A novel by
John Varley
First Edition: Quantum Science Fiction: 1977
When the
Invaders came,
ethereal creatures with a soft spot for
cetaceans and
vengeance in mind,
humanity was driven off the face of the earth, driven to the warrens of
Luna and the other eight worlds of the
solar system.
This is the setting for what is commonly known as Varley's "Eight Worlds" universe, in which much of his
fiction is set. The Ophiuchi Hotline is Varley's first
novel of this sort.
The
protagonist is Lilo, a brilliant
geneticist and an outlaw, guilty of such "
crimes against humanity" as
genetic manipulation. At the opening of the book, she is
sentenced and awaiting her
death. A certain corrupt politician, Tweed, with a flavor for
anachronistic character, and
cheesy,
villian-style lines (an aspect of his character upon which
Varley comments from Lilo's
perspective) has other plans,
however. And he's going to make her an offer she can't refuse.
Throughout the
novel, there are
obscure references to
mysterious transmissions, originating, from
space in the area of
Ophiucus, referred to as the Ophiuchi Hotline. (off-e-YOO-ki, as
Varley points out in an
author's note tailing the
title page) Much of the advanced
technology in the
story is based on
instructions sent over the Hotline, the source of which remains one of the largest
riddles in the
Solar System, along with the
motivations of the
broadcasters for feeding all this
information to
humankind.
Though I wouldn't
recommend reading this as your
first Varley novel, (Not because it's not as good, but because it's so packed with Varley
flavor that the
beginner may be overwhelmed.) it's definitely one you want to get around to,
especially if you have an interest in
individualism or
SF.
Varley's creations are wildly
original and
fantastic. The prose is sometimes as direct as a
gun in the face, sometimes
surreal and
abstract. He conjures amazing imagery
interspersed with witty
dialogue and hard-edged characters brimming with
grit in a
future where survival has once again become a game of
muscles,
teeth, and
poker, especially for anyone with a
mind of her own and the
balls to press her
luck, like Lilo.
Next to the obvious
themes of humans beyond
Earth, and
advanced technology, Varley also tackles the
nature of human
consciousness itself, especially with regards to
cloning and
memory recording. Your
clone,
infused with the
sum of your
experience, may have your
memories and a
body just like yours, it may
fool your friends and your
enemies, but it's not you...
or is it?
The Ophiuchi Hotline is
fantastic, another
pearl in a
priceless, and
regrettably short,
string authored by
John Varley.
"I'll take the job," said Lilo, as loudly as she could.
Tweed looked at her.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes." She swallowed, hard. "Kill her. Let me live."