Varley returned to the sci-fi scene with wit fully intact after almost ten years hiatus. Many of Earth's inhabitants end up on Luna thanks to an alien invasion. The Central Computer provides the ideal existence, except that depression and suicide are on the rise. A tabloid journalist has a sex change and tries to get to the bottom of things.
A group of children are genetically modified so that they require no sleep. Economic recession sees them used as scapegoats for society's ills, leading to the formation of a Sanctuary colony where the Sleepless can live in peace. The hero remains in the mainstream to advocate tolerance and understanding. Thought-provoking sci-fi fare.
Mirror Dance [S10] by Lois McMaster Bujold (1994)
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By internal chronology this the 10th book in Bujold's popular Vorkosigan series. Being deformed and diminutive doesn't stop Miles from trying to help his cloned brother out of a jam. He runs into a packet of trouble, gets hurt and then ends up floating aimlessly in cryogenic suspension. As always, well written with a humorous light touch. Available in omnibus edition Miles Errant.
The Star Fraction by Ken MacLeod (1995)
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Scottish writer Ken MacLeod has emerged as a key voice in the modern libertarian socialist movement. This book, the first installment in the Fall Revolution series, is a superb political thriller totally saturated with an amazing array of characters from the progressive-left - with a few rads thrown in for good measure.
Idoru by William Gibson (1996)
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Another of cyberpunk granddaddy Gibson's novels with a seedy 21st century setting - this time a techno-degenerate Tokyo. The lead singer of a rock band who plans to marry a virtual reality 'idoru' (idol) is the catalyst for all sorts of twisted events involving a media scandal, nanotechnology and the Russian mafia. Welcome return to form for Gibson.
Ender's Shadow by Orson Scott Card (1999)
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A parallel novel to Card's justly-famous Ender's Game. Again the story focuses on the training of brilliant children to lead a struggle against alien invaders. Whilst the events are basically the same in both novels, Shadow is told from the perspective of Bean, Ender's lieutenant. Read Game first, but be sure not miss this one. Keeps Card out front in the sci-fi stakes.
Darwin's Radio by Greg Bear (1999)
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Tense technothriller sees Bear in top form. A mass grave of mutated villagers, a mummified Neanderthal family, and a new disease that strikes pregnant women - three seemingly unrelated occurrences that prove to be linked to some junk genes in our DNA. The government panics while the heroes try to sort things out. Another solid effort from Bear.
Cryptonomicon by Neal Stephenson (1999)
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This is Stephenson's most complex yarn yet, although many would argue it's not sci-fi. The ultra-hip tale switches between the story of a top secret WWII code-cracking unit and its connection to present day decrypters. The underlying theme is that the universe is a cosmic operating system that uses a command-line interface. Popular with Stephenson's fans.
