Gaia's Toys

This ambitious tale of eco-terrorism from the author of Slow Funeral is a sweet and sour mix. Though extremely exciting on the action-adventure level, and rich in ideas of political philosophy, it offers inadequate character motivation and falls short of building a seamless, wholly believable future world. The story binds three main characters. Willie, a ``drode head'' with a hardwired skull, works for the government and owns a bio-engineered pet mantis; Allison, an eco-terrorist, is captured and turned by the feds after her Green friends dupe her into setting off a baby nuke; Dorcas, the scientist who created the mantis, is trying to design bugs that will be even more ecologically stimulating. Despite bouts of muddy writing, the energy behind Ore's takes on the ecological problems of our near future--including the dangers of overpopulation and uncontrolled technological expansion--render this a vital, thought-provoking novel. (Aug.)