Review of "Deep Merge," by Linda North

 Two women, from different worlds, will join together in a profound and unique way that will herald the start of a new path for their planets and a promising future for themselves.

Linda North, in her novel, Deep Merge, transcends the mundane aspects of many works of science fiction by adeptly exploring the relationship between technology, society, and the individual. In doing so, social issues extant within modern, techno focal culture became both fundamental and integral to the plot.   In doing so,  Linda North created an intricately crafted, excellent science fiction novel.

Deep Merge is a captivating work of contemporary science fiction reminiscent of the styles of Heinlein, Le Guin or, perhaps even Orson Scott Card.  Certainly each of the aforementioned classic authors fall into varied waves of the sci-fi tradition, yet they each bring attention to the atrophy of the individual within an overly technological, centralized government, the plausibility of scientific and biological changes set within the plot, while also presenting characters possessing a high level of scientific sophistication.  North achieved this feat as well.  

Deep Merge managages to avoid the obliqueness often associated with poor science fiction writing.  Such obliqueness manifests whenever ignoring the of imperative requisite of plausibility: the plausibility of the science and of the human condition.  In those works, the "science" in science fiction is anything but plausible, rendering the tale facile or childish.  In Deep Merge, North completely  avoids such pitfalls by developing a space technological backdrop, compleat with discription, that is meaningful, intellectually consistent, and relevant.  It not only makes sense, but it works with rather than against the characters.  

North successfully integrates the best aspects of the second and third wave of science fiction themes by weaving contemporary struggles of homophobia, bigotry, and xenophobia harmoniously into her fictional setting.  Ultimately, North presents an engaging sci-fi tale which hits many of this reader's favorite chords, space travel, genetics, and strong female characters in loving, exciting relationships.  

I'm ready to find other of North's books The dream-scape that she creates for the reader is vibrant, multi-faceted, and extremely intriguing.   I look forward to reading more of works in the future.