The third book in Charles Stross’s entertaining series that meshes science fiction (intra-multiverse travel), fantasy (two of the three Earths featured–so far–are 100 and 500 years behind our’s in development) and present-day drug and national security politics, The Clan Corporate starts a bit slow but perks up about 30-40 pages in and never lets up.
Still, given its place in the middle of things, the book doesn’t really settle any big questions though it does put more plates spinning at the end of sticks. Miriam Beckstein a/k/a Helge voh Thorold d’Hjorth is still in hot water from the events of The Hidden Family, and we spend much of this episode learning about her clan and its place in the politics of Neijwein.
The defection of Mattias at the end of the second volume has made everyone more than a little paranoid, you see. Plus, the Clan is still interested in bringing the royal family into the worldwalkers’ braiding scheme and there are non-Clan political players as well. The results of Mattias’ defection on our own American government, personified by DEA agent Mike Fleming, are not, er, unsurprising either; Stross puts the lever squarely in VP Dick Cheney’s hands and thereby escalates the scheming.
But Stross really does political well. Further, Miriam’s frustration and missteps build throughout and thus she becomes much more human.
recommended
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