[share_ebook] The Marriage of the Living Dark: A Chung Kuo Novel No. 8

I haven't read sci-fi on a regular basis since my pre-teen days, but when sombody suggested this series to me I gave it a shot. The first seven books of this series are excellent. I think Wingrove did a fantastic job developing 3-D characters and playing on concepts of political intrigue and moral issues. His obvious familiarity with Chinese history is put to use in modelling a Chinese dynasty on the brink of downfall. However, when I arrived at Book VIII, I was extremely dissapointed. First off, he glossed over too many plot developments. What went on in the American Empire after Li Yuan re-emerged as a key player? How did he deal with Old man Egan? And knowing what he knew of the future, why did he bother? Although we are given a brief glimpse into Shephard's change of heart, he is glossed over for the final chapters of the novel. His once intense personality is now transformed through a few words of regret and realization. His character is too analytical and intense for that type of trite simplistic self realization. I, like most of the reviewers here, was very disappointed with the whole factured universe concept. It had no correlation to any of Kim Ward's previous theories despite, Wingrove's desperate attempt to justify it in a conversation between Tuan Ti Fo and Ward. When presented with a new chapter and long dead characters are resurrected and playing the stock market I thought I picked up the wrong book. Is this Wingrove's way of foreshadowing an alternate series based in this new world? I thought that this series was successful for it's political intrigue, depth of plot and it's historical understanding of the rise and fall of empires. This last book was a grand departure from those themes. I agree with one of the above reviewers in that I would have rather the series end in chaos after book VII, than this failed attempt at a conclusion. It seems almost as if Wingrove was pressured by a deadline or just finally ran out of creative steam and settled on an old Michael Moorcock premise (the multiverse) to get himself out of trouble.