Subject: Review of ANTI-ICE by Stephen Baxter

From: "Evelyn C Leeper" <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 8 Jun 1995 20:56:33 GMT

ANTI-ICE by Stephen Baxter
    Harper Prism, ISBN 0-06-105421-6, 1994 (1993c), 289pp, US$5.50
                   A book review by Evelyn C. Leeper
		    Copyright 1995 Evelyn C. Leeper

     Three-quarters mechanical whiz-bang science fiction, one quarter
political philosophy, this book is extremely reminiscent of the science
fiction writings of Jules Verne (particularly 20,000 LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA)
and H. G. Wells (particularly FIRST MEN IN THE MOON).  And I suppose it is
fitting that it pays homage to both an Englishman and a Frenchman, because
the political part is about the conflicts between the English and the
French, or rather among the English, the French, and the Germans.  Of
course, although in the novel it is British foreign policy toward Europe in
general vis-a-vis Britain's semi-permanent conflict with Prussia that comes
under criticism, this is really an extremely thinly veiled description of
American foreign policy towards Europe and our semi-permanent conflict with
the Soviet Union.  The descriptions of the use of, and attitudes toward, the
super-weapons used in the book are clear references to our use of the atomic
bomb in Japan, particularly the characters' discussion of whether the
weapons were necessary or whether the enemy was about to surrender anyway.

     I have to say that all this, along with the discussion of anarchists
such as Proudhon, was far more interesting to me (if a bit heavy-handed)
than the loving detail in which the mechanics of the various mechanical and
transportation devices were described.  I suppose somewhere in here I should
mention the basic premise: in 1720 a comet crashed into Antarctica.  This
comet was made of "anti-ice," which is stable when at the cold temperatures
of that region, but releases terrific energy in a matter/anti-matter
reaction when heated about freezing.  So this is also an alternate history
novel a la steampunk, with a bit of Treknobabble thrown in.  There's
something for everyone here.  Anyway, the British figure out how to harness
the energy in anti-ice and use it to produce amazing technical marvels
(monorails over the Channel, rocketships, and so on).  But it also has
potential as a weapon and that is much of the underlying motivation of the
story.

     As I said, to me the political ramifications and the alternate history
aspect were more interesting than the technical details, but this novel
works well on many levels and would certainly appeal to fans of
"nuts-and-bolts" science fiction as well.

%T      Anti-Ice
%A      Stephen Baxter
%C      New York
%D      November 1994
%I      Harper Prism
%O      paperback, US$5.50 [1993]
%G      ISBN 0-06-105421-6
%P      289pp

-- 
Evelyn C. Leeper | +1 908 957 2070 | [email-masked]
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So long as he is honest, he shall be served by me." --Theodore Roosevelt
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