Library Journal: Information exists all over the universe, and Sunya Song’s goal in life is to preserve it. She is an archinformist, a specialist historian who has traveled halfway across the galaxy to save as much as she can of the Baomind, an alien artificial intelligence that is in orbit around a dying red giant. Sunya is surprised—and dismayed—to discover that her academic rival (and ex-lover) Vickee Devine has also arrived, along with Sunya’s alien wife and their two children. When the research station and small fleet of ships come under attack by Freeport pirates, the group must protect themselves as well as the Baomind, which the pirates believe should be destroyed. With danger outside and inside the station, Sunya must find a way to contact help, thousands of light-years away. VERDICT The latest entry in Bear’s “White Space” series following Machine) showcases her smart and introspective command of space opera. Well-developed characters highlight not only the big ideas of artificial intelligence, xenophobia, and data preservation but family dynamics and scientific rivalries.
Apr 102025