In Short: An engrossing novel of philosophy and hard science. Highly Recommended.

3 Stars

In her latest science-fiction novel, Yang explores the idea of quantum tunneling and a machine built to instantly transport the rider to the end of the universe. Teleportation is an old sci-fi concept and one that I thought had been wrung dry. Yang has proven me wrong. Reminiscent of the best of Niven's teleportation series stories from the 70's, Yang is concerned, not so much with the technology of teleportation, as much as its effect on society, morals, and religion.

To be sure, this is not just philosophical track masquerading as a SF novel (though Yang's always-fascinating philosophical ruminations are here in abundance). Fans of hard-hitting action-packed SF will have plenty to entertain them and Yang pulls several rabbits out of her hat to surprise any reader. I thought I knew all of the tricks of the trade and Yang's denouement surprised even me.

My only complaint is that the novel begins slowly with a bit too much emphasis on the technobabble associated with teleportation. Why do some authors insist on turning whole chapters into a physics thesis? However don't skip the second chapter or else you'll miss a hilarious misadventure involving two teleportation devices and a rather annoying cat.

Yang is the proud owner of both the Hugo and Nebula award for her novel, Picasso's Timepiece. Is a second Hugo/Nebula award sweep in the offing? It's still early, but Yang's latest work has to be considered a strong contender.