Janet Stilson’s Universe of Lost Messages is cyberpunk in the tradition of Gibson and Dick, but with a political consciousness that is distinctly contemporary. The Charismites — beings with near-godlike charismatic power — function as a figure for celebrity culture and its potential weaponization; The Fist’s plan to control human affect through manufactured consent is a recognizable anxiety given contemporary technological conditions.
The novel’s most accomplished element is its world-building: Stilson deploys “United America” and its class dynamics with efficiency and specificity, and the metaverse of lost messages is a genuinely original invention. The alternating first-person narrators are handled with skill.
The pacing is deliberate, which will suit readers who value immersion over propulsion. A strong entry in contemporary literary science fiction.
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