The Liaden Universe: the Artificial Intelligence edition
If Clan Korval isn't careful, they will end up completely responsible for the whole universe! But this volume deals primarily with the AIs involved with the clan. The first chapters kindly remind us of many of the organic members of the family. These books have many characters who are all quite active, so the memory nudge was welcome.
The largest concern is the impingement of the Pre-Migration Universe on the currently inhabited universe. How will it be prevented from killing everyone through crystallization? There are several groups acting from different angles on this matter: members of Korval, the Uncle and his sister, and the space station Tinsori Light (an AI creation of the Uncle which is degrading rapidly). And perhaps the Lyre Institute, who strive to capture and control artificial intelligences. And speaking of the Uncle, he must find a way to reunite Daav yos'Phelium and Aelliana Caylon, newly revived, to their clan while dealing with all of these situations.
The Scouts are split after Korval's relocation to Surebleak and those who remained on the Liaden homeworld are in hot pursuit of Theo Waitley and her sentient ship Bechimo, which they seek to prosecute under the Complex Logic Laws. On one of Theo's previous adventures, she helped to create the AI known as Colonel Bunter, whose sanity has required the work of two Mentors, with unexpected complications. The Korval's AI butler, Jeeves, has a “daughter" Tocohl who is a pilot and involved in several of these issues. The complication of two members of the proto-Yxtrang, rescued by Theo, to find a place in the new universe provides an additional wrinkle. Meanwhile, Val Con and Miri are trying to shepherd the planet of Surebleak through an inspection to upgrade their status as a port and trade centre. Each time they think the way is smooth, the clan throws them another curve. As Val Con muses, “First we conquer a planet, then at once we save the universe and overthrow a space station—all unwitting, but who will believe it?”
This is not the volume to plunge into the series if you are unfamiliar with it. There are threads that lead all the way back to the first volumes, and connecting to most of the previous books. There is even a call-back to Jethri Gobbelyn! Newly begun readers would be bamboozled by the flood of details that one is assumed to be knowledgeable about.
Book number 516 of my Science Fiction and Fantasy Reading Project
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