However, Sorel criticized the deterministic, materialist, and mechanist components of Marxism. The Mechanist philosophy favors individualism more than the collectivist Shapers. Meanwhile, Karras hides inside the Mechanist cathedral in preparation for his plan. The story was Sterling's only novel-length treatment of the Shaper/Mechanist universe. One recurring theme in the Shaper/Mechanist universe is that of the commodification of humanity. He took a firmly mechanist approach to the subject. Bruce Sterling's Shaper/Mechanist cycle is also seen as a major influence. Constantine attempts to kill Lindsay but instead kills a Mechanist, creating a scandal. A mechanist by profession, Hollai joined the Hungarian foreign service in 1949.