Sky Coyote
The Company series, Book 2
Kage Baker
Avon Books
Fiction, Humor/Sci-Fi
Themes: Cyborgs, Time Travel
****
Description
In the twenty-third century, humans finally conquer the mysteries of time travel... and, naturally, exploit it for commerce. Dr. Zeus, as the company is called,
discovered that, while written history cannot be altered, it was possible to play with times, places, and people who were not recorded. They also discovered that one
cannot travel forward in time, only back, and return to their date of departure. As the process itself is very unpleasant, the Company tapped into another discovery:
the ability to manipulate human children into immortal cyborgs, with greatly increased intelligence, senses and strength. Going back to the dawn of the human race,
they began creating cyborgs out of our earliest ancestors, serving the Company's interests with the promise of great rewards when they "reach" the future. Using their
indestructible agents, Dr. Zeus seeks to manipulate the past for profit, selling human history to future buyers.
Joseph, an immortal from the time his tribe was slaughtered in the Stone Age, has just finished a tour of duty in the Spanish invasion of the New World when he is
reassigned to a remote California tribe, the Chumash. Despite being at a Neolithic technology level, they have a trade system and business know-how that puts Wall Street
to shame. The Company has decided that one village among the Chumash is worthy of being "saved" from the impending Spanish invasion (a salvation which likely has a pretty
price tag for future clients, of course.) They need someone to convince them to go along with the plan, though it will mean taking the Chumash villagers away from all
they have known. Sounds like a job for a trickster god... or would that be an immortal in coyote clothing?
Review
When I bought this book, I was unaware that it was the second in a series. To me, it worked just fine as a stand-alone story. It's nice, for something a little different. This book is not so much about the plotting of Dr. Zeus as it is about the characters and the concepts, and there were many interesting characters and concepts here. Joseph finds himself among people who remind him of his own lost kin, bringing up memories of what he'd lost in becoming an immortal cyborg, though his trickster nature keeps him from questioning the motives of his employers too deeply. (That and the unknown fate of any immortal who dares speak out against Dr. Zeus.) Smart, yet with a sense of humor. I ought to track down a few more of Baker's books. (It is sad that the author passed away relatively young; if this book is any indication, she had a lot to say.)