The Golden Age (John C. Wright novel)
First edition cover
|
|
| Author | John C. Wright |
|---|---|
| Cover artist | Shelley Eshkar |
| Country | United States |
| Series | The Golden Age |
| Genre | Hard science fiction |
| Publisher | Tor Books |
|
Publication date
|
April 20, 2002 |
| Pages | 304 |
| ISBN | |
| OCLC | 48507898 |
| 813/.6 21 | |
| LC Class | PS3623.R54 G65 2002 |
| Followed by | The Phoenix Exultant |
First edition cover
|
|
| Author | John C. Wright |
|---|---|
| Cover artist | Shelley Eshkar |
| Country | United States |
| Series | The Golden Age |
| Genre | Hard science fiction |
| Publisher | Tor Books |
|
Publication date
|
May 16, 2003 |
| Pages | 304 |
| ISBN | |
| OCLC | 50645497 |
| Preceded by | The Golden Age |
| Followed by | The Golden Transcendence |
First edition cover
|
|
| Author | John C. Wright |
|---|---|
| Cover artist | Shelley Eshkar |
| Country | United States |
| Series | The Golden Age |
| Genre | Hard science fiction |
| Publisher | Tor Books |
|
Publication date
|
November 15, 2003 |
| Pages | 352 |
| ISBN | |
| OCLC | 52471820 |
| Preceded by | The Phoenix Exultant |
The Golden Oecumene is a science fiction trilogy by the American writer John C. Wright. It consists of three books, The Golden Age, The Phoenix Exultant and The Golden Transcendence.
The author's first novel, it revolves around the protagonist Phaethon (full name Phaethon Prime Rhadamanth Humodified (augment) Uncomposed, Indepconsciousness, Base Neuroformed, Silver-Gray Manorial Schola, Era 7043). The novel concerns Phaethon's discovery that parts of his past have been edited out of his mind—apparently by himself.
The novel is set ten thousand years in the future in a voluntary anarchistic society spanning the Solar System called the Golden Oecumene. Technology makes nearly everyone immortal and tremendously wealthy, except those exiled from society or living outside by choice. The main character, Phaethon, is a member of a group, called the Manorials, for whom telepresence has completely replaced the phone and video-phone, as the Manorials travel and communicate as virtual projections on the physical world. The Manorial élites rarely go anywhere in person and live almost always connected to the Mentality, their version of the Internet. The Sophotechs, a superior line of computer intelligences, do most of the work, research, and simulations required by the society. There is only one remaining court, the Curia, and they rarely hear cases since everything can be solved externally by superior Sophotech intelligence and simulation. The entire military is made up of one man, Atkins, who most of the society has forgotten. The most powerful groups are the Hortators and the Peers, although about 90 percent of the society's wealth is controlled by the Sophotechs. The Hortators serve to convince people to act in a way beneficial to society. The Peers are the most wealthy and powerful humans ever to have lived, and they include Phaethon's "father" (it's complicated) Helion, who created the Solar Array, a means of mixing the Sun's mass in order to extend the main-sequence hydrogen-burning lifetime of our star. Phaethon becomes convinced that there is an enemy presence originating from an ancient failed colonization-attempt on another star, and becomes constantly dogged by clandestine enemies. The peaceful Utopian society does not believe in Phaethon's hostile experiences and discoveries, because of the enemy's superior subterfuge and technology. Phaethon must face his memories, the reasons for their loss, and his original dream of space exploration, risk, and enterprise in the face of a powerful, mysterious enemy and his Utopian society that treasures its present safety and stability above all else.
...
Wikipedia