Aristoi (novel)
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 Cover of first edition (hardcover) |
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| Author | Walter Jon Williams |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre(s) | Science fiction novel |
| Publisher | Tor Books |
| Released | 1992 |
| Media type | Print (Hardcover & Paperback) |
| Pages | 448 pp |
| ISBN | ISBN 0-312-85172-3 |
Aristoi is a 1992 science fiction novel by Walter Jon Williams. It was one of the preliminary candidates for the 1993 Hugo Award for Best Novel in a particularly competitive year (only the second year in the award's history in which there was a tie). The cover art for Aristoi was nominated for the 1993 Hugo Award for Best Original Artwork.
[edit] Plot introduction
The novel describes a technologically advanced society with a rigid hierarchy of social classes. The top class, the "Aristoi," are given the ultimate responsibility: that of managing nanotechnology.
One feature of this novel is that the Aristoi can split their minds into daimones, or "limited sub-personalities", all which can operate as independent mental entities subjugated under the will of the main 'self' of the Aristos. In virtual reality, deployed through an implanted brain-computer interface, these can even be manifested as distinct individuals.
Also in this novel, Williams frequently uses the device of splitting the text into two columns in order to represent characters' simultaneous interactions with multiple daimones and/or persons.
