I was sold on Rainbows End as a great book about AI, but it’s not really. As best I can describe, it’s Vinge’s version of Snow Crash, a portrayal of the absurdity of the future that he sees coming. For that, he does a fantastic job. Wearable computing and a person’s contacts showing them what a thing should look like instead of the blandness underneath.
However, the plot felt clunky and unfocused and some of the future-tech explanations were confusing. I still enjoyed Vinge’s writing but this was not what I expected, unfortunately.
I was sold on Rainbows End as a great book about AI, but it’s not really. As best I can describe, it’s Vinge’s version of Snow Crash, a portrayal of the absurdity of the future that he sees coming. For that, he does a fantastic job. Wearable computing and a person’s contacts showing them what a thing should look like instead of the blandness underneath.
However, the plot felt clunky and unfocused and some of the future-tech explanations were confusing. I still enjoyed Vinge’s writing but this was not what I expected, unfortunately.