This book has an interesting idea and explores several appealing transformations that current technology may inflict to human life. Published in 2012, the novel anticipates the PRISM debate, addresses fashionable themes like manless cars and drones, Google-style 3D glasses, along with tachyons, genetically engineered plants and landscapes, the justice system, the future of work, and gender relations.
Written by a declared Trotskyist, the depicted story describe a rather conservatory world as compared to what one may expect from a socialist utopia. However, it might be the case that Trotskyists become conservative when aging, as the whole Romanians communist regime did, for instance.
MacLeod did a good job in choosing fashionable themes. The relatively vivid story also helped Intrusion to receive nominations for most important SF awards of the year. Somehow similar in its intentions to Orwel's 1984, the book also reminds that SF is often more sophisticated than mainstream literature, and rejecting it by default (as Mălina or Monica do :p) is not a bright attitude.
However, MacLeod loses when considering proper documentation. He inserts a sociologist as supporting character, and refers some classic sociological authors. Unfortunately, the authors fails to consider current sociology, and how nowadays social sciences address the future of work and of gender relations. Since the plot is placed in a near future, this makes the story unrealistic, from its very beginning.
My rating: 5 out of 10.
Other opinions: Cory Doctorow; Ruth Ludlam (with some spoilers).
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Very nice article, totally what I was looking for.
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