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Archform: Beauty #1
Archform: Beauty
Four centuries in the future, the world is rich—nanomachines watch the health of the wealthy and manufacture food and gadgets for everybody—but no utopia, as we see in the lives of five very different people: a singing teacher, a news researcher, a police investigator, a politician and a ruthless businessman. Alternating the voices and experiences of these five characters in a tour de force of imaginative creation, Modesitt overlaps, combines and builds their disparate stories into a brilliant tale of future crime and investigation, aesthetic challenge and a personal triumph. When there's nothing left to need or want, will beauty live on in people's lives or disappear forever? L.E. Modesitt, Jr., asks difficult questions, sets himself unlikely challenges and once again delivers an absorbing tale that enlightens, entertains and uplifts all at once.
339 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published July 19, 2002
21 people are currently reading
545 people want to read
About the author
L.E. Modesitt Jr.
186Ìýbooks2,539ÌýfollowersL. E. (Leland Exton) Modesitt, Jr. is an author of science fiction and fantasy novels. He is best known for the fantasy series The Saga of Recluce. He graduated from Williams College in Massachusetts, lived in Washington, D.C. for 20 years, then moved to New Hampshire in 1989 where he met his wife. They relocated to Cedar City, Utah in 1993.
He has worked as a Navy pilot, lifeguard, delivery boy, unpaid radio disc jockey, real estate agent, market research analyst, director of research for a political campaign, legislative assistant for a Congressman, Director of Legislation and Congressional Relations for the United States Environmental Protection Agency, a consultant on environmental, regulatory, and communications issues, and a college lecturer and writer in residence.
In addition to his novels, Mr. Modesitt has published technical studies and articles, columns, poetry, and a number of science fiction stories. His first short story, "The Great American Economy", was published in 1973 in Analog Science Fiction and Science Fact.
-Wikipedia
He has worked as a Navy pilot, lifeguard, delivery boy, unpaid radio disc jockey, real estate agent, market research analyst, director of research for a political campaign, legislative assistant for a Congressman, Director of Legislation and Congressional Relations for the United States Environmental Protection Agency, a consultant on environmental, regulatory, and communications issues, and a college lecturer and writer in residence.
In addition to his novels, Mr. Modesitt has published technical studies and articles, columns, poetry, and a number of science fiction stories. His first short story, "The Great American Economy", was published in 1973 in Analog Science Fiction and Science Fact.
-Wikipedia
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
November 17, 2019
This is set in the future (400 years hence) but, apart from the tech, it could have been set in almost any time. It's basically about corruption in politics and business (and people). There's also a minimal love story tacked onto the end but I suspect that this is just a device to give us a happy ending.
Multiple points of view are the stand-out feature of this story, which means, in this case, that everything is told first-person through the mouths of a politician, a business-person, a newscast researcher, a musician and a detective. I might have missed one out, but they are the main ones. Writing the novel in this way means that the story can get into all the nooks and crannies of the story and present all the pieces of information that are needed. It's a pretty good structure because it keeps the story flowing and keeps it interesting. There's not as much difference in the voices as I would have liked, but maybe they're like that in the future (because they can read each other's mind (kind of) through the tech).
The first seven-eighths of the book is fairly slow-moving and it only really sparks into life towards the very end when all the individual threads start to come together into one rope. The ending, though is easy to predict from very early on in the novel, so it ends up being not so much about finding out what it's all about, but finding out how well the author can portray it.
I like this book more than I thought I would. It looks like pulp sci-fi when you look at the size of the book and the cover. I didn't like it as much as I should have done, though - it's not really sci-fi (which is what I wanted) it's more like a corporate detective story. Read it if you like that sort of thing.
Multiple points of view are the stand-out feature of this story, which means, in this case, that everything is told first-person through the mouths of a politician, a business-person, a newscast researcher, a musician and a detective. I might have missed one out, but they are the main ones. Writing the novel in this way means that the story can get into all the nooks and crannies of the story and present all the pieces of information that are needed. It's a pretty good structure because it keeps the story flowing and keeps it interesting. There's not as much difference in the voices as I would have liked, but maybe they're like that in the future (because they can read each other's mind (kind of) through the tech).
The first seven-eighths of the book is fairly slow-moving and it only really sparks into life towards the very end when all the individual threads start to come together into one rope. The ending, though is easy to predict from very early on in the novel, so it ends up being not so much about finding out what it's all about, but finding out how well the author can portray it.
I like this book more than I thought I would. It looks like pulp sci-fi when you look at the size of the book and the cover. I didn't like it as much as I should have done, though - it's not really sci-fi (which is what I wanted) it's more like a corporate detective story. Read it if you like that sort of thing.
October 22, 2018
Essentially a gumshoe crime novel set four centuries from now. Politics and states are now organised on a continental basis (NorAm, EurAm, Afrique, etc) though a troublesome place called Russea and the Aghanate are still around to bother world peace. Oh yeah, there's also a Martian Republic with a bunch of beefs about accessing Earth's technology.
And there's a lot of technology to covert. Most material needs seem to be met through 'forumulation' - sort of 3D printing a guess. Nanites have also been perfected, for those who can afford them, providing the mechanics of healthcare and personal security. Access to what sounds like the internet seems to be plugged directly into the skull, allowing people to access data or communicate with each other through 'linking'.
But this is no utopia. It is a highly unequal society, with a wealth elite everyone calls 'filch'. Their power is rooted in ownership of corporations and professions, like law, which service them. Below them the 'saroman' are alluded to, as well as 'simmies', who seem to be people who have gone through some sort of lobotomy and to be rendered pliable according the to will of the 25th century authorities.
People lead lives that are recognisable to us 21st century people. They get up in the morning, journey to work, and wonder how they are going to earn enough to pay bills. There's an 'ebol14' epidemic on the streets, which doesn't both the filch because they have nanite-supported health boosts, but is sweeping through the ranks of ordinary citizens. Culture seems to have been flattened by something called 'resonance', or 'rez', which sounds like a subliminal dimension to things like music, news reporting, advertising, etc, which make it particularly palatable, especially when enhanced through a narcotic called 'soop'.
There is also crime, and the plot unfolds around a series of deaths which have the appearance of accidents or suicide, but prompting unease in the minds of at least one police investigator and a 'newsie' (news reporter). The novel draws in others - a filch industrialist, a music professor, and a politician - giving them chapters to tell first-person accounts of their involvement in the storyline. The tone of the writing is terse, Chandler-like. There is no effort to provide a context for the 21st century reader and an understanding of what 'rez' is, or why traditional acoustic voice music has fallen badly out of favour (an important sub-theme in the book) is picked by reading between the lines and, hopefully, intelligent guesswork. It worked for me.
And there's a lot of technology to covert. Most material needs seem to be met through 'forumulation' - sort of 3D printing a guess. Nanites have also been perfected, for those who can afford them, providing the mechanics of healthcare and personal security. Access to what sounds like the internet seems to be plugged directly into the skull, allowing people to access data or communicate with each other through 'linking'.
But this is no utopia. It is a highly unequal society, with a wealth elite everyone calls 'filch'. Their power is rooted in ownership of corporations and professions, like law, which service them. Below them the 'saroman' are alluded to, as well as 'simmies', who seem to be people who have gone through some sort of lobotomy and to be rendered pliable according the to will of the 25th century authorities.
People lead lives that are recognisable to us 21st century people. They get up in the morning, journey to work, and wonder how they are going to earn enough to pay bills. There's an 'ebol14' epidemic on the streets, which doesn't both the filch because they have nanite-supported health boosts, but is sweeping through the ranks of ordinary citizens. Culture seems to have been flattened by something called 'resonance', or 'rez', which sounds like a subliminal dimension to things like music, news reporting, advertising, etc, which make it particularly palatable, especially when enhanced through a narcotic called 'soop'.
There is also crime, and the plot unfolds around a series of deaths which have the appearance of accidents or suicide, but prompting unease in the minds of at least one police investigator and a 'newsie' (news reporter). The novel draws in others - a filch industrialist, a music professor, and a politician - giving them chapters to tell first-person accounts of their involvement in the storyline. The tone of the writing is terse, Chandler-like. There is no effort to provide a context for the 21st century reader and an understanding of what 'rez' is, or why traditional acoustic voice music has fallen badly out of favour (an important sub-theme in the book) is picked by reading between the lines and, hopefully, intelligent guesswork. It worked for me.
December 20, 2017
A review
Very different from his other books, but just as good, if not better. I really couldn't put it down. All of Modesitts' are 5 star. I highly recommend them all. My favorite is the Ethos Effect.
Very different from his other books, but just as good, if not better. I really couldn't put it down. All of Modesitts' are 5 star. I highly recommend them all. My favorite is the Ethos Effect.
September 1, 2021
This was an interesting little thriller, with a sci-fi futuristic setting. I'm not sure that the premise of the book was achieved, which was an exploration of different aspects of society and what is beautiful within those parts, or professions. Elegance? Maybe, but not necessarily beautiful. Also, the characters themselves were narrating what they thought was beautiful, but the plot didn't fit together beautifully, and that's why I'm not sure if this book was successful or not. The plot wrapped up tidily, and I could see where it was going, once all of the characters started communicating with one another, and it avoided falling into a trap that I feared it would fall into, which was a pleasant surprise. Overall, it was enjoyable, but not one of Modesitt's best
November 22, 2017
Different perspectives of different characters in different chapters. Much of the writing is in coded shorthand futurespeak which is initially difficult to follow.
Themes: politics, crime, hypnotic rhythmic resonance, social commentary on music, materialism, and pop culture. The future may have lots of cool gadgets, but would it be better?
A detective is trying to determine if assorted suicides and accidents are all linked and all really murder to cover a larger plot. You may know who is doing the crimes, but the hard part is gathering evidence to prove what you know.
The red-haired woman on the cover is a "classical" (pre-Collapse) singer who rants against modern music. She is also unwittingly a key element to the puzzle.
Themes: politics, crime, hypnotic rhythmic resonance, social commentary on music, materialism, and pop culture. The future may have lots of cool gadgets, but would it be better?
A detective is trying to determine if assorted suicides and accidents are all linked and all really murder to cover a larger plot. You may know who is doing the crimes, but the hard part is gathering evidence to prove what you know.
The red-haired woman on the cover is a "classical" (pre-Collapse) singer who rants against modern music. She is also unwittingly a key element to the puzzle.
October 23, 2014
3.5 stars.
May 5, 2020
In ARCHFORM: BEAUTY Modesitt once again tackles hard philosophical questions (this time, of how society functions and what justifies art) in the framework of a fast-paced story. In a not-too-far-distant future, "Denv" is the capital of "NorAm", a state that acknowledges a faintly delineated world government (casual mentions of the WP [World Police] and PDF [Planetary Defense Force]. Mars, once a colony, has successfully rebelled to become the Martian Republic, and still bears enmity to Earth, occasionally "accidentally" bombarding the mother planet with asteroids. Four protagonists (an assistant professor of vocal music, a senator, a Denv police detective, and a media news researcher) encounter and combat in parallel the moves of a ruthless business executive with ties to organized crime, who is attempting to sell Earth technology to the Martian Republic, callously murdering anyone whose actions might expose him. Modesitt's fast-moving plot involves us with each of these people as they touch various strands of the plot (strands which weave together as we watch how their society works) until the full extent of the executive's machinations are revealed. Although lightly delineated, Modesitt's deft touch brings each person alive for the reader. While becoming involved with each individual, the reader sees how their lives intertwine to portray a functioning society, how politics can be as much of an art as music, and how valuable the synthesis of information can be. Once more, Modesitt does what he does best--creating a multi-levelled work that can be read as a future police procedural as much as for a thoughtful depiction of a future society.
November 6, 2024
As always, I do enjoy Modesitt's work. This was probably the lightest on philosophical exposition of his books I've read so far. And, he still manages to write a great story with a clear position staked out, yet in such a way that I can't for the life of me figure out his real world political leanings. It is incredibly refreshing, and far more effective at getting me to think fairly about the positions of those with whom I disagree.
Politics, business, music, journalism and law enforcement. Linked together by the examination of a particularly skilled practitioner of each who demonstrates the beauty of a job done well and with passion. Though that does bring up one quibble I have. Maybe it is because I listened to the audio book, but the repetition of the word beauty got distracting at times. I get it, it is the theme, but occasionally it seemed heavy handed. Minor point, and as I said, it might not have been as noticeable to me if I had read the book rather than listened to it. Or, if he had just named the book Archform? The repetition may not have stood out so much if beauty weren't also in the title.
Regardless, this is again an excellent book. It feels a little different from the author's other works, but if you liked them, I'm pretty sure you will enjoy this also.
Politics, business, music, journalism and law enforcement. Linked together by the examination of a particularly skilled practitioner of each who demonstrates the beauty of a job done well and with passion. Though that does bring up one quibble I have. Maybe it is because I listened to the audio book, but the repetition of the word beauty got distracting at times. I get it, it is the theme, but occasionally it seemed heavy handed. Minor point, and as I said, it might not have been as noticeable to me if I had read the book rather than listened to it. Or, if he had just named the book Archform? The repetition may not have stood out so much if beauty weren't also in the title.
Regardless, this is again an excellent book. It feels a little different from the author's other works, but if you liked them, I'm pretty sure you will enjoy this also.
November 23, 2018
Political Crime Thriller set in 24th century earth. The author throws you right into the world with little explanation. The jargon, acronyms, spellings are overwhelming - especially in the beginning. It took chapters to get used to and still there were things I didn’t understand. The pervasiveness of technology is amazing - music, medical, security, transportation, food formulators. The writing in first person as it switched from each of the 5 main characters was cool but also took some getting used to.
The story was fast paced and gripping at times. The crime investigation was cool. Some intricacies of the politics I never fully followed. The rich vs the poor was ever present. Privacy and judicial punishment were fascinating topics that were not explored or minimally explained - they just sort of were. That goes back to the author throwing (immersing) the reader in a future world with little fanfare. And that made the book difficult to read. The story did build up steam and had a satisfying ending.
The story was fast paced and gripping at times. The crime investigation was cool. Some intricacies of the politics I never fully followed. The rich vs the poor was ever present. Privacy and judicial punishment were fascinating topics that were not explored or minimally explained - they just sort of were. That goes back to the author throwing (immersing) the reader in a future world with little fanfare. And that made the book difficult to read. The story did build up steam and had a satisfying ending.
January 5, 2020
Sorry, I couldn't finish this. It jumped to so many different characters, back and forth, and I didn't care about most of them, or the story's outcome. Something about a murder and a strange creative force that compels people to kill themselves, I think. Blah!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 19, 2020
Just okay. The book had a few mysteries but only bothered to answer / solve one of them and the romance was an unnecessary after-thought.
It was interesting reading of a developing plague during this pandemic and see the author's take on what the future holds for such issues.
It was interesting reading of a developing plague during this pandemic and see the author's take on what the future holds for such issues.
May 5, 2024
With shifting view points and large numbers of characters, I found the beginning a bit confusing. This is a murder mystery set in the future. Believable characters and good story arc. In some ways the protagonist reminded me of a Mafia don.
August 25, 2017
It was hard to attach to most of the characters. I pretty much only cared about the musician and that was it.
Shelved as 'sony-or-android'
March 17, 2022rec'd on Optimistic Post-apocalyptic. Worth a shot as the blurb could be saying stuff to appeal to other readers, whereas Modesitt may have written something a little more interesting....
January 30, 2025
It would have been 5 stars as its a great story and being empty in a bountiful future, but the point of view changes got a little confusing at times for me.
April 2, 2025
I'm surprised by the low overall star rating for this excellent near future science fiction novel. I really enjoyed it. Tight, focussed plotting, good characterization and neat world building.
June 14, 2010
A music teacher who deplores the degradation of music. A police lieutenant dealing with an inexplicable series of suicides connected with the new music -- or is it two different series from different causes? A news station researcher whose analysis of the numbers leads him to at least one deadly plot. A senator with an actual sense of responsibility. A crime lord who would do anything, anything, to enhance his family's position. And is the 4th mutation of ebola, currently sweeping the world, an underhanded attack?
Modesitt follows an interesting group of characters to expose what is inside all these plot threads. With all he intended to explore, he could have bulked the book out to twice its length, but he resisted the temptation. I think the result is a tad underdeveloped, because he chose to focus on the multi-part plot, not on making his world real. That will better suit the tastes of some readers.
Modesitt follows an interesting group of characters to expose what is inside all these plot threads. With all he intended to explore, he could have bulked the book out to twice its length, but he resisted the temptation. I think the result is a tad underdeveloped, because he chose to focus on the multi-part plot, not on making his world real. That will better suit the tastes of some readers.
January 3, 2015
It's been a long time since I read anything by Modesitt, but this was on the new shelf at the library. The story takes place a few hundred years in the future, but it could easily have been no more than 75 years from now. All the issues are contemporary, so I would hope some of them would be solved that far into the future. There are 5 main characters, and POV shifts rapidly from one character to the next. Scenes are usually no more than a couple pages long. This could be ok if their voices were different, but they are much too similar and all are in first person. Only one, the detective, really has a distinct speaking style. I had to keep looking to see I was reading as the sections shifted. It was an ok read, but I probably won't bother with the next one in the series.
January 4, 2013
The threads of five seemingly unrelated lives are woven together to create a story which hangs together in the end. I found my enjoyment increased once I reached the point where I could start to see some of the connections between the different people.
Each of the characters percieves beauty in a different way, from the traditional music/art to the beauty inherent in politics, police work, and data analysis.
The book was quite slow to get started. I found the constant jumping from one character to the next to be irritating, as it took much longer to find out anything about the characters. However, overall it was a good read.
Each of the characters percieves beauty in a different way, from the traditional music/art to the beauty inherent in politics, police work, and data analysis.
The book was quite slow to get started. I found the constant jumping from one character to the next to be irritating, as it took much longer to find out anything about the characters. However, overall it was a good read.
July 31, 2011
This is pretty good science fiction story, with the plot advanced by five alternating viewpoint characters. It all ties up to a satisfying conclusion, though it seems a bit rushed and comes together almost too-smoothly at the very end. The only big problem I had was that the author goes overboard in the use of made-up "future-words" to the extent that I almost completely lost what was happening in some sections. Still, the good characterization made it a worth-while read.
September 13, 2023
Background question: should society expose students to the fine arts? Short answer yes.
Five characters illuminate a corrupt post climate collapse society.
Beauty - An attractive music teacher and classic singer.
Politician - A patriarchal somewhat ethical character.
Mobster - A murderous monster.
Detective - A dutiful, intelligent man.
News Researcher - A bright historian.
There's not much action, it's more a character and societal study. I enjoyed it, but it's an unusual novel.
Five characters illuminate a corrupt post climate collapse society.
Beauty - An attractive music teacher and classic singer.
Politician - A patriarchal somewhat ethical character.
Mobster - A murderous monster.
Detective - A dutiful, intelligent man.
News Researcher - A bright historian.
There's not much action, it's more a character and societal study. I enjoyed it, but it's an unusual novel.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 9, 2010
Took me forever to read this book, only because I was in information school and it's kind of about information technologies. So it was a bit of an overload on information philosophy. Even so, pretty neat book. It's about five characters that are all unrelated that eventually become intermingled. Kind of like a Tarantino movie but way nerdier. Sci-Fi rules. :P
February 2, 2013
This is "entry-level" Modesitt... Very light on the philosophical stuff, hardly any in the story itself, just the three "excerpts" and the tie-ins at the end about the different meanings of beauty. Good in itself, but not what I'm looking for in SF; I want concepts that really make me think hard, as in his other SF books.
July 5, 2014
interesting start to a series. Sci - Fi this time for Modesitt. The characters were well done but the end seemed slightly rushed.
Worth reading if you can get ahold of copies and he doesn't take forever to get a sequel out.
Worth reading if you can get ahold of copies and he doesn't take forever to get a sequel out.
November 16, 2015
Far future sci-fi where nanotechnology fixes everything. Written from five perspectives, each written from first-person. Gave it 100 pages and gave up. Just went nowhere for me and too confusing/scattershot to stick around to see where these perspectives merge (I assume that happens).
December 24, 2015
This fare from Modesitt is radically different from his Recluse and Imagier series. Archform is set in the future with a jargon laden language that makes the story a little difficult to get into. Basically a science fiction mystery and cold war thriller combined.
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August 23, 2008isbn,original
September 14, 2011
Three centuries in the future from several perspectives/narrators with a detective and a journalist trying to solve corporate crimes.
November 27, 2023
A fun sci-fi mystery. There's one POV that I'm not totally sold on, but overall a good book, with a lot packed in.
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