Chill

Written by Elizabeth Bear

Narrated by Alma Cuervo

Hugo Award winner Elizabeth Bear has won high praise for her thought-provoking science fiction. The second in her powerful Jacob's Ladder series, Chill finds the generation starship Jacob's Ladder with a new captain-Perceval. As Perceval struggles with the ship's recent damage, remnants of the rebellion still linger and a threat to the crew grows. "The world of Jacob's Ladder is magnificently populated, well worth visiting."-Booklist

• Language: English
• Publisher: Recorded Books, Inc.
• Release date: Sep 16, 2011
• ISBN: 9781461848059

Elizabeth Bear

Elizabeth Bear was born on the same day as Frodo and Bilbo Baggins, but in a different year. She is the Hugo, Theodore Sturgeon Memorial, Locus, and Astounding Award–winning author of dozens of novels and over a hundred short stories. She has spoken on futurism at Google, MIT, DARPA’s 100 Year Starship Project, and the White House, among others. Find her at www.elizabethbear.com.  

Reviews for Chill

[eviexeris · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Best Macdonald novel, characters and plot jell, labyrinthian without becoming tedious.

[wildbill_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is my favorite Ross MacDonald/ Lew Archer book to date. I read it twice to get all of the details of the convoluted plot lines that begin with Archer being hired to locate the wife of Alex Kincaid who disappeared on the second day of their marriage. Archer locates Mrs. Kincaid quickly but then there is a murder which creates another mystery for Archer to solve. Two murders from the past add more and more questions which send Archer to Brighton and Reno as the net of witnesses and suspects widen.In his investigation Archer encounters a college president whose healthy libido has created a trail of romances, marriages and divorces that are intertwined with the murders past and present. Mrs. Kincaid's aunt is a hard nosed, self righteous person who ruined several lives in a crusade to make sure that her idea of right triumphed. There is a well-meaning psychiatrist whose knowledge of events remains hidden behind his professional privilege. These are just few of the characters that are part of the multiple plot lines in the story.Archer goes from one to another and the answers to his questions weave a plot that shows how basic human needs lead to bizarre situations. MacDonald's mysteries are written in the tradition of Dashiell Hammett and Raymond Chandler which can sometimes turn into a formula with inherent limitations. We never learn anything of a personal nature about Lew Archer. The characters begin and end with their short parts in the story. It is the story that shines as the star of the show. The story told in this book is a fascinating tale that encourages the reader to go non-stop to the conclusion. All of the plot lines literally meet in a surprise ending. Beginning with the search for a lost wife MacDonald has artfully crafted an entertaining story that tells something larger about the human condition.

[jastbrown · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Boy!, you get your money's worth with this one.. twisting and turning from beginning to end. By this one Macdonald seems to have come completely out from under Chandler's shadow and is his own, highly readable, self!

[wdwilson3 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

When I raced through all of Ross Macdonald’s Lew Archer mysteries in the 1970’s I was just mesmerized – I couldn’t wait to get to the end to find out who did it and how. This is the first book of his that I’ve reread since then, and now I appreciate his talent even more. Archer is a consummate detective, single-mindedly ferreting out the information he needs to solve the crime(s). Macdonald is such a master of pacing that the reader is propelled along with Archer as he does his legwork interviewing unlikely characters who have a piece or two of the puzzle. The dialogue is real, not stilted or artificial. Archer isn’t a wise-cracking tough guy like so many other PI’s of the time -- he’s human and humane. The other characters have their own voices and all seem to have secrets not easily uncovered. I’ve read a lot of mysteries in my time, but I had no idea what strung the three murders in this book together until the final chapters. A terrific book.

[mahallett · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

i was surprised at who done it. i read all of macdonalds 25 years ago . i loved him then. this one i listened to which is harder. i got a bit lost in the middle. i still think the thread with the police chief and his daughter could have been left out. it didn't add much. just a way for the girl to be in trouble in the present. i got mighty tired of the drunk police chief. the reader was excellent

[altheaann · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I really enjoyed the first book in this series, "Dust." I very much liked the juxtaposition of the near-derelict generation ship with the mythology that has grown up around its technologies, and the complex, 'old-fashioned' court hierarchies of the society.
Unfortunately, I didn't feel that "Chill" lived up to the first book's promise. I just wasn't sucked back into the world. The plot kind of meandered, and while there were some interesting ideas and imagery, I didn't feel any tension or driving drama... it was a bit of a slog to get through it.

[thedivineoomba · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is almost a 4 star book - but an ending that seems to easy plus some dense language dropped it down to a 3.5 star rating.I read the first book years ago - and don't remember much of it - but this book picks up right where the other book left off - and it doesn't stop for a reader to figure out what is happening. Is the first book essential to read? Not really. But, it is hard to figure out each of the characters relationships and a reader gets lost in who is who.As for the story itself. The writing is tight. The science in this book is so advanced, it feels magical (although it clearly isn't magic). The plot - I actually enjoyed the story up to the end, where the conclusion has "Deus ex Machina" feel to it. The characters were interesting and well created. The ship itself was unique in that it felt like a ship and a world, all at the same time. At times, the language was too dense and required a reader to be paying attention at all times.Highly recommended.

[macha_4 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

middle of the Jacob's Ladder trilogy, and i like this series a lot. this time round, more quest than action, which doesn't necessarily make for a very exciting narrative (a lot more happened in the first book, a lot more is learned in this one), but there are such fertile ideas playing out, and Bear's getting better at keeping track of her various themes and bringing them all together so dropped stitches don't let the knitting unravel. but hey, big ideas, always a plus, and it's well-written. this series is set on a far future shipworld with a failed mission, in which the principals are immortal but stranded, and the infighting is deadly, with a family of siblings and cousins descended from the founders, messing with alien DNA of various kinds (there's a basilisk, AI, electronic angels, arguably a dragon, along with legendary altered swords, considerable wizardry, armour for space, and suchlike). the basic conceit is basically late Arthurian, with spaced archetypes arising from that in play; and the family setup more than hints of the Chronicles of Amber too. ergo, the quest, the need for purpose, the christian underpinnings of the original migration echoing across the ethics and the mechanics of the quest, the issues of evolution and revolution in unpinned technological advances taking its toll across time in a deadly environment. and all the imagery arising from all this is grand and imaginative - the whole thing would make a great TV series.

[mardel_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

If you haven't yet read Dust, then Chill isn't going to make much sense. It's still doable, but it's better to read Dust first. The second in a trilogy - Jacob's Ladder trilogy- Chill takes off right where Dust ended. The aftermath of a great battle... but you need back ground. Too bad you're not going to get a lot of back ground from me -- you really need to read the book to get the most out that you can. See, I'm not sure I got everything out of the book that I could. But here's a start...The generation ship - Jacob's Ladder, has been recently saved from hundreds of years of orbiting a dying star. Using a dangerous combination of events, the newest captain has managed to begin a journey to find a planet for the inhabitants of this ship to colonize. this is something that was planned long ago, though the plans to colonize seem to have been delayed. The original ship dwellers are mostly all gone - there are some who have been around for a few hundred years, but even they don't know all there is to know of the beginnings of the flight; they don't know the complete story to how the ship ended up stranded and orbiting in a dying system for hundreds of years. Unfortunately, though the ship is now traveling, it's also continuing to fail at an even faster rate.The inhabitants: this is where I believe the SciFi merges with some fantasy elements - whether the author planned this or not, it's how I see it. There are some strong SciFi elements; bio-engineering, computer programs merging with humans; computer programs turned into artificial intelligence turned into "angels"; elite family members with special gifts such as wings, the ability to sense things and converse telepathically with the AI. The background of this book is rich with details of all types.The support staff of the ship are divided according to the systems they work in - here is where I show how much I don't remember terms, so I'll just describe. The engineering section is one family, the kitchen/life sustenance is another. there is life support, and the ruling class - the Conn's who are not the nicest people in the world. And the ship itself - it's vast. Vast enough to contain seasons, fields and holdings resembling fiefdoms of yesteryear. I cannot do this book and all the details justice.So, I skip to the storyline. In Dust (Jacob's Ladder #1), we meet Perceval, Rien, Mallory, Gavin, Tristen and Benedict - among a few others. In Chill, Perceval is now Captain of the ship. Two of the enemy angels have warred - with one clear winner. Each ship system had its own Angel, and one Angel was ambitious enough to take over and absorb the other angels, trying to effect a change that would save the ship. Because of this, Perceval's new found love - Rien, is now part of the computer system/angel. Perceval is angry, and trying to adjust.And even though the war is "over" it's not really over. The ship is losing valuable resources almost faster than damaged areas can be fixed. Tristen (one of the uncles) and Benedict (one of the other uncles) have gone on separate and parallel quests to find out what's going on, and to try to fix the problems. Unfortunately one of the Aunts - Arianne, seemingly captured, has escaped and has some plan she's been putting into action. Mallory - a necromancer who looks like a man and a woman, but who claims to be a woman - is helping. Mallory has the memories of hundreds, if not thousands of previously living people in his ....memory banks. His sidekick is a metal bird, called Gavin who seems to have the memories of one of the other Aunts. This aunt was a sorceress - (you see where I get the fantasy along with the SciFi?)It sounds confusing as hell, but when you're reading it, you just fall into the story, and the details unfold as you read along. The details as well as the rich surroundings, and the fantastical mix of science and fantasy, computer programs and magic. It's a hell of a mix, ending in a hell of a story. Another merging of factions is the female vs male, hetero vs homo sexual - only it really isn't a versus type of thing, it's more of a mixture. Sexuality, and even male/female presence is more of an afterthought, or even better - a blending of ideals. For example, as an exalt (the elite members of the family) one can choose to be sexual or asexual. Perceval had chosen to be asexual until she fell in love with Rien, and even then though she really wanted to marry this woman, she wasn't concerned with a sex life, more of a merging and spending a life with her loved one. Mallory - not quite male or female, is with either sex. It's as if an ideal future for the sexes was being described here - a world where people are allowed to love as they will, with no judgement or spotlight. The sexual preferences just ... Are.Good story, with the promise of more with the third of the series - Grail. I enjoyed the dialogue, the inner thoughts and the lush descriptions of everything from the ship's different sections to the animals and fauna within the ship, and all the different people. It all combines into one hell of a story.

[rose.cooke · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Ordinarily, a passage such as the one below (from page 88 of Chill) would lead me to abandon a book with great prejudice and eye-rolling:

"Sie turned to him, eyes big, and he wondered -- not for the first time -- how he could be both things to hir: Tristen, whose wedding sie had catered; and Prince Tristen, lord of the House of Rule."

But such is Bear's talent for writing that, by God, she makes it work. Her prose is strong and fun to read, and a wry sense of humor keeps the story from becoming top-heavy with Serious Business.

Between the talking animal familiars and the convoluted dynastic drama, this wasn't really my preferred style of SF, but I will definitely pick up some of Bear's other books.

[phoenixfalls · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

My RatingOverall Satisfaction: ★★★★Intellectual Satisfaction: ★★★1/2Emotional Satisfaction: ★★★★1/2Read this for: The charactersDon't read this for: The ideasBechdel Test: FailJohnson Test: FailBooks I was reminded of: Alastair Reynolds' Revelation Space trilogy; The Tempering of Men, by Elizabeth BearWill I read more by this author? Of course!My ReviewWARNING: No spoilers for Chill, but plenty of spoilers for Dust.Chill picks up almost directly after Dust ended, when the ship is reeling from the nova blast and the crew is reeling from all of the deaths, particularly Rien's sacrifice to bring the new angel -- an A.I. integrating all of the splinter A.I.s that developed when the ship broke down centuries before -- into existence. Perceval is now captain, but she is barely functional as she deals with her grief, and there is an enormous power vacuum that the remaining Exalts of Rule and Engine -- both those for and against Perceval's captaincy -- are scrambling to fill. And while the A.I.s have all been integrated into the new angel, it is bothered by enormous black spaces in its awareness of the ship, due either to damage or enemy machinations.And then a very dangerous prisoner escapes, so two teams -- one led by Tristen, the other by Benedick -- are sent in pursuit.The plot is made up entirely by that pursuit, and I found that choice disappointing. The entire plot of Dust was Perceval and Rien fleeing through the fascinating landscape of the half-ruined ship; to have the entire plot of this one be another chase through a now-much-more-familiar landscape just seemed repetitive. There are a couple new and exciting set-pieces -- particularly a scene involving massive intelligent fungi doing something deliciously unexpected -- but ultimately I felt a bit let down by Bear's imagination. What stood out most about Dust for me was how gloriously imaginative the world-building was; with that thrill behind me this was just another SF action novel.Or would have been, were it not for the characters.If there was one flaw in Dust, it was that all of the characters were ciphers to me for 2/3 of the novel. Not so here. Dust and Chill ended up being mirror images of each other: the first all ideas and no character development; the second few (new) ideas but wonderful, complex characters with long histories and complicated relationships. The chase plot is really just window-dressing for internal, character-driven action, as the characters left standing after Dust figure out who they want to be in this new world.Unfortunately, window-dressing or not the chase plot was still there, and it required a resolution, and that resolution was something of a deus-ex-machina. It also left a pretty significant plot thread dangling, as this is the middle book of a trilogy. But for these characters I would forgive a great deal more than that.

[devilwrites · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The premise: ganked from BN.com: Sometimes the greatest sin is survival.
 
The generation ship Jacob’s Ladder has barely survived cataclysms from without and within. Now, riding the shock wave of a nova blast toward an uncertain destiny, the damaged ship -- the only world its inhabitants have ever known -- remains a war zone. Even as Perceval, the new captain, struggles to come to terms with the traumas of her recent past, the remnants of rebellion aboard the ship still threaten the crew’s survival.Yet as Perceval’s relatives Tristen and Benedick play a deadly game of cat and mouse in pursuit of a traitor through a vast ship that is renewing itself in strange and dangerous ways, an even more insidious threat is building in a place no one ever thought to look. And this implacable enemy could change the face of the ship forever if a ragtag band of heroes cannot stop it.My Rating: Worth Reading, with ReservationsI'll say first: for as challenging a read as it was, I liked Dust better. The sense of discovery was more powerful in that book, and the primary points of view were two sisters, and I always enjoy the female POV when it comes to SF. That being said, Chill is still very good. It may retrace the lines of Dust's plot a bit in terms of discovering new things about the generational ship Jacob's Ladder, and the motivating factor of the main story wasn't quite as epic for me personally, but it was still very good. The ending was a little out of left field, but I do wonder if it's because I'm forgetting important details from the first book. I feel like I'd get so much more out of these pages if I read the whole trilogy back-to-back, and Bear's writing is strong and fascinating enough that I may do that. Looking forward to the trilogy's conclusion, which I intend to read soon.Spoilers, yay or nay?: Nay. Some vague spoilers about the actual shape of the plot, but no specifics, no whys or hows or what ends up happening before the book is said and done. The full review is at my blog, which you can read if you click the link below. As always, comments and discussion are most welcome.REVIEW: Elizabeth Bear's CHILLHappy Reading!

[gregandlarry · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

While it was a good story it felt a bit disconnected from reality.