The Dreams of Ida Rothschild: The ScreenMasters, Book 2

Purdin closes out his ScreenMasters trilogy (following Sargasso) with a sweeping and often baffling novel that flings readers through time and space, unraveling the secrets and history of this elaborate universe. At the turn of the 20th century, Ida Rothschild, used by her family to secure a financially advantageous marriage, attempts to end her life. When she awakens, she finds herself reborn into a future world where prejudices and greed are supposedly obliterated. Ida herself is now a sentient robot with the unique potential to create life, fulfilling the plans of the creators and finally realizing humanity’s promise. Readers who enjoy unusual worldbuilding will find plenty in Purdin’s dauntingly vast, multidimensional universe; the book comes complete with graphs and a timeline. However, his utopian philosophy feels too familiar in its emphasis on land ownership, all-knowing hierarchies, and erased differences (other than gender, which manifests in predictable ways), and the overly elaborate prose and bloated plot, hampered by changes in time periods and perspectives without warning, often result in confusion instead of revelation. This challenging work is not always worth the effort. (Jan.)