Baryon 102 Review


Macrolife: A Mobile Utopia George Zebrowski PYR, Jan 2006, $15.00, ISBN: 1591023408 reviewed by Harriet Klausner In 2021 the apparently recently discovered durable element bulerite becomes the prime material in construction on earth and in space. That is until bulerite proves unstable leading to biblical destruction; millions die along with the death of the planet. The only hope for survivors is in space as we finally killed earth with technological progress. Those who escape into other areas of the solar system begin building habitats inside hollow asteroids. By 3000 (earth calendar) the new mobile environments that serve as home to the exiled earthlings lead to radical changes in society and prove once and for all evolution rules; eventually those mobile space residence comes into contact with planet bound life as they revolve around the galaxy. Perhaps a billion years into the future humanity and its macrolife existence has turned into mini mobile utopias, but now confront the first pandemic threat since the death of earth, the death of the galaxy This is a reprint of a fabulous cerebral outer space thriller that seems even more relevant today than its 1979 release thanks to the recent debate between intelligent design vs. evolution and the administration attack on science; for instance a censuring of a NASA science report deletes reference to our sun dying in 5 billion years as being too depressing. The novel contains a new introduction and pictures, but the prime story line told in three ages over the eons remains the same and as puissant as ever. Each of the periods, 2021, 3000, and "The Dream of Time" provide a deep look at humanity where it was, where it is, and where it is going through the cycle of one family, the Bulero brood. George Zebrowski provides a thought provoking winner that remains pertinent today. reviewed by Barry Hunter First published in 1979, this is now considered a classic and Pyr has released a new edition containing the original interior illustrations by Rick Sternbach, a new introduction by Ian Watson and a new afterword by the author. All of this adds to the understanding and revelations of this visionary work. The Bulero family is one of the richest on Earth and they amassed their fortune with bulerite, a substance used in the making of everything from pacemakers to rocket ships and is as durable as aluminum. Bulerite has started becoming unstable and is destroying the Earth. The Bulero family escapes to Asterome, an L-5 Colony built inside a hollowed out asteroid. Here begins the billion year story of the travels of the Bulero family and their cloned descendants as they travel and study new worlds and relearn human emotion. After a millennium in space they return to Earth to see how things have changed. After a billion years, they must face the end of the universe. Zebrowski has a heck of a story to tell and I was reminded of Olaf Stapleton’s STARMAKER. Pick this one up and save time to think about it as you read it.
reviews

Macrolife: A Mobile Utopia
George Zebrowski
PYR, Jan 2006, $15.00, ISBN: 1591023408

reviewed by Harriet Klausner

In 2021 the apparently recently discovered durable element bulerite becomes the prime material in construction on earth and in space. That is until bulerite proves unstable leading to biblical destruction; millions die along with the death of the planet.

The only hope for survivors is in space as we finally killed earth with technological progress. Those who escape into other areas of the solar system begin building habitats inside hollow asteroids. By 3000 (earth calendar) the new mobile environments that serve as home to the exiled earthlings lead to radical changes in society and prove once and for all evolution rules; eventually those mobile space residence comes into contact with planet bound life as they revolve around the galaxy. Perhaps a billion years into the future humanity and its macrolife existence has turned into mini mobile utopias, but now confront the first pandemic threat since the death of earth, the death of the galaxy

This is a reprint of a fabulous cerebral outer space thriller that seems even more relevant today than its 1979 release thanks to the recent debate between intelligent design vs. evolution and the administration attack on science; for instance a censuring of a NASA science report deletes reference to our sun dying in 5 billion years as being too depressing. The novel contains a new introduction and pictures, but the prime story line told in three ages over the eons remains the same and as puissant as ever. Each of the periods, 2021, 3000, and "The Dream of Time" provide a deep look at humanity where it was, where it is, and where it is going through the cycle of one family, the Bulero brood. George Zebrowski provides a thought provoking winner that remains pertinent today.

reviewed by Barry Hunter

First published in 1979, this is now considered a classic and Pyr has released a new edition containing the original interior illustrations by Rick Sternbach, a new introduction by Ian Watson and a new afterword by the author. All of this adds to the understanding and revelations of this visionary work.

The Bulero family is one of the richest on Earth and they amassed their fortune with bulerite, a substance used in the making of everything from pacemakers to rocket ships and is as durable as aluminum. Bulerite has started becoming unstable and is destroying the Earth. The Bulero family escapes to Asterome, an L-5 Colony built inside a hollowed out asteroid. Here begins the billion year story of the travels of the Bulero family and their cloned descendants as they travel and study new worlds and relearn human emotion.

After a millennium in space they return to Earth to see how things have changed. After a billion years, they must face the end of the universe. Zebrowski has a heck of a story to tell and I was reminded of Olaf Stapleton’s STARMAKER. Pick this one up and save time to think about it as you read it.

reviews