''Keeping It Real'' is a

science fiction Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel unive ...

novel A novel is a relatively long work of narrative fiction, typically written in prose and published as a book. The present English word for a long work of prose fiction derives from the for "new", "news", or "short story of something new", itsel ...

by British writer by

Justina Robson Justina Robson (born 11 June 1968 in Leeds, England) is a science fiction author from Leeds, England. Biography and publishing history Justina Robson was born in Leeds on 11 June 1968, and studied philosophy and linguistics at the University o ...

, the first in the Quantum Gravity series.

Synopsis

Agent Lila Black is a

cyborg A cyborg ()—a portmanteau of ''cybernetic'' and ''organism''—is a being with both organic and biomechatronic body parts. The term was coined in 1960 by Manfred Clynes and Nathan S. Kline.

operative for Earth Security, six years after the quantum bomb fractured reality and allowed

elves An elf () is a type of humanoid supernatural being in Germanic mythology and folklore. Elves appear especially in North Germanic mythology. They are subsequently mentioned in Snorri Sturluson's Icelandic Prose Edda. He distinguishes "ligh ...

fairies A fairy (also fay, fae, fey, fair folk, or faerie) is a type of mythical being or legendary creature found in the folklore of multiple European cultures (including Celtic, Slavic, Germanic, English, and French folklore), a form of spirit, o ...

demons A demon is a malevolent supernatural entity. Historically, belief in demons, or stories about demons, occurs in religion, occultism, literature, fiction, mythology, and folklore; as well as in media such as comics, video games, movies, anime, ...

and other magical creatures access to the Earth. Agent Black is assigned to protect the first Elven rock star, Zal, whose decision to live amongst humans and 'go native' has been met with considerable animosity amongst his own people. Black has to protect Zal from death or capture whilst uncovering secrets that threaten the relationships between the realms.

Reception

Publishers Weekly ''Publishers Weekly'' (''PW'') is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers, and literary agents. Published continuously since 1872, it has carried the tagline, "The International News Magazine of B ...

'' called it "entertaining", with "deft prose".Keeping It Real
reviewed at ''

''; published January 29, 2007; retrieved May 4, 2022 ''

GamesRadar ''GamesRadar+'' (formerly ''GamesRadar'') is an entertainment website for video game-related news, previews, and reviews. It is owned by Future plc. In late 2014, Future Publishing-owned sites ''Total Film'', '' SFX'', ''Edge'' and '' Computer ...

'' described it as "serious fun", emphasizing its "breakneck pace, oneliners and action set-pieces", but also its "deeper themes surrounding identity, sexual politics and the clash of cultures".KEEPING IT REAL - QUANTUM GRAVITY, BOOK ONE REVIEW
reviewed by Jonathan Wright, at ''

''; published September 17, 2006; retrieved May 4, 2022 ''

Infinity Plus ''Infinity Plus'' (sometimes stylized as ''infinity plus'' and ''infinityplus'') was a science fiction webzine active from 1997 to 2007,

'' praised its "well-written characters, witty dialogue and, in this case, tons of popcultural references", particularly commending Robson for having addressed "the sheer weight of extensive prosthetics and how it must feel when the servos quit working", but faulted the extent to which "the fast-paced narrative gets muddled by a lot of elven intrigue, which is difficult to follow and which didn't engage

he reviewer's He or HE may refer to: Language * He (pronoun), an English pronoun * He (kana), the romanization of the Japanese kana へ * He (letter), the fifth letter of many Semitic alphabets * He (Cyrillic), a letter of the Cyrillic script called ''He'' in ...

interest enough to really try."Keeping it Real: Quantum Gravity Book One
reviewed by Jakob Schmidt, at ''

Infinity Plus ''Infinity Plus'' (sometimes stylized as ''infinity plus'' and ''infinityplus'') was a science fiction webzine active from 1997 to 2007,

''; published March 31, 2007; retrieved May 4, 2022 At ''

Strange Horizons ''Strange Horizons'' is an online speculative fiction magazine. It also features speculative poetry and nonfiction in every issue, including reviews, essays, interviews, and roundtables. History and profile It was launched in September 2000, and ...

'',

Colin Harvey James Colin Harvey (born 16 November 1944 in Liverpool, England) is an English former footballer who is best known for his time as a player, coach and manager with Everton. Playing career Harvey was born in Liverpool and joined Everton as ...

found it to be "the most densely plotted fantasy novel" since

Roger Zelazny Roger Joseph Zelazny (May 13, 1937 – June 14, 1995) was an American poet and writer of fantasy and science fiction short stories and novels, best known for ''The Chronicles of Amber''. He won the Nebula Award three times (out of 14 nomin ...

's ''

The Chronicles of Amber ''The Chronicles of Amber'' is a series of fantasy novels by American writer Roger Zelazny. The main series consists of two story arcs, each five novels in length. Additionally, there are a number of Amber short stories and other works. Four a ...

'', lauding "Robson’s efforts to give magic logical underpinnings", with Lila being a "credible and sympathetic überspy" despite having "a huge backstory for a twenty-one-year-old, perhaps too much to be entirely credible".KEEPING IT REAL BY JUSTINA ROBSON
reviewed by

; published July 17, 2006; retrieved May 4, 2022

References

2006 science fiction novels 2006 novels Science fantasy novels Victor Gollancz Ltd books {{2000s-sf-novel-stub