Reviews

Infinite Detail by Tim Maughan

irobarte's review

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.25

ronanmcd's review against another edition

challenging dark tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

I loved this book. I made some notes at the beginning and they still stand after the ending. Basically it's all about how we progress - how we build system or destroy, and what the unintended consequences are, how far reaching they are.
Notes:
This is the most exciting book I've read in years. Huge ideas. The finality of death, flexible time, data and personal privacy, imposing technology on others, colonialism, race integration, loss, government surveillance, the interconnectedness of digital life.

It's just massive

_viscosity_'s review against another edition

adventurous dark reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

emlh's review against another edition

2.5

Read it because set in Bristol, but not that worthwhile a read

secunit's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

quiss42's review against another edition

4.0

Would have been 5 stars without the "dubstep - i'm so into music" thing. This is not my place and I've suffered from enough people thinking that they would be the DJ that could lead us all into disco/club heaven. I don't think/feel in "sounds" or "loops", so I got quite bored whenever this occured.
The rest of the story is quite solid and for me the rebirth of "Neuromancer", just with some more knowledge of what is technically possible or in the making.

rageofachilles's review against another edition

2.0

I picked this novel up after Adam Roberts, from the Guardian, claimed that it was his best sci-fi book of the year. It's an intriguing novel that depicts a future so meshed with the internet, that a terrorist attacked that turns the internet off causes society to collapse. I thought the book was just okay--intriguing, yes--but wouldn't say that it was enjoyable.

pacificsnail's review against another edition

dark inspiring reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

beefmaster's review against another edition

5.0

I never reviewed it, but I read Tim Maughan's Paintwork back in 2012, making me an oldschool Maughan fan (Maugfan?). I'm sure I heard about it from Jonathan McCalmont (pretty much all the good SF I've read has been recommended by him). I can't believe it's been 7 years since I read Paintwork and 7 years until he published his debut novel, Infinite Detail. Like Paintwork, this novel concerns itself with technology, urban spaces, music, and alternate modes of community engagement. Infinite Detail is split in two, cutting between the two: before the catastrophic collapse of the internet and after, when society is barely scrapping by. The highest compliment I can pay this magnificent novel is that I wish I could teach this. Maughan touches on so many of my favourite subjects: the erosion of community by the gentrification of England via destruction of council estates, the insidious grasp of global capitalism, British music of the 80s and 90s, architecture, and of course, excoriation of the white bourgeois class. This is the science fiction equivalent of the work of Mike Davis and Owen Hatherly. Maughan is only one of the only writers I've ever read in my life who writes about music in a way that is immediately gripping without ever being so abstract or Pitchfork in its metaphorical language. I listened to a long 3 hour jungle mix today at work in honour of finishing the novel. This was terrific. Easily one of the best novels I'll read this year.

gemmamilne's review against another edition

5.0

This is a cracking read. I don't read tonnes of sci-fi - mainly as most of the time, I don't know where to start in finding the good stuff - but this might have sent me on a journey on finding more like this. I was completely captivated.

It's a story that interweaves both the 'just before' and 'after' of an event which results in the internet being shut down, and it's mainly based in Bristol. It's not just a glorious critique of technology and how it's been bastardised by capitalism, it's also a stunning story of electronic music, of underground culture and - of course - of love. I really enjoyed the way Maughan manages to touch on themes of class, race and gentrification throughout too.

It felt really of the moment, especially during the pandemic and the BLM protests, and I'd recommend it heartily to everyone.