The Caryatids

By: Bruce Sterling

Narrated by: Jay Snyder

Alongside William Gibson and Neal Stephenson, Bruce Sterling stands at the forefront of a select group of writers whose pitch-perfect grasp of the cultural and scientific zeitgeist endows their works of speculative near-future fiction with uncanny verisimilitude.

Now, with The Caryatids, Sterling has written a stunning testament of faith in the power of human intellect, creativity, and spirit to overcome any obstacle - even the obstacles we carry inside ourselves.

The world of 2060 is divided into three spheres of influence, each fighting with the others over the resources of fallen nations and an environment degraded almost to the point of no return. There is the Dispensation, centered in Los Angeles, where entertainment and capitalism have fused with the highest of high-tech. There is the Acquis, a Green-centered collective that uses invasive neurological technology to create a networked utopia. And there is China, the sole surviving nation-state, a dinosaur that has prospered only by pitilessly pruning its own population.

Products of this monstrous world, the daughters of a monstrous mother, and - according to some - monsters themselves, are the Caryatids: the four surviving female clones of a mad Balkan genius and wanted war criminal.

Radmila is a Dispensation star determined to forget her past by building a glittering, impregnable future. Vera is an Acquis functionary dedicated to reclaiming their home, the Croatian island of Mljet, from catastrophic pollution. Sonja is a medical specialist renowned for selflessly risking herself to help others. And Biserka is a one-woman terrorist network.

The four "sisters" are united only by their hatred for their "mother" - and for one another. When evidence surfaces of a coming environmental cataclysm, the Dispensation sends its greatest statesman - or salesman - John Montgomery Montalban, husband of Radmila, and lover of Vera and Sonja, to gather the Caryatids together in an audacious plan to...

©2009 Bruce Sterling (P)2009 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

"A new novel from Sterling is a guarantee of something wild and tasty, and The Caryatids amply fulfills that promise." (Publishers Weekly)

Interesting But Average

Book has some interesting ideas and ramifications of a world-wide climate crises come to be. This book is actually 3-4 (highly) interconnected stories. Ultimately there were some interesting sci fi ideas that were new to me, but it didn’t really “crescendo” the way a book of this length would normally have because it was a series of interconnected events. I’m glad I read this book, it was definitely worth my time, but if you’re new to sci fi, there’s a lot better to go for first. I’m gonna try one more book from Sterling before I give up though.

Good, but not quite what I expected.

All through the story I thought that the sisters were going to team up to defeat their mother. The actual ending I found very anticlimactic and disappointing. The male narrator did a great job with all of the female characters though.

great listen!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

yes it was very different and wacky and provoking - typical Bruce Sterling

What did you like best about this story?

how it examines our unspoken assumptions

Have you listened to any of Jay Snyder’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

don't think so

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

nope - far too long

Any additional comments?

I do recommend it

Flashes of brilliance, poorly executed

There are so many interesting future-tech ideas in this book, it is a shame that there is no story to tie them together. There is excellent character development, but unfortunately that is all there is. You keep wondering, "Where is he going with this?". The poor storyline is coupled with a terrible narrator. The womens voices are so poor, it is almost laughable. He does a great job with the men's voices, but can't seem to master the women. It would have been better if he did not give them any kind of accent at all instead of trying to come up with a Eastern European and Chinese accents that sound totally fake.

Dissapointing Story and Rambling Dialogues

I wish I had paid attention to the previous negative reviews, because I have discovered that they are accurate. I am almost finished listening to this AB, and it is amazing how often I've considered giving up the laborious task.

Different kind of story

This story is not the normal action packed science fiction, but it shows how much heart and real characterization can fascinate.

Cloned Sisters Rule!

Bruce Sterling offers a brilliant new frame of reference for science fiction-the voice of women (cloned no less, but still each of them all woman). And as Sterling is science fictions incarnation of Jane Austen, we have a very perceptive author at work.
The narrative's starting point - what would happen if a woman in modern times decided to bring by forming an empire. Many men have done this throughout history and now we see a feminine take. Many layers of ideas, life styles, human use of earth and space make this an spellbinding listen.
Jay Snyder's reading is amazing and helps greatly the listener more easily understand the story.

Pointless...

If you are looking for sci-fi, and especially if this book has been recommended to you because of your interest in William Gibson or Neal Stephenson, be warned - It is one long conversation after another between unbelievable characters about politics, philosophy, and business. I found it completely pointless, but again, I was looking for sci-fi.