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It 's still a big , thought-provoking hard-SF novel in the traditional vein , still badly marred by the whiff of pornography and carnography that hangs about it . I also agree that he has become an average quarterback , but in this day and age an " average " pro athlete commands incredible amounts of money . In this bizarre and marvelous book , Gibson & Stirling give us a Victorian techno-thriller , an alternate-history speculation worked out in a depth that recalls Heinlein 's future history . He searches for honest work , but his reputation precludes his obtaining a normal job , and he ends up working for a traveling fair , using his extraordinary skills with a gun . It was a solid structure , with massy door , sooner than open which in the absence of the " Dominie , " we would all have willingly perished by the peine forte et dure .