2012. In 2004, Justina was a judge for the Arthur C. Clarke Award, on behalf of the Science Fiction Foundation.

You can find insights about her writing and content previews at her Patreon page - www.Patreon.com/JustinaRobson

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Customer reviews

3.9 out of 5

21 global ratings

5 star		36%
4 star		28%
3 star		28%
2 star		8%
1 star 0% (0%)		0%

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Top reviews from the United States

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Silver Screen - my opinion

Reviewed in the United States on March 20, 2009

Verified Purchase

I am not much of a review writer. I will say I picked this book up several years ago and did not get very far before putting it down.

This time it was more interesting at the beginning and ever more interesting as the story developed. The end was a surprise to me although some of you may see it coming. I found myself wanting to email the author and ask her if I got it right.

If you have read her most recent series you will find this book slower moving. Nonetheless I think it is worth the time to read it.

3 people found this helpful

Interesting read

Reviewed in the United States on September 27, 2020

Verified Purchase

Interesting concept. May lose the reader in the first chapters but stick with it. Worth the ride!

It is tiresome and slow

Reviewed in the United States on July 8, 2014

Verified Purchase

I adored Robson's quantum gravity series but simply couldn't get into Silver Screen. It is tiresome and slow.

Kindle Customer

Not Free SF Reader

Reviewed in the United States on November 2, 2007

Smart kid AI defense.

Or smart young adults, really. In the beginning this book has a 'school for the gifted' in a future setting, but nowhere near as extreme as the X-Men, or the Battle School, or even the institution in Shiras' Children of the Atom. This one is more of a corporate competition type of place.

The book focuses on one of these children, there largely because she has perfect memory, being able to recall anything from her past. This makes lots of exams etc. rather easy.

The other important characters and a brother and sister, the former becoming a brilliant if unconventional and unstable AI researcher, and the other bailing. The last is the latest generation of the AI owned by the company they work for, known as 901, or Nine for short.

A slow starting book builds to a rather more surprising conclusion with a trial for the rights of an Artificial Intelligence these people work for, and the latter part of the book is certainly worth waiting for. It has biodroid power armour, too.

One person found this helpful

D. Donovan, Editor/Sr. Reviewer

What it means to be human in a mechanized world.

Reviewed in the United States on April 19, 2006

Justina Robson's SILVER SCREEN has been shortlisted for the Arthur C. Clarke Award and tells of one Anjuli, who has a number of problems: a too-good memory, a boyfriend whose job is turning him into a cyborg, and struggles with machine intelligence. All her problems seem to center around a basic question: in a world where computer and man are becoming closer, what does it mean to be human? Strong characterization keeps this first-person futuristic story fast-paced and compelling.

One person found this helpful

Reviewed in the United States on January 4, 2006

It's true that this book doesn't present any really new ideas, but it handles the ones it's taken on with a strong writing style and a good story. This is not a great book, but it's a good read. If you don't like or relate to Anjuli after the first chapter, give up, this is not the book for you. Otherwise, take it with you on your next long flight -- it's about that level. Not quite fluff, but nothing too taxing either.

One person found this helpful

Top reviews from other countries

Roger Cawkwell

Interesting Rather than Gripping

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 28, 2009

Verified Purchase

I do like to read authors in chronological order & am prepared to put up with first novels being perhaps not as polished as these from seasoned authors. I guess I got just that with this purchase, the plot (which I won't reveal in any detail) did cover much the same ground as other recent novels that have brain/computer interfaces and AI at the heart of the story but there was a nice twist towards the end which I didn't spot (actually, I'd like to re-read the last chapter so see again how it happened...).

At the same time, there were many passages in the book that I simply didn't understand & had to skip over. I'm not talking about moments in novels set in the future when some presently unknown piece of technology is being referred to in passing without an explanation. I can cope with this & it's quite nice in a way, because if we were transported from the early C21 to some future time, there would be things that would puzzle us. No, there were simply mention of characters' responses or actions that didn't seem to fit into the sequence of action & which didn't make sense later on either. I suspect the book needed stricter editing, or even pruning, so I'm not entirely blaming the author.

I do read good things about JR's other books so will probably move on to the next one before too long.

Vertigo

... fair it is far from being one of Robson's best. The production however

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 3, 2014

Verified Purchase

Whilst the book itself is fair it is far from being one of Robson's best.

The production however, whilst not being Robson's fault, is appalling. I don't know where they got the digital copy for this ebook but it looks like it was from the draft, unedited manuscript. It is full of spelling errors, formatting errors, missing words, meaningless words; name any production errors and I guarantee you will find them somewhere in this edition. It made reading the book painful and quite possibly, subconsciously at least, may have resulted in me rating this book lower than I otherwise would have done.

Steve Conway

Interesting new talent, exciting ideas but it is not perfect

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 2, 2000

Verified Purchase

I enjoyed the book, and some of the ideas where excellent. It starts brilliantly, but I kept finding my mind wandering at times. Some of the "construction" appear weak at time, and I often lost track of the characters (who was who etc.) Having said that, the lady has talent and I am sure her next works will get stronger and stronger; definately a name to keep an eye on (and five stars, and sexist comment, for one of the tastiest looking back page photos: Yum-yum).

Katastrofa

Four Stars

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 29, 2014

Verified Purchase

Good book, borrowed a lot from Gibson. The heroine is a bit annoying, but also somewhat original.

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