Subject: Blind Waves by Steven Gould

From: [email-masked] (Stephen Graham)
Date: 17 Feb 2001 14:35:57 -0500

Blind Waves, Steven Gould
		     Review Copyright 2001 Stephen Graham

Steven Gould turns to a more conventional plot with his fourth novel,
Blind Waves. In the mid-21st century, the Antarctic ice has melted due to
volcanic eruptions, raising the level of the oceans 30 meters. In this
semi-inundated world, Patricia Beenan, wealthy daughter of a
congresswoman, runs an undersea salvage and exploration firm out of the
floating city of New Galveston.

In the midst of a routine salvage operation for Amoco, Beenan finds the
recent hulk of the Blind Lotus, complete with chained corpses in the hold
and evidence that the US Immigration and Naturalization Service may have
sunk it. While fleeing from an INS patrol ship, Beenan broadcasts her
video record of the hulk and its contents.

This brings Commander Thomas Becket of the INS Criminal Investigation
Division onto the scene. Amidst a flurry of quotes from Shakespeare, a cat
and mouse game ensues between the criminals and Beenan and Becket.

Gould continues to write tautly, vividly conveying the characters and
scenes to the reader with a firm command of the language. Blind Waves also
shows his command of the genre idioms without descending into cliche, as
far too many SF authors do. However, the novel lacks the sheer degree of
inventiveness displayed in his earlier work, particularly Jumper and
Wildside.

The book is also flawed by the romance between Beenan and Becket.  While
Gould states in his afterword that he intended to create a pairing similar
to that of Dorothy Sayer's Lord and Lady Wimsey, the pace of the romance
feels rushed and detracts from the strength of the plot. Had Gould shown
the developing attraction engendered by close cooperation and a common
threat to their lives, I would have been more satisfied. The
relationship's growth might have formed an underpinning to a continuing
series of novels in this setting.

Gould remains one of the more interesting authors working in speculative
fiction. Blind Waves is a well-written and plotted novel. I would enjoy a
series that stems from this work. Whether or not that happens, I will
continue to look forward to Gould's next novel.

%T	Blind Waves
%A	Steven Gould
%C	New York
%D	2001
%I	Tor Books
%O	paperback, $6.99
%G	ISBN 0-81257-1096
%P	352pp

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