
The Caryatids
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Narrated by:
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Jay Snyder
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By:
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Bruce Sterling
About this listen
Now, with The Caryatids, Sterling has written a stunning testament of faith in the power of human intellect, creativity, and spirit to overcome any obstacle - even the obstacles we carry inside ourselves.
The world of 2060 is divided into three spheres of influence, each fighting with the others over the resources of fallen nations and an environment degraded almost to the point of no return. There is the Dispensation, centered in Los Angeles, where entertainment and capitalism have fused with the highest of high-tech. There is the Acquis, a Green-centered collective that uses invasive neurological technology to create a networked utopia. And there is China, the sole surviving nation-state, a dinosaur that has prospered only by pitilessly pruning its own population.
Products of this monstrous world, the daughters of a monstrous mother, and - according to some - monsters themselves, are the Caryatids: the four surviving female clones of a mad Balkan genius and wanted war criminal.
Radmila is a Dispensation star determined to forget her past by building a glittering, impregnable future. Vera is an Acquis functionary dedicated to reclaiming their home, the Croatian island of Mljet, from catastrophic pollution. Sonja is a medical specialist renowned for selflessly risking herself to help others. And Biserka is a one-woman terrorist network.
The four "sisters" are united only by their hatred for their "mother" - and for one another. When evidence surfaces of a coming environmental cataclysm, the Dispensation sends its greatest statesman - or salesman - John Montgomery Montalban, husband of Radmila, and lover of Vera and Sonja, to gather the Caryatids together in an audacious plan to...
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Critic reviews
Interesting But Average
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Flashes of brilliance, poorly executed
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Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?
yes it was very different and wacky and provoking - typical Bruce SterlingWhat did you like best about this story?
how it examines our unspoken assumptionsHave you listened to any of Jay Snyder’s other performances before? How does this one compare?
don't think soWas this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
nope - far too longAny additional comments?
I do recommend itgreat listen!
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Dissapointing Story and Rambling Dialogues
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Different kind of story
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Good, but not quite what I expected.
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The narrative's starting point - what would happen if a woman in modern times decided to bring by forming an empire. Many men have done this throughout history and now we see a feminine take. Many layers of ideas, life styles, human use of earth and space make this an spellbinding listen.
Jay Snyder's reading is amazing and helps greatly the listener more easily understand the story.
Cloned Sisters Rule!
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Pointless...
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