Dailles and Nightlies- 2010: The Year We Make Contact

   2001: A Space Odyssey is my all-time favorite film. I've said this on this site multiple times, and will probably bring it up whenever it feels appropriate. I see the film at least once every year, I've read the book, I've read the sequel books, and I've read everything I could on the production of this film and its novel. So, it was a pretty good year for me when it became its 50th anniversary. With the attention given to the film due to this, I decided, with the inauguration of this new series, to spotlight its lesser known sequel. Arthur C. Clarke (co-writer of the original film, and the author of the book) wrote 2010:Odyssey Two specifically as a sequel to the film's continuity (i.e. changing Saturn in the book to Jupiter in the film). Stanley Kubrick declined directing, so Peter Hyams (known for Capricorn One and Outland) took over those duties, (having to start over with effects due to Kubrick destroying the original props), and was released to mixed critical and financial success in 1984. So, yeah, in honor of its 50th anniversary, we take a look at its underappreciated sequel.

     In 2010, 9 years after the Discovery shut down in Jupiter's orbit, Heywood Floyd (Roy Scheider, taking over the role William Sylvester played in the first one) took the fall for the events, and is mostly working in the Very Large Array. He is approached by Dimitri Moiseyevitch (Dana Elcar), a representative of the Soviet space program (remember, this was made in 1984), who hopes to recruit him for a Jupiter mission they're planning with their ship  Alexei Leonov (named for the first human to conduct a spacewalk). They hope to investigate the events that lead to the shutdown of the Discovery , the malfunction of its computer HAL-9000 (Douglas Rain), and the disappearance of Dave Bowman (Keir Dullea). Most significantly, they hope to examine the large monolith the Discovery was sent to investigate (as revealed in the climax of the first film). Despite rising tensions between the US and USSR under a conservative president (who cut funding to Floyd's agency while they were planning their own Discovery Two to investigate) and an incident in Central America, Floyd agrees, and manages to get approval for him, Walter Curnow (John Lithgow), the designer of the Discovery and Dr. Chandra (Bob Balaban), HAL's creator, to travel with the Leonov. They find themselves with already tense relations with the crew, including Captain Tanya Kirbuk (Helen Mirren), who is concurrently a major with the Soviet Air Force; Dr. Vladimir Rudenko (Saveliy Kramarov), the ship's doctor; and Irina Yakunina( Natasha Schneider), the ship's nutritionist. As they enter Jupiter orbit, they find strange signals coming from Jupiter's moon Europa. After prodding from Floyd, they investigate further, only for a strange light to emerge. This only harkens the strange events that may or may not explain what happened to the Discovery, Dave Bowman, and HAL-9000.

      This could've easily just been a Kubrick knock-off, a way to just imitate his style without any sort of consideration as to why that style is effective or making it work in its own way. While there are a couple Kubrick style shots and homages in the film (including an amusing one where he and Arthur C. Clarke are the US President and Soviet Premier on a Time magazine cover), Hyams largely does his own style, making it very distinct from the original and not overly reliant on it. I do like the more modern, 80's feel to the film, which, while unable to top the timeless period-ness of the original, is an interesting enough in its own right. The effects are superb, especially considering that they had to largely remake a lot of them from the originals. It keeps up with the original in those terms. It largely keeps to the events of the book (though my favorite scene in the book, where Dave Bowman is shown the floating gasbags of Jupiter, and oceanic creatures of Europa by the monolith beings, isn't in the film).

     Which probably leads me to my first problem with the film (and the book): the ending, where it is revealed the monolith beings want to create a new sun using the monoliths to create enough mass. It makes sense, given what has been stated in the plot and gives a good climax. However, it stretches belief and feels a bit odd in an otherwise realistic film. Another book-related problem was the explanation of HAL's malfunction. It is revealed that he was torn between the original mission orders and orders given to keep the Monolith secret. It feels like a disappointment given the scale of his malfunction, and felt like something else was missing from this, but the film decides to just leave it there.

      This is definitely not as good as the original, but most films in general aren't. However, I do think it is a good sequel in spite of that, and just a good standalone film, and does improve on the book by adding the Cold War tension to it. If you like the original, you'll like this, or appreciate it. Even if you don't like it, this is distinct enough from it that you might enjoy it. Definitely see 2001 first, though, if you haven't already. It is a far better film, for sure. However, this is a nice underappreciated film, and especially a study of Cold War tensions in film.   

Book Review: Voyage by Stephen Baxter

        Often, I.... You know what, long intros are somewhat hard to write. Largely because I really want to get into the meat of a piece, but you get bogged down by writing a captivating opening. So, here's the jist: I have a vested interest in Alternate history and in Space and Space exploration, and this book combines them. Alright, got that? Great: let's begin.
        The year is 1985. The Ares I is launching from Cape Canaveral, towards its ultimate destination. As you could probably tell by the name of the craft, it is heading towards the Red Planet itself, Mars. They plan to reach Mars, by first doing  Venus fly-by, which would give a gravitational assist to slingshot themselves to the Red Planet. Then, reminiscent of Apollo, they will detatch a manned capsule down into the Mangala Valles. The mission would proceed from March, 1985, and will arrive on the Mangala Valles on March, 22nd, 1986. So, how did such a mission occur? Kennedy was not killed in Dallas, but rather crippled. Hence, he lives to see the Apollo 11 landings. Following Nixon's call to the astronauts, Kennedy also calls, and proceeds to dedicate the US to a Mars mission. Nixon, browbeaten into accepting this, decides to make that the agenda for the post-Apollo space program, as opposed to Skylab or the Shuttles. The book alternates between the mission and the events leading up to it. The main astronauts are Phil Stone, a former X-15 test pilot; Ralph Gershon, an African American Air Force pilot who had flown missions in Cambodia in the early 70's; and our protagonist, Natalie York, a geologist who is the first female astronaut in the program (remember, there is no shuttle here.) These characters gain the primary focus through the mission portions. However, there is also the preceding part before the mission, which takes up a majority of the book. Whilst the three astronauts are given focus at this point, particularly how they became the astronauts, it has a larger cast of characters. There is Joe Muldoon, a Buzz Aldrin analog (actually replacing Aldrin as the second man on the Moon), who is a major figure in the mission, and eventually its head. Gregory Dana, a mission specialist who tries to propose a radical, somewhat infeasible plan to reach Mars, going against what is considered the main and most viable option of a NERVA  nuclear rocket. This puts Dana in conflict with NASA mission architect Hans Udet, who, incidently, had run the Nazi prison camp that Dana was imprisoned in during World War II (Udet is a parallel to Werhner von Braun and Arthur Rudolf) There is his son Jim, who is an astronaut himself, and eventually tests the NERVA rocket, Apollo-N (with disastrous consequence ). There is Bert Seger, a senior manager at NASA, who manages the political side of the mission, meeting and planning the mission. There is JK Lee, an engineer who works at struggling contractor Columbia, who was give the responsibility to build the Mars Excursion Module, or MEM for the mission. Finally, there are the three astronauts. In particular, it deals with Natalie York, her conflicting attitudes towards Mars, her struggles to become an astronaut, and her frustrated love life with both Mike Conlig, dedicated NERVA engineer, and married astronaut Ben Priest.  All of these characters work to make the manned Mars mission a viable and safe opportunity. However, there will be triumphs and tragedies on the road to Mars.
   First and foremost, this books was very well-researched. It has little nods to various other Mars missions, but also gives its own interpretation of what a Mars mission in the 80's would be like, and how it would play out. There is a lot of details about how the mission would work, what the craft would look like, what are its perimeters, what the astronauts do, how they deal with failures, what they will do when they reach Venus, and how they will actually land on Mars. It also has engineering specs on every aspect of the mission, which makes sense, given that Baxter is a trained engineer.I can't tell you how much of it is accurate, but it seems plausible to a layman like me.  It also looks at the ramifications of this. For instance, whilst we get a Mars mission, many of the unmanned programs of the 1970's, like Viking, Voyager, and Pioneer, were canned to save money. We know less about the solar system in 1986, than we did in real life. In fact, we know less about Mars, as neither the later Mariners nor Viking missions were able to reach it and study it. It also has a (superficial) effect on politics. Ted Kennedy takes Walter Mondale's place in politics (both as Carter's vice president and as the failed 1984 candidate). There is also the implications of NERVA, and how characters interact with that. In particular, there is the upmost confidence in NERVA as the method to Mars, and Gregory Dana trying to change that. There is also the 70's anti-nuclear hysteria, which targets NERVA. (I think Three Mile Island was mentioned once in reference to this.) The latter proves prophetic, as the first NERVA test, Apollo-N, ends up failing, with the astronauts and even some of the engineers (including Mike Conlig) dying of radiation poisoning. They end up using Dana's plan (both as a viable alternative, and respect to Gregory, as Jim was one of the astronauts on Apollo-N) of a Venus flyby to send the craft to Mars. Besides that, the characters are well done (in particular is York's conflict on whether she should abandon a solid academic career to become an astronaut), it is very captivating to read, particularly the mission segments, and it is not just a wish fullfillment piece. It actually deals with the good and the bad of a Mars mission after Apollo, and how it might have turned out if Nixon had decided to go to Mars. It is great that we reached Mars earlier, but was it really worth losing the knowledge of Voyager and Viking?
     A few minor gripes with the book can be considered nitpicks. There is a lot of swearing in this. Most sentence seems to have "Goddamn" or a "Jesus Christ" I know it is supposed to be realistic, but I don't think people swear that much in real life. The engineering details, whilst consistent and precise, tends to get rather dense at times, and occasionally interrupts the story. The story also drags occasionally, especially towards the end. Once again, these are nitpicks.
      Overall, I rather liked the book, and I hope to read more of Stephen Baxter in the future. In particular, Proxima sounds interesting. I'd recommend it to those who like Kim Stanley Robinson/ Robert L. Forward style hard sci-fi, or Apollo history buffs, who would like to see what the Apollo Application Program would have brought. If you are a more casual reader, it works as a interesting piece on an alternate space program, but it has a lot  of engineering packed inside. If you can handle that, I think you could enjoy it. Thanks for reading.

Book review: The Years of Rice and Salt by Kim Stanley Robinson

  If there is one thing history has taught us,it would be that it is good to be a white European.  White Europeans are often those with power and are the ones who are treated rather well. As a consequence of this, those who do not fit into the Caucasoid mold, and who do not follow the ideals of a Greco-Roman christian society are subjected to oppression, conversion, destitution, and at times, outright annihilation. Whilst non-white empires have thrived and prospered, even with more powerful entities slowly consumed their neighbors, generally speaking, most of the world's historically powerful nations have been centered within Europe, and have had a largely Caucasian in origin. The Roman Empire, the French Empire, Germany, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Greece, and  most notably, the British Empire, which was once dubbed "The empire where the sun never set." Even the current primary superpower, the United States of America, whilst not in Europe, has its roots primarily in European philosophies, and a majority population, that could trace its origin to Europe. As a result of this balance of power, a significant amount of world culture is influenced by Greco-Roman culture, and the even more significant amount not centered in Europe is viewed within the lens of a European perspective. Nations not in Europe have constitutions and governments based off Enlightenment ideals from European philosophers. Those countries have architecture that can trace its origin to Medieval and Renaissance architecture. Even old traditions are redefined using European terminology. If there is a point I am attempting to convey here, it's that Christian Europe has been VERY influential in world history. However, here's some fruit for thought; What if Europe was removed as a influence in world history? What if the great empires of Europe never rose, and colonized the world, and not spread their ideals throughout it? What civilizations would take its place? What cultural forces would come to influence world society? This concept forms the central premise of Kim Stanley Robinson's alternate history The Years of Rice and Salt. In this anthology, the Bubonic Plague, as opposed to killing approximately 30-40% of European population, kills 99.9% of all of Europeans. This leaves Western civilization vanquished permanently. As a result, new cultures and civilizations slowly rise to take Europe's place in world history, creating and influencing cultures, and molding the world through their lens. The primary focus of the novel is one the two main cultures that come to dominate this world (as they were the most powerful nations in the world at the time of the plagues); China and the Islamic world. There is also a strong focus on Indian and Iroquois countries. All of these countries come together to forge a world very foreign, yet strangely familiar to our own, with some historical events paralleling our own histories, others very different. To add a bit of continuity for each story in the novel, Robinson decides to deploy the device of Buddhist style reincarnation. At the end of each story, the characters enter Bardo (the Tibetan Buddhist version of Purgatory), and is reincarnated in a different age, and for the most part, a different culture. You can keep track of which characters reincarnate into whom, by the first letters of their names. The main characters in each story have names starting with B, P, I, K, and Z. This provides an interesting framing device, though at times, the scenes set within the Bardo can be somewhat tedious and inconsequential. As this is an anthology, it contains multiple stories (each by the same author), and I will go through each story individually, and evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of these tales. So, let's stop beating the bush, and dive right in (Note: this will contain spoilers for the overall direction of the novel):

     The first tale, Awake to Emptiness, is set in multiple places, but starts in 14th century Hungary. Bold and Psin, two scouts in Timur-I Leng's (A Mongol Turk infamous for attempting to restore Genghis Khan's empire, and largely being unrepentantingly brutal in his conquests) army, discover a village completely wiped out by the plague. Realizing the danger, Timur turns his army around, and orders the two soldiers executed to prevent the spread of plague. However, they escape, just a lightning bolt hits Timur's tent, killing him. Bold proceeds to aimlessly wonder the ruins of Eastern Europe on horse back, encountering only one local, whom (despite Bold being a polygot) he is unable to communicate with. He wounds up in the Black Sea (one particularly interesting scene sees Bold in Athens, and viewing the last offerings in the Parthenon.) Here, he is finally found by Arab slave traders, who capture him, and eventually sell him to the fleet of legendary historical Chinese explorer Zheng He. Here, he befriends a young African slave named Kyu, who is rendered a eunuch by the eunuch crew (due to their embitterment over their forced state). They stop in Sri Lanka, and eventually come to China, where they are sold to a restaurateur, and kept as kitchen slaves. Whilst Bold is surprisingly content with this, Kyu, who resents the Chinese for chopping off his genitals, has some very specials plans, particularly for the Emperor in Nanjing, the ruler of the Ming Dynasty. To enhance the tone of the story, much of it is written in the style of the famous 16th century Chinese epic, Journey to the West, with the narrative occasionally giving way to poetic verses throughout. This is an interesting artistic choice, and a welcome one, although it does get somewhat distracting. The first part of this story, Bold wandering the East European wastelands, is quite captivating in the feelings of isolation for Bold, and the destitution showed in the ruins of the European villages. The aforementioned scene of Bold looking into the Parthenon, and viewing the final prayers in it is quite powerful in its melancholy. Similarly, the second part, whilst not as interesting, is still notable in its constant references to Chinese culture and Chinese history, which in and of itself is quite interesting, and having to look up certain references is always a good indicator of an excellent story. The book is littered with these sorts of minor references to cultures. It helps give authenticity to the setting of the story. Storywise, the second part is still solid, and is still very interesting to read, particularly Kyu's quest for vengence, and how Bold is dragged into it, reluctantly.
     The second story, The Haj in the Heart, shifts the setting to 15th century Mughal India. A young Hindu women named Kokila poisons her husband's brother and father, after the former impregnated her friend, Bistami, and for the two's overall corruption as heads of their village. For her crime, she is executed, and her next life is that of a Tiger. As a tiger named Kya, she saves and befriends a young Persian Sufi named Bistami. Despite Bistami's pleas, the villagers kill Kya.  After several years pass, Bistami travels to Agra, where he becomes a prominent figure in the court of Emperor Akbar. He becomes a personal friend of the Emperor, but many in Akbar's court aren't very fond of Bistami. Eventually, the Emperor also comes to distrust Bistami. Consequently, Bistami is sent on a hajj to Mecca, where he studies with other Persian Sufis. However, he grows to detest life in Mecca, and with the Mughals slowly extending in to Mecca, he joins a group of Sufis leaving Mecca. He travels to Africa, and eventually ends up on a caravan travelling through Al-Andulus (Spain). The caravan is ruled by a sultan, Mawji Darya and his beautiful wife, Katima, who has unorthodox views regarding the Qu'ran and gender roles. The caravan eventually settles in the ruins of a Frank town, and they build a city on it. Bistami comes to largely agree with the views Katima espouses. However, after the sultan dies, and Katima becomes ruler, certain people become restive. I think you could cut out the first two parts of this story, and you'd still be read this without confusion. I'm not saying the first two parts are bad. They do contain good plots, which have a lot of drama. Bistami features in the second part.They just don't hold much significance for the main story. Other than that, another good tale. Its insights into the nature of Islam, the ideas expressed in the Qu'ran, and the two's relation to women's rights, are quite fascinating to read, even to those who aren't familiar with the holy tenants of Islam.

     Our third narrative, Ocean Continents, shifts the focus back to 15th century China, at least initially. The Wanli Emperor, fed up with Japanese pirates invading Chinese shores, and concerned with the potential threat of Tokugawa Ieyasu and his rule over a unified Japan, decides that its time to, quote, "return this bastard child of Chinese culture to its rightful place under the Dragon throne."To this end, he assembles a fleet under the control of a former pirate-turned-admiral from Vietnam named Admiral Kheim. On this fleet is a doctor named I-Chin. Whilst sailing to a port owned by an daimyo (feudal lord) allied with the Chinese, Kheim's fleet is blown off course, and set adrift in the Dahai (the Pacific Ocean). After spending weeks out at sea, hoping that ocean currents would bring them back to China, they come across a mysterious land, and a mysterious people. They live amongst these people, and eventually teach a young local girl (whom they name Butterfly), Chinese. They learn that the people living in the area call themselves the Miwok. However, they soon learn that they brought smallpox to the Miwok, and, having grown to care for them, decide to leave, bringing Butterfly with them. However, what new discoveries, or threat, await them on their continued journey. The landscape of California and the people of the Americas are described in ways only Chinese people not completely familiar with the Americas would describe them. At one point, one character even speculates that they have in fact landed in Europe, and the Miwok are the inhabitants reduced to a more primitive civilization by the plague. I greatly admired the way the Chinese sailors, after learning that they have spread smallpox to the Miwok, magnanimously decide to leave, in contrast to the first European explorers and settlers. The final part of the story (which I will not spoil), is very action-packed, and tense, and there is a very tragic death near the end of the story.
    The Alchemist is set in 17th century Samarkand, in what is now Uzbekistan. An alchemist named Khalid Al-Samarqandi has been caught trying to trick the local khan (leader) into thinking he had transmuted lead into gold. The Khan punishes him by chopping off his right hand. This sends him into a deep depression, and in this morose state, he demands that his alchemy texts be destroyed. However, his son-in-law Bahram and their friend Iwang (a Tibetan Buddhist mathematician) convince him to test the claims of the authors in these texts. They first disprove alchemy altogether, and proceed to make a myriad of scientific discoveries, from gravity, to the speed of sound, to the fact that sound needs a medium, to the composition of white light, to microbes, to Jupiter's four moons. These experiments are supplemented by various Indian, Persian, and Chinese texts from caravans. However, the Khan's top advisor seeks to use these developments for military applications, especially with the looming threat of Qing China overhead. This is probably my favorite story, largely because the scientific discoveries are very recognizable to someone somewhat fluent in scientific history. However, they are still stated in terms as if they were new discoveries, allowing for the excitement to resonate. Also, it has the most interesting characters of the piece. Not saying the other characters in this book are not good, but I feel that this story has the most relatable characters.
           Warp and Weft is set deep in North America (called Yingzhou here) around 17th-18th centuries. The High Council of the Hodenosaunee League are meeting to elect the new leader of the Confederation. They are unanimously in favor of a foreigner named Fromwest, whom they rescued from torture in the west. He is elected, and during the celebration, he narrates to them his story. Of how he was originally named Busho, and born in a far-away land called Hokkaido . About how he became what is called a "ronin," or "samurai without a master." About how China invaded and annexed his homeland, forcing him into exile. And finally, how he believes the Hodenosaunee system of government and interpersonal relationships are exemplar, and needs to prove an example to the world. And finally, how he intends on protecting the League from incursions from Chinese to the West, and Muslims to the East. I feel this story is the weakest, not because it is poorly written, but it is too short. The concept of a samurai training native Americans against invaders is fascinating. However, Robinson doesn't go far enough with the concept as much as he could have. However, there is still that central concept that is still quite fascinating, with Fromwest teaching the Iroquois how to protect themselves with guns, and how they were to form a great nation.
    Widow Kang brings us back to China, now ruled by the Manchu Qing Dynasty. A recent widow, the eponymous Kang Tongbi and her irate youngest son befriend a Buddhist monk, Bao Ssu and his son. Kang feels particularly close to Bao, taking care of his son on occasion. However, tragedy strikes, as  Kang's son has his queqe cut off. The queqe is a symbol of Manchu dominance over the native Han people. Bao is accused of cutting the queqe, and is executed for his crime. Kang falls into a deep depression, and begins to have symptoms like sleepwalking. Her son brings in a Persian scholar named Ibrahim ibn Hasan to help her. Together, they go through hyponotic sessions where they remember their past lives. Eventually, the two begin to fall in love, with Ibrahim moving to China, and continuing his study of History, and Kang beginning to write poetry. However, this lays in a backdrop of increasing tensions between the Hui (Muslim) and Han, and the ruling Manchu rulers. This story is quite heavy in historiographical detail. There is a lot on the nature of history, the way history works, the direction of history. The views expressed are described as being Marxist in nature. It is quite heavy. If you can decipher the details, one can come to enjoy the story, and hell, one might be able to learn a thing or two about the nature of history.
    The Age of Great Progress is set in several places, but begins in 18th Century Ottoman Empire. There, the Sultan's doctor, Ismail, has been heavily involved in the activities of the Sultan (at one point, visiting a harem full of rare European women). However, the Ottomans have come under siege from the technologically advanced Travancore League. Originating in Southern India, they have amassed such political influence, that they have driven the Mughals from Northern India, and defeated the Persians. They have utilized air ballons and iron ships in their conquest. They lay siege on Constantinople, and have captured Ismail. However, little did they realize that Ismail had correspondents with a Buddhist doctor and abbess named Bhakta. With her help, he is realized, and allowed to come to Travancore. There, he encounters a society which values scientific knowledge and technological expertise, which the monestary Bhakta resides in openly embrace. He eagerly joins them. Eventually, his work gets him a meeting with the Kerala of Travancore, an enlightened despot of sorts, who seeks to spread liberal and scientific ideals, and wishes Ismail to join him. The description of a non-European industrial revolution is done well-enough, and has a degree of uniqueness, in that the society comes to embrace science and technology, and seeks to use their gifts for spreading good, not for imperial desires. The characters are well defined, and the monestary is very captivating.
    The War of the Asuras is set in the 20th century, between China, Himalayas, and India. Eventually, tensions between China and the Islamic world would rise, and eventually, blow in the form of Muslim riots in China, which, in 1914, would lead to a war between an alliance of Islamic states (called Dar al-Islam, which refers to any state where Islam is practiced regularly), and an alliance of China, the Houdensee League, and the Travancore league. It revolves around three soldiers in the Chinese army: Kuo, Bai, and Iwa. They are good friends, often discussing the news from the front, and the nature of a war that has been going on for so long that nobody remembers how it began. One day, a artillery shell is set off in their encampment, killing Kuo. Despite this setback, Bai and Iwa trudge on, travelling with the army through the Himalayas to connect the Chinese and Indians to drive the Muslims out. All the while, the two wonder whether they are truly alive, or they are in the war-torn bardo. The question of whether one is truly alive, especially in the face of war, is one that is rarely explored, at least in my experience. The way that the characters question their reality, and whether they are in the realm of the living, or the dead, brings a Dickisian dimension. There are also some pretty cool scenes, like a scene of the top of Mount Everest being blown off, so that K2 is the highest peak in the world!
    Nsara is set after the war, in what would've been Northern France, but starts in Switzerland (known in this world as the Alpine Emirates). A young women named Budur lives with her father at his harem. Living with her is her scientist aunt, Idelba, who had been studying with her husband before his death. Her research was in the fields of atomic physics, and, in particular, radiation. She greatly misses her work, and one day, escapes from the harem. Budur follows her, and, after Idelba initial reluctance, accompanies her to Nsara. There, Idelba continues her work in radiation, whilst Budur meets various figures of intrigue in this city. She has a growing interest in history and archaeology. However, following the Chinese victory in the war, the Muslim world has been increasingly falling into disarray, and rebellion, which might reach Nsara one day. Meanwhile, Idelba's research has uncovered a deadly secret, which would be disastrous if it falls into the wrong hands.  The descriptions of Budur's travel through Nsara, and the interesting, outspoken characters she encounters is the best thing about the story. The way Robinson writes these scenarios is very compelling, and makes you want to read more. The description of protons and electrons as "Yin-Yang particles" was amusing. The examination of history is lesser, and more accessible in this story than in "Widow Kang." There are parts where I had trouble deciphering what was happening, but it was good. I would've been fine if this was the conclusion. However, we still have one story to go.
     The First Years brings this story to a close in China. Here, a young man named Bao Xinhua is caught up in a revolution by his friend Kung Jinao, against the military government ruling China since the war. After Kung is killed, Bao moves to Fungzang (a city roughly where San Francisco is), where he settles down and teaches history to future generations. That's really it to the story. It's not bad, but it really doesn't finish off the book well. It could of worked better if this story and the story before it were switched around. However, it's not a bad story, and it does keep your interests well enough.
    Overall, I find that this novel has become one of my personal favorites. Yes, it has minor flaws in the individual stories, but what Kim Stanley Robinson does in this novel is to give an ambitious modern history, one not influenced by traditional European thinking. This lens allows us to view cultures like China, India, or Islam from their point of view, not the European view. It shows hat these cultures are as much, if not more inclined towards progressive ideals than Western culture. Overall, I highly recommend this novel to anyone interested in history, or wants to see other cultures.