Lockstep is Karl Schroeder’s first dive into Young Adult science-fiction. With his name well cemented into the science-fiction genre, is he able to ride the line between being smart, and creating just another YA dystopian bandwagon adventure?
From the Back: When seventeen-year-old Toby McGonigal finds himself lost in space, separated from his family, he expects his next drift into cold sleep to be his last. After all, the planet he’s orbiting is frozen and sunless, and the cities are dead. But when Toby wakes again, he’s surprised to discover a thriving planet, a strange and prosperous galaxy, and something stranger still—that he’s been asleep for 14,000 years.
Welcome to the Lockstep Empire, where civilization is kept alive by careful hibernation. Here cold sleeps can last decades and waking moments mere weeks. Its citizens survive for millennia, traveling asleep on long voyages between worlds. Not only is Lockstep the new center of the galaxy, but Toby is shocked to learn that the Empire is still ruled by its founding family: his own.
Toby’s brother Peter has become a terrible tyrant. Suspicious of the return of his long-lost brother, whose rightful inheritance also controls the lockstep hibernation cycles, Peter sees Toby as a threat to his regime. Now, with the help of a lockstep girl named Corva, Toby must survive the forces of this new Empire, outwit his siblings, and save human civilization.
Karl Schroeder’s Lockstep is a grand innovation in hard SF space opera.
Karl Schroeder is no stranger to science-fiction. He’s won Prix Aurora for his novel Permanence, and even an Audi for best original production being part of the shared world collaboration of Metatropolis: Cascadia. Right there should be enough to tell you that he knows what he’s doing, and he does it well.
Lockstep is absolutely no different. What he’s done with masterful strokes of his word processor is create a completely unique world to his readers. From the beginning you will be confused, but so is the protagonist. He is able to draw you in by giving you just enough information so you understand what he’s trying to say, but letting you feel the same emotions of Toby McGonigal.
Carefully, methodically, and deliberately, he weaves an intriguing plot of discovery, betrayal, and even throws in a little bit of light romance.
Due to Karl Schroeder being a brilliant science-fiction writer, he is able to drop in scientific references, and really not have to explain it, but somehow you’ll know exactly what he means. There are no long drawn out explanations of things, there are no over the top technical details that you don’t need. It’s an easy read for the young adult reader, but do not take that to mean it’s dumbed down for the audience. You can’t skim this book and understand it. Everything is very specifically placed, and very specifically paced.
World building, especially in science-fiction is very important. You need to have that balance of government, environment, and local surroundings. It gives you the ability to easily see the action in your head in a fantastic, futuristic location. Lockstep technology is a very integral part of this world. It’s something that is so unique that I’ve not really read anything that even comes close to what he does. I’m not saying that it’s not out there, I just haven’t read it.
Lockstep is a way to conserve power and resources. You are awake for a certain amount of time, then you are put into a hibernated state for say 30 years. Sometimes it’s hard to understand that between chapters he’s been asleep for 30 years and he’s still the same age with the same memories, but the world around him has changed, and there are other worlds out there that are not on this same timeline as the world Toby is on. Fear not though, you’ll adjust and it’ll be no problem as the story progresses. You just have to pay attention and do some math sometimes.
The characters are a little two dimensional in my opinion. While the author did a good job of putting you in the characters shoes in the beginning, as the story went on, I felt that they could have been interchangeable. Toby didn’t seem like his own unique person. I think to me Corva and Peter are more fleshed out and felt more organic than Toby.
The Bottom Line: This is hard science-fiction. Make no mistake about it, there is a LOT to take in on each page. Yes, it’s geared towards a younger audience, but he doesn’t skimp on the hard science here, and he’s un-apologetic about not holding your hand with it. Character issues aside, this was a heck of a good book, with lots of action and adventure, and, completely original. He took what’s been done to death with YA science fiction and dystopian tropes and turned it on its head, creating something that will very much be remembered and hopefully a staple of the YA science-fiction genre.