Tim Maughan

After the weighty novels I've been reading recently, It was really nice to spend an evening racing through something light and easy for a change. I do not mean to depreciate 'Infinite Detail's quality by this; most things seem light after [b:Gravity's Rainbow|415|Gravity's Rainbow|Thomas Pynchon|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1414969925l/415._SY75_.jpg|866393]. The subject matter isn't particularly cheerful, yet there is something bitterly amusing about reading very-near-future depictions of societal breakdown while in lockdown. This one was published in 2019 and feels suitably cutting edge, except it predicts that the economy will collapse for technological rather than plague reasons. The large scale Black Lives Matter protests are spot on, though. The narrative is split between flashbacks to the time this collapse took place and post-apocalyptic Bristol a decade later. I really enjoyed the fact that the plot is more exploratory than thriller-ish. It keeps the reader's interest with clever world-building, thoughtful commentary, and intriguing characters, rather than perpetual action. There are a few action scenes, however these are spaced out and the implications of violence are not ignored.

Given the focus upon personal technology, big data, and smart cities, 'Infinite Detail' reads like a combination of [b:Perfidious Albion|37564159|Perfidious Albion|Sam Byers|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1528633924l/37564159._SY75_.jpg|59177083] (an excellent novel about social media, smart cities, and Brexit) and the oeuvre of [a:Cory Doctorow|12581|Cory Doctorow|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/m_50x66-82093808bca726cb3249a493fbd3bd0f.png]. However it is more hopeful than the former and much more subtle than the latter. Although it sometimes seems to be dominated by technological minutiae, 'Infinite Detail' has some nuanced political themes. The descriptions of music are vivid and joyful and I loved the twist regarding Mary's ostensible special power. In fact, the little details are well deployed to build a distinctive future, especially in the pre-collapse sections set in 2026. Perhaps the most memorable and moving moments follow a man who collects cans to redeem at a recycling centre for money. As New York implements a smart recycling incentive scheme that tracks exactly who buys every can, his livelihood suddenly and bewilderingly vanishes. I am implacably suspicious of the smart city concept, which seems to be ubiquitous privatised surveillance sold to us as convenience, so would be interested to know what people unfamiliar with or positive towards it think of Maughan's depiction. Although the book reminded me of too many other things I've read to seem especially revolutionary, 'Infinite Detail' is astute, appealing, and very readable. I also like the cover design.… (more)

I seem to be reading a lot of surveillance capitalism books this year. Technology causes things to fall apart. I'm not intentionally reading these books... this one was okay. A couple memorable images. The narrative switching between before and after the collapse of the internet and switching perspectives between a few characters in Bristol and NYC. It's speculative dystopian, and I am starting to have a theory that some readers just might not want to read books -- and actively avoid books -- that hit a little too close to what our real future might look like in a few years. (This was published in 2019.) I fear it will be lost in the sea of books I have read though....despite this having some unique moments and ideas.
I would set this on the shelf beside:
My Volcano - John Elizabeth Stintzi
The Memory Librarian - Janelle Monae
Overthrow - Caleb Crain
Bangkok Wakes to Rain - Pitchaya Sudbanthad
Chain-Gang All-Stars - Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah… (more)

Infinite Detail tells the story of a revolt against big data that destroys the Internet and the global economy. Set mainly in a minority community on Stokes Croft Street in Bristol, England, it follows the fate of a group of friends as they search for their lost pasts and work to build new, healthier connections. There is a ray of hope at the end, but it leaves open the possibility that the destruction of our surveillance state will lead only to the old tyrannies. Our recent blip in the supply chain and Elon Musk’s takeover of Twitter make the scenario more believable than it might have been three years ago.
Tim Maughan shares Cory Doctorow’s distaste for the surveillance inspired by the internet of things. Like Doctorow, Maughan does not want us to “let ourselves become nothing more than the content between adverts.” But Infinite Detail does not offer the utopian solace of Doctorow’s Walkway or Little Brother. As one character says toward the end, “[W]e just burned everything down and didn’t plan for afterwards.”
Stylistically, Infinite Detail is a patchwork of effective scenes embedded in a fragmented narrative that throws up roadblocks we don’t need. I especially like a conversation between a kid and his friends who can’t understand why he wants to find sounds to sample from old vinyl records and cassette tapes. 4 stars.… (more)