Kismet

I have difficulty getting into books written in the present tense. The fact that this one drew me in so quickly nevertheless is testament to the author's skill in crafting an engaging storyline and eminently relatable characters. Their struggles are raw and real and relevant, especially in these trying times. Set against a vivid, delightful backdrop of space colonization in a plausible, not-too-distant future, author Martin depicts characters whose flaws, failures and foibles remind us starkly of ourselves. Bushy tails notwithstanding. Or naked ones, as main character Gail's foil Ansel is quick to point out, if only to tweak hers.Though the interplay between mega-corporations, governments, and "advocacy groups" makes for delightful drama, it's Martin's characters and their characterization that makes this book such an enthralling read. They come to resemble the things we love about ourselves, what we abhor about ourselves. Fear, especially. Fear of people who don't look like us or act like us or who do certain things better than we do. Better than we ever will. Because that is the life they chose, the life they chose in which to raise their children. Fear dispelled, in the end, only by love and acceptance and sacrifice. Gail inspires us all to do just that, driven herself to Do the Right Thing. We cheer and cry for her throughout the story as she comes to love her found family. One she never allowed herself to acknowledge, one she never realized she'd been pining for all alongIncredible book. Highly recommend. Anthropomorphic literature's high water mark. The yardstick against which future works will be measured.

Stunning depiction of a future in which anthropomorphic transforms (voluntary changes in physiology and psyche) are possible through medical and genetic science. This highly political thriller is quite believable as it unfolds the tension between conservatives who oppose the very existence of humans who have chosen to adopt animal characteristics and progressives who believe in peaceful cooperation and coexistence. Those who have undergone transformation, either partial or complete, are referred to as "totemics" though no religious or spiritual connection is inferred.Human civilization has spread into space, with the homeworld remaining largely conservative and the totemics colonizing other locations in the solar system. When technology is developed that can either be used as a weapon to destroy the totemics by using their DNA variations or to allow them to reproduce and pass their animal characteristics and enhancements to their offspring, the corporations that created the technology become divided against each other. The divisions are supported by the conservative and progressive factions through both legal and illegal means.Protagonist Gail Simmons, a rat totemic and literally a space rat who lives by running a salvage operation with her AI-controlled ship, Kismet, becomes embroiled in the fight when a valuable data store comes into her hands. Apolitical and unwilling, she is forced to figure out which undercover operatives want to use that data to destroy the totemic population, and which of them only want to profit by selling the reproductive capabilities it can engender.This novel is fast paced and captivating not just because of the plot tensions, but because of the very real characters and emotional relationships that lie at its center. I do not generally read suspense or action thrillers, but Gail's connections to her friends and the strangers with whom she must deal are very real and (sadly in some cases) believable. The intolerance of some humans for anyone who is different from themselves is a reality we struggle with now, in real life. Watts Martin has predicted a future in which that rigid intolerance has yet to be overcome. In light of the current political situation in the US and the world, this novel has immediate relevance.

Kismet is an excellent exercise in world-building and character-development, that touches on far-future ethical questions in the manner of a good episode of Star Trek TNG. It does, however, often focus on world-building at the exclusion of plot, which made many sections of it a bit of a slog (to me). A fair chunk of this book is composed of scenes in which two or more characters sit somewhere, usually with coffee or alcohol, and chat about something. There is, for example, one whole chapter in two characters merely walk from one place to another, explaining the setting to each other (and thereby to the reader). There are more elegant ways of getting this kind of information across that probably would have strengthened the narrative. But the plot itself --- a kind of sci-fi mystery with grand societal implications --- the setting itself, and mostly the strong characters keep it interesting despite this. The p.o.v. protagonist in particular has a wonderful inner conflict regarding her past, her family, and her responsibilities as a societal icon, which was great fun to see her work through. So, altogether, not perfect but worth a read for anyone who likes far-future ethical quandaries in space.Please excuse the compliment sandwich.