Trouble and Her Friends by Melissa Scott

This entry was posted in Lesbrary Reviews, Uncategorized and tagged Kalyanii, Melissa Scott, sci fi, science fiction, sff by Danika Ellis. Rather, it just might be considered something of a cyberpunk classic. However, given the way in which the complexity of the plot was executed, the badass and incredibly likable protagonists and the subtly philosophical undertones, Trouble and Her Friends remains far from obsolete.

It actually rendered me a bit nostalgic for the early days of the Internet – minus the pay-by-the-minute usage rates. Published in 1994, Trouble and Her Friends engages with the virtual world in a manner that reflects the time. Not only does this make for a much more interesting story, but that coolness comes across as incredibly sexy, especially as worn by Trouble, herself. They’re simply not wired for overt sentimentality, well aware that allowing emotion to override intellect may well prove deadly. The strength of their connection remained palpable in spite of Trouble’s absence, yet the nuances of their relationship were revealed without any of the professions of love that typically send me running.īoth Trouble and Cerise are, after all, incredibly competent hackers. Yet, what kept me going was my desperate need to know what would transpire once Cerise and Trouble reunited against a common enemy. There is no denying that, especially within the first half, the novel moves so very slowly due to the amount of detail provided. Yet, after Cerise’s company, Multiplane, is hacked by someone calling themselves Trouble, whose immature and sloppily destructive style shows him as an imposter, the crew finds themselves reunited in an effort to stop the one who has upset the net and usurped Trouble’s name. Three years later, Cerise and Trouble as well as most of their friends, have abandoned their activities, relegating themselves to working within the “bright lights,” often as consultants or syscops themselves. It was far too dangerous to continue “cracking” (hacking) within an environment controlled by real-world authorities. Trouble, after all, had made it quite clear that if the new law meant to police the net were put into effect, she would be leaving the shadows.

However, lacking the energy or even the motivation to venture toward my bookshelf for a different title, I stuck with the novel ‘til the end – and now feel extremely fortunate for that fact.Īfter Evans-Tildale passes, Cerise returns home to discover her apartment half-empty and her lover, Trouble, nowhere to be found. Thus, had I not been relegated to bed for a week in order to ride out a nasty virus, chances are that I would have abandoned Trouble and Her Friends within the first fifty pages. Within an inventory of my virtues, I guarantee that patience will not be listed as one.

Trouble and Her Friends by Melissa Scott