REVIEW | Implied Spaces by Walter Jon Williams (Night Shade)

I've been jonesing for some science fiction since I've been a bit heavy with the fantasy lately, but few sf books have been catching my eye. Than came the mass market release of Implied Spaces, which I had been eyeing in hardcover with the tag line "Sword and Singularity." Let me start by saying that Implied Spaces didn't turn out to be quite what I expecting or looking for. Judging by the cover art and back cover copy I thought it would basically be people in space with swashbuckling along with some sort of grand conflict, which it lives up to in some ways yet this book is so much more. The first section is a big fake out as you are in a fantasy world where trolls and orcs exist, which lends credence to my first inclination about swashbuckling. However, Implied Spaces quickly turns out to be grandeur and much more philosophical. The central idea is "What does it means to be human?" This is a future where people have everything they could ever want, can change their body at a whim, and evade death eternally with science of galactic proportions. Technology is so evolved it might as well be magic at a time where the society can create entire pocket universes for no more reason than a place to take a vacation or as a power source. The main character, Aristide, even carries a seemingly magic sword while followed by a highly intelligent cat, which both get explained in their own fashion. Aristide is in search of a reason to keep on living as he is over 1,000 years old and is one of the few people to remember a time when you couldn't live forever. He has a great wit about him and I found him endearing. The title refers to the spaces that weren't specifically designed in their created worlds and universes that come about because they have to fill the whole area. Aristide studies these random spaces which have implications in the large scope of the whole story. Williams has amazing ideas about technology and what could happen to society given the chance that I wish he had spent more time exploring and explaining. There is so much going on and so many things are thrown about it was almost too much to up with. Williams somehow mashes up conspiracies, zombies, AIs, government bureaucracy, planet crushing weapons, and galactic war yet it never seems absurd. His characters are well done, although Aristide is bit over the top as the alpha male at points and his love interest is screwed with so much I lost the connection to who she is supposed to be. The sword fighting goes by the wayside quickly, which was a bit disappointing, but the battles were well done. The many plot twists were better than expected, especially one in the last quarter. The ending was a bit anticlimactic given the grand setup yet it was a great and never slow journey to get there. I give Implied Spaces 7.5 out of 10 Hats. Williams is definitely not done with this universe and I hope to read another great novel from him set here hopefully exploring the setting and themes in-depth. I recommend this to sf readers who love far out technology. Book Link: US Canada Europe