DISTRACTION by Bruce Sterling

Finished Fr 2/6/15

Another from my collection and on the flyleaf it says that I received it via the Internet Tu 2/28/06, but no mention if I completed it. It was somewhat familiar.

Set in a dystopian America of 2044 and explores the themes of media and politics

Most of the story takes place near Buna, East Texas and Louisiana

Oscar Valparaiso- The central character. He was working on an election campaign for Bambakias. He is a Human Clone. His father was a popular movie star and was involved in a film about cloning and found Oscar at an illegal operation in Europe and adopted him. Oscar is the quintessential political operative. He falls in love with Greta and this is the overall theme of the novel- this most unusual love story.


Greta Penninger- A famous neurologist working at a government laboratory in Buna, TX. Tall, not pretty, and socially awkward. She is drawn to Oscar because she recognizes his intelligence and because he is not altogether human, they bond. She thrives in 'the lab', but is forced into a powerful management position and she comes to realize that she also has a flair for 'power'.


Senator Alcott Bambakias- Jurnior senator and put in the Senate thands to Oscar's campaign and his 'krewe'. Krewe is the staff of irregulars that Oscar has assembled, and truly more than the sum of each individual member. Suffering from serious mental issues


Kevin Hamilton- Security expert and hacker supreme. Skills go back to early use of computers and was always in trouble with he authorities. He was handling security on Oscar's street in Boston when he joins the team. Problems with his feet.


Governor Huey- Crazy governor of Louisiana that runs the state as his own private kingdom. One of the subplots is how he and his people are able to develop a genetic splice that enables a person to think of two different things simultaneously. In the end of the novel, Great and Oscar become infected with this malady, although they make it 'work'. Huey perfected the process with a group of Haitians who escaped to they bayou. Most thought that the way they acted was because of their strange religion, Haitian Vodou, but there was more to the story.

Many branches of the American armed forces are completely unfunded and resort to shaking down the local citizens. They set up roadblocks to exact these 'tolls'.

The Buna Laboratory including the Hot Zone (an area in the lab that is completely sealed and covered by a dome). Many forms of animals that have become extinct have been recreated and run free lab at the facility. These animals are sometimes given as gifts and are very rare and expensive.


Moderators vs. Regulators- These are blocks of the disenfranchised that have formed sophisticated 'gangs' and battle for turf. They are completely off the grid. I guess most Americans work and live below the government. The Regs are working clandestinely for Green Heuy and the Mods work for Oscar and President Two Feathers.

President Two Feathers- The American president of American Indian heritage. He is a super wealthy casino owner and operator and heads up the executive branch. There are sixteen major political parties in the America of 2044

CDIA- The Civil Defense Intelligence Agency. This agency was formed to enlist the aid of the Moderators to help the president return order to the state. This is a way to stop Huey and to help Oscar

War with Netherlands- The Netherlands has been negatively impacted by global warming and is antagonistic to the US. President Two Feathers declares war on the country only to shift out from under The Emergency Measures that has impacted the federal government. Measures put in place during and Emergency can only be undone during time of war. Reminded me of the theme in the old novel, THE MOUSE THAT ROARED.

Loved the book and although I've read some by Sterling and also some of his collaboration with William Gibson, I definitely want to read some more by Sterling.