The Quantum Thief – Hannu Rajaniemi
Hachette Gollancz, 2010
336 pages
RRP: AU$32.99
ISBN: 9780575088887

Reviewed by Kate Smith

This was an interesting choice for me as I don’t usually go for science fiction.  Intrigued enough to give it a go, I was not disappointed.  The first thirty pages or so needed to be slogged through as the story was given its foundation but hang in there as the tale definitely gets more engaging.

Jean is a thief who buried his memories before being caught and spending time in a prison that runs its inmates through situations that require them to make choices on behaviour.  Broken out of prison by Miele and her employer he is then required by his rescuers to steal an important item; however before he can do so Jean must remember who he was, a high-end thief with a remarkable reputation.  Heading for Mars, the first thing Jean has to steal is his identity.  On the planet, an investigator, Isidore, seeks to capture Jean before he breaks any more laws.  History and present come together as Jean seeks to find out who he was and who he will be. The Quantum Thief is a journey of self-discovery, self-realisation and what we are prepared to do in order toachieve the things we believe to be important.

Another concept that The Quantum Thief brings up is that of how life can and should, or should not, be lived.  Who should be in charge of societies, should people be happy to be directed if they live happy lives, are prisons really prisons if you don’t know you’re in one, and what you do with the time that is given you, are all questions that are touched on in the course of the plot.  The games that people play on a grand scale seeking power and influence and whether those games are worth the effort compared to the satisfaction of a quiet life well lived can also be seen in the plot.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Quantum Thief but perhaps more for the ideas that the plot throws up than for the plot itself. This is a stand alone text, but it is also the best precursor that I have read for some time.  Even if the genre is not your usual first port of call with a novel, give The Quantum Thief a chance as there is a lot potentially to be gained from it including an enjoyable read.