IN A BYGONE WORLD OF THE FUTURE: Review

Readers who couldn't care less about exploring such matters will find sufficient distractions in the conspiracies, assassinations, betrayals, rapes and torture scenes that crowd the pages of ''[CHUNG KUO].'' Even when the action pauses for a bit of palaver, someone is bound to keep the hot pot stirring with lines like these: '' 'Maybe you're right, Soren. Maybe he is what you say. But my feelings tell me otherwise. I don't trust him. And if he's here, I'd wager he's up to something.' He paused, then turned, looking back at the pagoda. 'In fact, I'd stake my life on it.' ''