Light of Other Days, The

What would life be like if we had the ability to watch anyone or anything at any time in history? What would you choose to watch? The life of Christ? The first staging of Hamlet? Your parents in the act of conceiving you? What implications would such a technological development have for society and the people in it? These are the main issues investigated in this fascinating and engrossing novel, by two of the real heavyweights of science fiction, Arthur C. Clarke and Stephen Baxter.

Seen through the eyes of the sons of Rupert Murdochesque Hiram Patterson, a South Indian refugee from Idi Amin's Uganda, the action follows the development of the technology, at first slowly, but subsequently at a much more rapid pace. Societal change intensifies too. Various historical conundrums are resolved and a number of religious myths debunked. As the authors see it, society grows up a little bit. At the end of the book, society has grown up a very long way indeed.

As usual, in the fiction of both these authors, the ideas are much more interesting than the characters. However, the authors seem to feel (or have been informed somehow) that much more character development is necessary. This is a little unfortunate as, frankly, the family shenanigans of the main characters are not terribly interesting ? and do not even seem to hold the interest of the authors, given the perfunctory way in which they are discarded when no longer required.

Indeed, there is something of a failure of nerve when certain important historical issues are being considered. The death of Christ is fudged ? the birth of Islam is not even considered. Yet, it is inconceivable that these issues would not receive intensive attention, from people with a variety of agendas to explore. The latter is perhaps an example of monoculturalist assumptions, alien to most of Baxter's work. In a globalised world, multiple perspectives within modern states must be assumed ? instead, we are given the vision of a single Americanized society in which all people are moving in the same direction. This is a surprisingly inadequate authorial approach from someone with the stature of Baxter ? although it seems like a piece with the vision of Clarke.

In all, this is still an inspiring and stimulating read that will be enjoyed by science fiction fans. The flaws in the book are overwhelmed by the breadth and depth of the ideas ? which is, as good SF should be.