One local family shares their memories in common via a members-only Conversation, thanks to their ancestor’s bargain with the Other-bonded Oracle.Īnd that’s just the smallest sample of how Tidhar works memory, data, and the transfer of personal information into his setting. The Others are (perhaps) small pieces of the Conversation that have gained sentience and, in select cases, bonded themselves to living humans. Data-vampires suck the Conversation straight from their victims. Memcordists use implants to upload everything that happens to them to the Conversation something their fan bases appreciate. The vast majority of Central Station’s inhabitants have nodes that allow them to tap into and participate fully in the Conversation, which they utilize for everything from casual fact checks to full-scale immersion in gaming environments that provide reliable income for millions of people. The meditations on memory, in particular, make their way to us via the Conversation, which is basically the internet all grown up and ready to party. Themes abound, with memory, religion, and family being the moment prominent. Unconventional plotting doesn’t mean shallow content, as any litfic reader can tell you.

Instead, his work issues an invitation to consider the many ways people might come together in a futuristic society that’s traveled to the stars but still has firm ties to Earth. Tidhar isn’t interested in providing the reader with many answers. Proximity and familiarity, not a common goal, draw these characters together. Tidhar has reworked the stories so they form a novel, but I’d caution you not to expect much in the way of a traditional plot. Prominent families, notorious groups, and established social fixtures abound, and the story herein gives everyone plenty of opportunity to hobnob with others (and Others) from across Central Station’s width and breadth.ĬENTRAL STATION began life as a series of short stories published in a variety of magazines and anthologies between 20, with two chapters being original to this volume. Central Station-both the massive structure and the neighbourhood to which it lends its name-lies between Israeli Tel Aviv and Arab Jaffa and is home to a diverse group of people: racially, economically, religiously, and technologically. Lavie Tidhar’s CENTRAL STATION centres on a futuristic space port and the surrounding community. Review copy provided by the publisher via NetGalley

Seven Vampires by Lavie Tidhar