A sci-fi novel re-read: "Limit"

The first decade of the new millennium has brought on multitudes of changes. The proof-of-concept of a working He3 fusion reactor, although revolutionary in itself, would not have shaken the world. In combination with the completion of a functional space elevator and the start of large scale automated mining operations on the moon, however, politics and the world economy enter turmoil. Now, Orley Enterprises, the multinational behind both breakthroughs, is about to celebrate the opening of two luxury resorts- one on the already well-established OSS ("Orley Space Station"), the other on the moon itself. A selection of celebrities, inventors, and investors gets a first glimpse, from a Hollywood actor famous for playing Kurt Cobain and Perry Rhodan, America's First Talklady, a Russian oligarch, the Hong Kong owner of Luis Vuitton and a dozen other fashion labels, all the way to the researcher famous for recent breakthroughs in stem cell technology. At the same time, a private investigator in Shanghai is asked to look into the disappearance of a friend's employee, who turns out to be one of the dissidents that the Chinese government has not been able to locate for years. When he finds first traces of her, however, events turn unexpectedly violent...
Most of the novels I've been reading throughout the last years were written in English, which is maybe the reason why some of the dialogues seemed a bit strange to me. In addition you sometimes notice that the book is already a few years old, eg. when - as historical backdrop - "the USA turned Green during the presidency of Obama". However, on the whole the setting is for a sci-fi novel comparatively sound, the story is gripping with nice suprises all over the way, and the author gets the athmosphere definitively right...
Frank Schätzing, "Limit". Sci-fi thriller about corporate espionage, the first-ever hotel on the moon, and a changing world. 4 out of 5 carbon nanotubes in the near-future sci-fi category. German. Unfortunately, no English translation yet (but there's Italian, Spanish, and Danish already).

Vacation reading: "Young Miles"

I'm on vacation... and while that often means I'm running around from romanesque monastery to roman rubble pile, this time it's also a real relaxation vacation. Including beaches and many shady cafes in beautiful old cities (have I mentioned Carassonne already?). Time to slow down, go through the recommendations from friends collected throughout the last months and grab a good book (or two, or three). I started of with "Young Miles", and what a strange start it was...

"It isn't easy, being a Vor lord..." Miles Vorkosigan, age 17, is only son of the emperor's regent and heir to an ancient title himself. Life could be perfect, were it not for that unfortunate assassination attempt on his parents years ago, which left him, err, vertically challenged for life, and with rather brittle bones. When your predestined career is the military, this does not really help... especially if you fail the entrance physical by breaking both legs at the first hurdle of the obstacle course. This, however, is where the story only starts. Our hero is gifted with ego, brains, and a not-just-slightly hyper attitude to bounce from one improbable situation into the next, collecting friends, allies, enemies, and a most crazy storyline. Of course, his adventures include all the things that real academy cadets are told never to expect (even in imperial security, you'll only ever meet ugly male spies), and the chain of command is not really a suitable concept for a little egomaniac like Miles. Kept me laughing for quite some time, and I will have a look at the many already existing sequels sometime soon.
A friend recommended the book to me with the words "like Tyrion Lannister from Game of Thrones, with less daddy issues and prostitutes", but that comparison is missing a few points. Not as deep as Game of Thrones and not as elaborate, but very much fun relaxation reading. It's a bit like going from Lord of the Rings to the early, light-hearted Harry Potters, and mixing in a dose of Stephanie Plum... :) Oh yeah, and don't get turned off by the book cover. Other people find it strange too and have made way better suggestions...
Lois McMaster Bujold, "Young Miles". Baen Books 2003; ISBN 0-7434-3616-4. Buffo space opera, screwball sci-fi comedy. 4 out of 5 smileys in the Light Reading category :))))!

Sea and sun

The weather forecast was far too nice on saturday, so I wrote some e-mails, made some phone calls, and spent some money. Two more days in Bella Italia!!! Which means spending the day in a very relaxing day at the beach in the sun, and every now and then dipping into the sea for some refreshment. To keep my few remaining geek points, I'm reading pms-3... well, not only...