K-Machines

From Publishers Weekly In this jaunty blend of mysticism and theoretical physics, Australian grad student August Seebeck, who discovered in Godplayers (2005) that he was part of a superhuman family battling implacable cyborgs for control of multiple, interlocking realities, feels frustrated and bewildered. None of his alleged siblings will tell him exactly who he is, why the K-machines are their enemies, what the rules of the conflict are and, generally, what the blazes is going on. As the action bounces from one time, character or universe to another, confusion multiplies. And then there's the underlying question of whether anything in any universe is real or whether everything is part of a super video game. Inspired by Roger Zelazny's Amber series, Broderick keeps the style light, mixing wonderful panoramas with puns and goofy sight gags. Toward the end, August does start putting things together, gathering plenty of momentum to propel readers into the next chunk of this dazzling SF saga. (Apr.) Copyright В© Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. From In the sequel to Godplayers (2005), August Seebeck is still wandering through Wonderland, armed with a mysterious, devastatingly powerful vorpal implant (and yes, there is a Jammerwock ) and an intense desire to get some straight answers out of his cagey newfound relatives about the Contest of Worlds, his role in it, and their opponents, the K-machines. It seems the contest isn't entirely as it seemed, and neither is the woman August loves. There are betrayals and confusion and misdirection every time August starts to get closer to the truth, or even to asking the right questions. His quest to discover the reasons behind his pivotal role in the contest is a trip down the rabbit hole to doors that don't exist, exotic siblings, and even more exotic locales. It's a fun story, full of galaxy-spanning adventure and intrigue, that incorporates a perspective on that currently hot concept, technological singularity. Broderick also continues his homage to humorous sf masters Roger Zelazny and Fritz Leiber as he seamlessly constructs the story he has to tell. Regina Schroeder Copyright В© American Library Association. All rights reserved