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1 Burnside Science Fiction and Fantasy- A to Z

Rule 34

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Rule 34 Cover

ISBN13: 9780441020348
ISBN10: 0441020348
Condition: Standard
Dustjacket: Standard
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Synopses & Reviews

Publisher Comments:

"The most spectacular science fiction writer of recent years" (Vernor Vinge, author of Rainbows End) presents a near-future thriller.

Detective Inspector Liz Kavanaugh is head of the Rule 34 Squad, monitoring the Internet to determine whether people are engaging in harmless fantasies or illegal activities. Three ex-con spammers have been murdered, and Liz must uncover the link between them before these homicides go viral.

Review:

"Hugo winner Stross blends plausible near-future SF and crime in this brisk sequel to 2007's Halting State. In the mid-2020s, the police monitor the Internet full-time to prevent crime. In Edinburgh, this job falls to DI Liz Kavanaugh's Rule 34 Squad (whose name refers to the Internet truism that 'if it exists, there's porn about it'). Kavanaugh views the position as a demotion, but she has a chance to get her once-promising career back on track when she is called to supervise the inquiry into the death of drug dealer Michael Blair, who was found dead on his bathroom floor, decked out in s&m garb. Her investigations are interwoven with the stories of an unlikely diplomat and a criminal known as the Toymaker. Each section builds on the others, making the whole more than the sum of its parts. (July)" Publishers Weekly Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Synopsis:

Meet Edinburgh Detective Inspector Liz Kavanaugh, head of the Innovative Crimes Investigation Unit, otherwise known as the Rule 34 Squad. They monitor the Internet for potential criminal activity, analyzing trends in the extreme fringes of explicit content. And occasionally, even more disturbing patterns arise…

Three ex-cons have been murdered in Germany, Italy, and Scotland. The only things they had in common were arrests for spamming—and a taste for unorthodox entertainment. As the first officer on the scene of the most recent death, Liz finds herself sucked into an international investigation that isn’t so much asking who the killer is, but what—and if she doesn't find the answer soon, the homicides could go viral.

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About the Author

Charles Stross, born in 1964, is a full-time science fiction writer and resident of Edinburgh, Scotland. He is the author of six Hugo-nominated novels and winner of the 2005 Hugo Award for best novella (The Concrete Jungle). Stross's works have been translated into more than twelve languages. He has worked as a pharmacist, software developer, and tech industry journalist.
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What Our Readers Are Saying

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Average customer rating based on 1 comment:
BritMandelo, August 12, 2012 (view all comments by BritMandelo)
Stross's newest book (in the same near-future SF world as "Halting State") was as fast-paced as its predecessor, mixing some astoundingly awesome worldbuilding with a layered thriller plot involving 3D printers, crime syndicates, global financial collapse, and a truly creepy antagonist. (Or, is ATHENA the antagonist?) The patchwork-construction of the narrative is fun, bouncing the reader here and there throughout the complex plot. It's also a fairly queer book, with one lead character a lesbian and the other a man who doesn't label, but has both a wife and boyfriends.

Liz is my favorite part of the book: a burn-out police inspector with an on again, off again relationship to a poly queer woman auditor and a personal life that's mostly nonexistent. She's deeply sympathetic and her narrative voice is excellent.

Overall, I had fun reading this. Stross is a talented writer, and Rule 34 is an example of what makes him so enjoyable. Phenomenal prose, for one thing, and engaging characters for another.
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Product Details

ISBN:
9780441020348
Author:
Stross, Charles
Publisher:
Ace Books
Subject:
Science / High Tech
Subject:
Science Fiction and Fantasy-High Tech
Subject:
Science / Space Opera
Edition Description:
Hardback
Publication Date:
20110731
Binding:
HARDCOVER
Grade Level:
from 12
Language:
English
Pages:
368
Dimensions:
9.24 x 6.3 x 1.2 in 1.26 lb
Age Level:
from 18
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Related Subjects

Fiction and Poetry » Science Fiction and Fantasy » A to Z
Fiction and Poetry » Science Fiction and Fantasy » Adventure

Rule 34 Used Hardcover
0 stars - 0 reviews
$11.95 In Stock
Product details 368 pages Ace Books - English 9780441020348 Reviews:
"Publishers Weekly Review" by , "Hugo winner Stross blends plausible near-future SF and crime in this brisk sequel to 2007's Halting State. In the mid-2020s, the police monitor the Internet full-time to prevent crime. In Edinburgh, this job falls to DI Liz Kavanaugh's Rule 34 Squad (whose name refers to the Internet truism that 'if it exists, there's porn about it'). Kavanaugh views the position as a demotion, but she has a chance to get her once-promising career back on track when she is called to supervise the inquiry into the death of drug dealer Michael Blair, who was found dead on his bathroom floor, decked out in s&m garb. Her investigations are interwoven with the stories of an unlikely diplomat and a criminal known as the Toymaker. Each section builds on the others, making the whole more than the sum of its parts. (July)" Publishers Weekly Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
"Synopsis" by ,
Meet Edinburgh Detective Inspector Liz Kavanaugh, head of the Innovative Crimes Investigation Unit, otherwise known as the Rule 34 Squad. They monitor the Internet for potential criminal activity, analyzing trends in the extreme fringes of explicit content. And occasionally, even more disturbing patterns arise…

Three ex-cons have been murdered in Germany, Italy, and Scotland. The only things they had in common were arrests for spamming—and a taste for unorthodox entertainment. As the first officer on the scene of the most recent death, Liz finds herself sucked into an international investigation that isn’t so much asking who the killer is, but what—and if she doesn't find the answer soon, the homicides could go viral.
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