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angus_mckeogh's review against another edition
4.0
Close to five stars. Consisted of a lost and forgotten Earth and the abandoned Mars colony, elements of Soviet and United States discord was injected, and revolved around several sets of unwelcome visitors arriving at the Mars colony unannounced. All these unseen events collide. Entertaining stuff.
ronpayne's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
A science fiction story about a rescue mission to a Mars colony which has been quiet for over ten years. This was a fairly entertaining, fast-paced, space techno-thriller that reads like an 1980s action movie. Most of the characters are jerks with their own personal, political, and corporate agendas, all surrounding a mysterious technological discovery, which converge in an explosive climax. It was fun while I was reading it, but lacked any real depth.
sunny76's review against another edition
4.0
"All because the corporation didn’t have the booster stages to slow them down any other way." Shiner, Lewis. Frontera (Kindle Locations 52-53). Subterranean Press. Kindle Edition. --- Interesting tale of life in the combined (American, Russian, Japanese) colony on Mars. The combined colony was the result of the fall of governments on Earth, where corporations are now in control. Two corporations (one from Houston and one from Russia) send separate teams to Mars in a race to acquire the technology that may have been invented there. Each of the separate teams that travel to Mars have their corporate agendas that the individual team members may not know.
frasersimons's review against another edition
4.0
Governments are gone, corporations have unilateral control and so are just expressions of their internalized dogma. Martian colony Frontera has axiomatic guests, Reece and Kane, both heroes in their own eyes, ostensibly railing against the corps to do “the right thing” with a secret on the new frontier.
On the face of it, This is a pretty typical first wave cyberpunk affair, aside from it being set in space. Which, some people would say kicks this from the subgenre, wildly. But this squarely fits. After all, Kane, veteran of the corporate wars has neuro implants that put him on a heroism simulation. This is the loss of agency via technology, and does a great job of making society an omnipresence within an individual. The heroes journey is literally embodied and critiqued throughout the narrative. The cyber and punks elements are actually more cleverly explored than plenty of other first wave novels.
The quintessential, ingrained conflict resolutions and Eurocentric point of view plays out in the desolation of the frontier. Expecting crisp white walls and beautiful architecture and shopping malls, instead there is only detritus as mankind repeats its self destructive instincts on a new landscape. These same movements are shown with our two male characters.
In fact, I was ready to bail on it when it felt like it was devolving into the same old, old sci-fi. Guys noticing, for instance, the impossible positioning of a woman’s breasts because of gravity. Continually trying to flaunt and vaunt, and mindlessly conquer every field they find, including women.
It turns out, however, that is exactly where Shiner wants you, and later subverts these expectations in surprisingly deft ways. It’s a commentary on the historical cycle, toxic masculinity, and how important the other narrative is. And spoilers: The heroes, it turns out, can’t see the forest for the trees.
A surprisingly refreshing first wave cyberpunk offering, I must say.
On the face of it, This is a pretty typical first wave cyberpunk affair, aside from it being set in space. Which, some people would say kicks this from the subgenre, wildly. But this squarely fits. After all, Kane, veteran of the corporate wars has neuro implants that put him on a heroism simulation. This is the loss of agency via technology, and does a great job of making society an omnipresence within an individual. The heroes journey is literally embodied and critiqued throughout the narrative. The cyber and punks elements are actually more cleverly explored than plenty of other first wave novels.
The quintessential, ingrained conflict resolutions and Eurocentric point of view plays out in the desolation of the frontier. Expecting crisp white walls and beautiful architecture and shopping malls, instead there is only detritus as mankind repeats its self destructive instincts on a new landscape. These same movements are shown with our two male characters.
In fact, I was ready to bail on it when it felt like it was devolving into the same old, old sci-fi. Guys noticing, for instance, the impossible positioning of a woman’s breasts because of gravity. Continually trying to flaunt and vaunt, and mindlessly conquer every field they find, including women.
It turns out, however, that is exactly where Shiner wants you, and later subverts these expectations in surprisingly deft ways. It’s a commentary on the historical cycle, toxic masculinity, and how important the other narrative is. And spoilers: The heroes, it turns out, can’t see the forest for the trees.
A surprisingly refreshing first wave cyberpunk offering, I must say.
tlockney's review against another edition
3.0
Good read, but leaves you hanging a bit at the end. Still, I enjoyed reading this early work by one of the folks who helped establish the thing we call cyberpunk.
survivalisinsufficient's review against another edition
3.0
Some interesting stuff but not enough to overcome the annoying (outdated) classic scifi elements - I don't mind these at all in an otherwise strong book, but in a book like this...no.
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