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lienemcs's review against another edition
2.0
Infoquake has a few interesting ideas - "fiefcorps" as the future of entrepreneurial ventures, "bio/logics" software paired up with nanotech to help people modify or amplify their bodily functions, vestigial government entities reduced to marketing their sign-on promotions and benefits packages to attract clientele. The majority of the novel seems to be a rather long read with little actual content, however.
The main character is the largest problem for the author, as he tries to portray some sort of genius anti-hero and explain how he came to be such an ambitious, morally ambiguous player... however the author's biggest problem is, and continues to be, providing some sort of rationale for why the reader should care. More could have been done with the secondary characters and why they choose to hang around with and work for this emotionally immature tyrant, and this would have possibly shown him to be not necessarily more likable, but maybe worthy of being concerned for.
The plot drags until the end, being a mostly empty tale illustrating the main character's ambitions and sort of how he came to be in the position he's in. Towards the end of the novel, the action picks up and it appears as if something interesting is actually going to happen - and then the main character is dropped out of most of the end sequence with little explanation, as a teaser to further novels I suppose.
I had a hard time grasping what exactly the author was trying to say with this novel, unless maybe it was all a lead-up to the one bit of wisdom at the end that actually stuck out from the rest of the novel, perhaps because it was the clearest, truest statement of a goal or ideal in the entire book:
You see this happen every day. A business triumphs over its rivals and gets stronger. Others become jealous and resentful. Eventually, the company's enemies conspire together to bring it down, or it rots from within. It's the same thing that happens with animals...plans...trees. Why? Because there's some mystical force guiding our actions? No, because too much power concentrated in one place creates stasis. And stasis is anathema to a universe that desires constant motion and change. (379)
Overall Infoquake is well-written, but the characters, plot, and timing could use another revision.
06/14/09 CSL
The main character is the largest problem for the author, as he tries to portray some sort of genius anti-hero and explain how he came to be such an ambitious, morally ambiguous player... however the author's biggest problem is, and continues to be, providing some sort of rationale for why the reader should care. More could have been done with the secondary characters and why they choose to hang around with and work for this emotionally immature tyrant, and this would have possibly shown him to be not necessarily more likable, but maybe worthy of being concerned for.
The plot drags until the end, being a mostly empty tale illustrating the main character's ambitions and sort of how he came to be in the position he's in. Towards the end of the novel, the action picks up and it appears as if something interesting is actually going to happen - and then the main character is dropped out of most of the end sequence with little explanation, as a teaser to further novels I suppose.
I had a hard time grasping what exactly the author was trying to say with this novel, unless maybe it was all a lead-up to the one bit of wisdom at the end that actually stuck out from the rest of the novel, perhaps because it was the clearest, truest statement of a goal or ideal in the entire book:
You see this happen every day. A business triumphs over its rivals and gets stronger. Others become jealous and resentful. Eventually, the company's enemies conspire together to bring it down, or it rots from within. It's the same thing that happens with animals...plans...trees. Why? Because there's some mystical force guiding our actions? No, because too much power concentrated in one place creates stasis. And stasis is anathema to a universe that desires constant motion and change. (379)
Overall Infoquake is well-written, but the characters, plot, and timing could use another revision.
06/14/09 CSL
stevereally's review against another edition
3.0
Fairly interesting as long as you're at least something of a science fiction fan.
It's set at least five or six hundred years in the future and has a detailed backstory. So much so, in fact, that there's actually a glossary and timeline at the back of the book. On the one hand, it's cool that Edelman's built such a detailed world from the ground up. On the other hand, it makes it a little harder for the reader to relate to the characters, since the experiences of their lives are so foreign to our own.
The characters aren't really fascinating, but they're developed well enough for a book that should be at least as much about the plot. The story, though, is likewise good but not great. Again, the technological and societal differences and innovations are intriguing. But the narrative is way too much about the business world of Edelman's far future to be terribly compelling if you're not generally very interested in business.
Since I won a free copy from the author (autographed, w00t!) a couple of months ago, I was actually long overdue to read this now. But it's probably not all that urgent in general. It's fun, thought-provoking, and light, and I'd like to read the sequels, I suppose, which it very directly leads into. But I'm not giving them a very high priority nor would I recommend all that high priority for this itself if you've got other stuff you're very eager for.
It's set at least five or six hundred years in the future and has a detailed backstory. So much so, in fact, that there's actually a glossary and timeline at the back of the book. On the one hand, it's cool that Edelman's built such a detailed world from the ground up. On the other hand, it makes it a little harder for the reader to relate to the characters, since the experiences of their lives are so foreign to our own.
The characters aren't really fascinating, but they're developed well enough for a book that should be at least as much about the plot. The story, though, is likewise good but not great. Again, the technological and societal differences and innovations are intriguing. But the narrative is way too much about the business world of Edelman's far future to be terribly compelling if you're not generally very interested in business.
Since I won a free copy from the author (autographed, w00t!) a couple of months ago, I was actually long overdue to read this now. But it's probably not all that urgent in general. It's fun, thought-provoking, and light, and I'd like to read the sequels, I suppose, which it very directly leads into. But I'm not giving them a very high priority nor would I recommend all that high priority for this itself if you've got other stuff you're very eager for.
tagra's review against another edition
1.0
I'm going to abandon this one, which is unfortunate because I was excited about the premise. It's a sci-fi setting with a corporate board room twist which is unique enough that I really wanted to see it play out.
It starts off feeling a lot like Neal Stephenson which was a very good sign. There isn't a lot of over-explanation of concepts which was another very good sign. You're dumped into the world and the characters react to the world and its unique concepts as if it's completely normal, which is great, because for them it IS. None of the concepts are difficult to understand, you orient quickly, and it's interesting to watch the subtleties of the world unfold.
Then you meet Natch, who spends his entire introduction being a prick to everyone. And you think to yourself "Aha, this is probably the villain of the story. A shades-of-grey nuanced antagonist, perhaps?" But then the book does its damnedest to make you sympathize with him, and completely fails on all counts. You also spend a fair amount of time with one of his female underlings who has thoughts like "I hate him so much. I wish I wasn't so attracted to him!" And you think to yourself "..........."
To be fair, I bailed on it before the conclusion, but I couldn't give a single solitary shit about any of the characters. I was interested in their world, but I didn't care about them, I didn't care what they were doing, and I finally went a couple weeks with the book sitting untouched in my bag and then went "Welp. I may as well read something else." It wasn't the setting at all—I was really interested in the corporate angle, even though it means it's a slower pace than your typical sci-fi might be—but there was simply no one to root for and the characters felt forced.
It's too bad because it's a relatively unique approach to a plot and I'd like to see it thrive, but it really needs strong, relateable, characters to carry it. Instead, we have a jackass CEO that I'd like to see shot out of a cannon, while his underlings talk about how much they despise him but also how brilliant and amazing he is. Blurgh.
It starts off feeling a lot like Neal Stephenson which was a very good sign. There isn't a lot of over-explanation of concepts which was another very good sign. You're dumped into the world and the characters react to the world and its unique concepts as if it's completely normal, which is great, because for them it IS. None of the concepts are difficult to understand, you orient quickly, and it's interesting to watch the subtleties of the world unfold.
Then you meet Natch, who spends his entire introduction being a prick to everyone. And you think to yourself "Aha, this is probably the villain of the story. A shades-of-grey nuanced antagonist, perhaps?" But then the book does its damnedest to make you sympathize with him, and completely fails on all counts. You also spend a fair amount of time with one of his female underlings who has thoughts like "I hate him so much. I wish I wasn't so attracted to him!" And you think to yourself "..........."
To be fair, I bailed on it before the conclusion, but I couldn't give a single solitary shit about any of the characters. I was interested in their world, but I didn't care about them, I didn't care what they were doing, and I finally went a couple weeks with the book sitting untouched in my bag and then went "Welp. I may as well read something else." It wasn't the setting at all—I was really interested in the corporate angle, even though it means it's a slower pace than your typical sci-fi might be—but there was simply no one to root for and the characters felt forced.
It's too bad because it's a relatively unique approach to a plot and I'd like to see it thrive, but it really needs strong, relateable, characters to carry it. Instead, we have a jackass CEO that I'd like to see shot out of a cannon, while his underlings talk about how much they despise him but also how brilliant and amazing he is. Blurgh.
meags1's review against another edition
3.0
Another book I read last year and never marked that I am cheating and adding to this year's total....
lisarue's review against another edition
4.0
This book is a little blatant in its presentation of cool ideas and cool scenarios, like the description of how programmers manipulate 3D programs with their control bars, or how government might run if taken over by political action groups. Some plot ends aren't entirely tied up. But if you can enjoy the ideas as loosely tied together by a wild plot, then it's a fun read.
cerv's review against another edition
5.0
I don't remember why I enjoyed this so much, but I really did at the time I read it.
I read second and third books years later and I enjoyed them much less, for various reasons.
The reason being that the author stated that many people misunderstood what he was going for and he reacted to that for the worse, mostly in the third book.
I read second and third books years later and I enjoyed them much less, for various reasons.
The reason being that the author stated that many people misunderstood what he was going for and he reacted to that for the worse, mostly in the third book.
davidsandey's review against another edition
5.0
A fresh and exciting branch on the cyberpunk tree.
Edelman draws the reader into the world of Natch, Jara, Horvil and his many enemies with such ease that it is easy to imagine the wonders of a Bio/Logic, the Multi Network and even the exquisite creation of MultiReal, a collaborative technology that allows one person to create the reality that the desire while the rest of the world subconsciously agrees to it.
The protagonist, Natch, is not a nice guy. He will do anything it takes to get ahead, taking risks and ruthlessly punishing those he thinks are getting in his way. Even knowing what a poor example of a human being he is, it is never hard to root for him while secretly wishing him hoping that he gets his comeuppance.
The book deftly asks many ethical questions about business practices, freedom and most importantly about personal risk vs corporate responsibility. Not all of these questions are answered or even addressed deeply—they are simply to big to be solved in the first third of a story. Personally, I would have been happy with this as a stand-alone book. Questions left hanging don't bother me. I love being left with questions that I have to answer.
I’m definitely looking forward to the next installments. I trust David Louis Edelman to answer the questions that he has raised and to pose even more intersting and challenging ones.
Edelman draws the reader into the world of Natch, Jara, Horvil and his many enemies with such ease that it is easy to imagine the wonders of a Bio/Logic, the Multi Network and even the exquisite creation of MultiReal, a collaborative technology that allows one person to create the reality that the desire while the rest of the world subconsciously agrees to it.
The protagonist, Natch, is not a nice guy. He will do anything it takes to get ahead, taking risks and ruthlessly punishing those he thinks are getting in his way. Even knowing what a poor example of a human being he is, it is never hard to root for him while secretly wishing him hoping that he gets his comeuppance.
The book deftly asks many ethical questions about business practices, freedom and most importantly about personal risk vs corporate responsibility. Not all of these questions are answered or even addressed deeply—they are simply to big to be solved in the first third of a story. Personally, I would have been happy with this as a stand-alone book. Questions left hanging don't bother me. I love being left with questions that I have to answer.
I’m definitely looking forward to the next installments. I trust David Louis Edelman to answer the questions that he has raised and to pose even more intersting and challenging ones.
tachyondecay's review against another edition
3.0
Imagine, if you will, that your body was home to thousands of nanotechnological devices. These devices are the hardware platform for software that controls anything from your heartbeat to your eye colour—the miraculous field known as bio/logics. With the right programming, you can enhance your senses, expand your memory, or cripple your body.
What if Apple decided which bio/logics programs you could run in your body?
That's the question I couldn't get out of my mind as I read Infoquake. David Louis Edelman has taken the typical cyberpunk route, and his Earth of the future is a fractured map of semi-anarchy. Instead of nation-states with centralized governments, individuals subscribe to L-PRACGs, "Local Political Representative Association of Civic Groups." L-PRACGs vary across a spectrum of governmentalism/libertarianism. People may also belong to creeds, which are sort of the secular successor to religion: organized ethical belief systems. Unlike L-PRACGs, however, many creeds hold actual power. The days of government are gone, and creeds, corporations, and the "Defense and Wellness Council" are the new players.
Bio/logics is the centrepiece of Infoquake. It's a software industry, the workhorse of the economy, and for people like Natch, it's almost a way of life. Anyone with the right equipment can create bio/logics programs and sell them on the Data Sea. There are certain entities that play quality control: Dr. Plugenpatch sets standards that any respectable bio/logics program must meet; the Defense and Wellness Council will act against anything perceived as a serious threat. Nevertheless, "black code" is still out there, and people do get infected. This isn't just a computer virus or a malicious phone app: black code can stop your heart.
So there are some elements who want to see a stronger centralized authority for the administration of bio/logics programs (and there are some elements who want the industry even more de-regulated and de-centralized). This reminds me of a similar ideological battle happening in the software industry today. Apple is by no means the only company guilty of this, but it's certainly the poster-child: only Apple gets to decide what runs on the iPhone. Of course, there are alternatives to the iPhone. But what if there weren't? What if one company had the monopoly over what programs literally ran your bodily functions, controlled what you perceive and remember? That is a very scary scenario.
It's also not quite what Infoquake is about. The theme is present in the conflict between Creed Surina and the Defense and Wellness Council, but the MacGuffin of MultiReal is so much more. It's a new technology, and new technology always scares those invested in the status quo. But it's also a catalyst for discussions about the world Edelman has created.
Which makes it all the more troubling that the first hint of MultiReal, indeed of anything mentioned on the back cover, comes almost halfway into the book! After briefly introducing us to the main characters, Edelman devotes the majority of the first 250 pages to Natch's childhood and backstory. It's all very interesting—indeed, it ended up being the more interesting half of the book—but there is a lot more exposition in Infoquake than need be. And that doesn't include the myriad appendices of terms, timelines, and people. Infoquake has one too many infodumps.
What Edelman has done isn't so much worldbuilding as it is construction of a vocabulary of the future. Dr. Plugenpatch, L-PRACG, hives, creeds, geosynchrons, ConfidentialWhisper, connectible, ROD, OCHRES, Data Sea . . . the list goes on. All this terminology makes this future seem functional. Yes, at times, it is overwhelming, but more because of the concepts than the jargon itself. I never felt overloaded by the terminology—and the glossary is useful—but I did have trouble grokking multi-projections, the nature of the Data Sea, and even bio/logic programming itself. Optical code? I have trouble visualizing in general, so I'm not sure I could even program holographically!
It's possible that my predilection for programming predisposes me toward partiality for Infoquake. I'm not sure how a non-programmer would enjoy it, although I think there's definitely more to the book than just a new way of creating software. This is a brave new world with new rules and new mores. And to see that, you need look no further than Natch.
Nominally our protagonist, Natch is still somewhat of a cipher even after Edelman divulges his backstory. I am still not sure what makes him better than his opponents, except that the narration is biased in his favour. Natch is a shrewd businessman and is as ruthless as many of his competitors. He has no qualms about using dirty tricks to get what he wants. It's one such trick that brings him to the attention of Margaret Surina, who lures Natch and his fiefcorp into taking the reins of the MultiReal project. Even though he has no idea what it is, not even its name, prior to taking the job, Natch has a feeling that this is what he has been looking for his entire life, a purpose, a direction.
I never quite warmed to Natch, and I'm sure this is intentional on Edelman's part, because Natch is not a hero. He's not meant to be a hero. Infoquake isn't about the underdog struggling to free the masses from the thumb of the institution, although that conflict is definitely there. No, Natch is another character in a drama no less than the fate of human society itself. We as readers might not care about what direction Natch pursues, but he might influence the course of the entire human species—MultiReal is that important, and Edelman convinced me of that if nothing else. Natch's world is already so different from ours and posed to get much weirder, yet it's still dealing with the same ideological issues that plague us today.
So I'm conflicted about Infoquake. On one hand, it's a mess of exposition, backstory, and unresolved plot. None of the characters are particularly compelling. On the other hand, there were still times when I couldn't stop reading. The idea bio/logics and its crucial place in society is just so fascinating that it shines despite the book's other flaws. Sometimes one great idea is all you need. But it helps if you have a little more than that.
What if Apple decided which bio/logics programs you could run in your body?
That's the question I couldn't get out of my mind as I read Infoquake. David Louis Edelman has taken the typical cyberpunk route, and his Earth of the future is a fractured map of semi-anarchy. Instead of nation-states with centralized governments, individuals subscribe to L-PRACGs, "Local Political Representative Association of Civic Groups." L-PRACGs vary across a spectrum of governmentalism/libertarianism. People may also belong to creeds, which are sort of the secular successor to religion: organized ethical belief systems. Unlike L-PRACGs, however, many creeds hold actual power. The days of government are gone, and creeds, corporations, and the "Defense and Wellness Council" are the new players.
Bio/logics is the centrepiece of Infoquake. It's a software industry, the workhorse of the economy, and for people like Natch, it's almost a way of life. Anyone with the right equipment can create bio/logics programs and sell them on the Data Sea. There are certain entities that play quality control: Dr. Plugenpatch sets standards that any respectable bio/logics program must meet; the Defense and Wellness Council will act against anything perceived as a serious threat. Nevertheless, "black code" is still out there, and people do get infected. This isn't just a computer virus or a malicious phone app: black code can stop your heart.
So there are some elements who want to see a stronger centralized authority for the administration of bio/logics programs (and there are some elements who want the industry even more de-regulated and de-centralized). This reminds me of a similar ideological battle happening in the software industry today. Apple is by no means the only company guilty of this, but it's certainly the poster-child: only Apple gets to decide what runs on the iPhone. Of course, there are alternatives to the iPhone. But what if there weren't? What if one company had the monopoly over what programs literally ran your bodily functions, controlled what you perceive and remember? That is a very scary scenario.
It's also not quite what Infoquake is about. The theme is present in the conflict between Creed Surina and the Defense and Wellness Council, but the MacGuffin of MultiReal is so much more. It's a new technology, and new technology always scares those invested in the status quo. But it's also a catalyst for discussions about the world Edelman has created.
Which makes it all the more troubling that the first hint of MultiReal, indeed of anything mentioned on the back cover, comes almost halfway into the book! After briefly introducing us to the main characters, Edelman devotes the majority of the first 250 pages to Natch's childhood and backstory. It's all very interesting—indeed, it ended up being the more interesting half of the book—but there is a lot more exposition in Infoquake than need be. And that doesn't include the myriad appendices of terms, timelines, and people. Infoquake has one too many infodumps.
What Edelman has done isn't so much worldbuilding as it is construction of a vocabulary of the future. Dr. Plugenpatch, L-PRACG, hives, creeds, geosynchrons, ConfidentialWhisper, connectible, ROD, OCHRES, Data Sea . . . the list goes on. All this terminology makes this future seem functional. Yes, at times, it is overwhelming, but more because of the concepts than the jargon itself. I never felt overloaded by the terminology—and the glossary is useful—but I did have trouble grokking multi-projections, the nature of the Data Sea, and even bio/logic programming itself. Optical code? I have trouble visualizing in general, so I'm not sure I could even program holographically!
It's possible that my predilection for programming predisposes me toward partiality for Infoquake. I'm not sure how a non-programmer would enjoy it, although I think there's definitely more to the book than just a new way of creating software. This is a brave new world with new rules and new mores. And to see that, you need look no further than Natch.
Nominally our protagonist, Natch is still somewhat of a cipher even after Edelman divulges his backstory. I am still not sure what makes him better than his opponents, except that the narration is biased in his favour. Natch is a shrewd businessman and is as ruthless as many of his competitors. He has no qualms about using dirty tricks to get what he wants. It's one such trick that brings him to the attention of Margaret Surina, who lures Natch and his fiefcorp into taking the reins of the MultiReal project. Even though he has no idea what it is, not even its name, prior to taking the job, Natch has a feeling that this is what he has been looking for his entire life, a purpose, a direction.
I never quite warmed to Natch, and I'm sure this is intentional on Edelman's part, because Natch is not a hero. He's not meant to be a hero. Infoquake isn't about the underdog struggling to free the masses from the thumb of the institution, although that conflict is definitely there. No, Natch is another character in a drama no less than the fate of human society itself. We as readers might not care about what direction Natch pursues, but he might influence the course of the entire human species—MultiReal is that important, and Edelman convinced me of that if nothing else. Natch's world is already so different from ours and posed to get much weirder, yet it's still dealing with the same ideological issues that plague us today.
So I'm conflicted about Infoquake. On one hand, it's a mess of exposition, backstory, and unresolved plot. None of the characters are particularly compelling. On the other hand, there were still times when I couldn't stop reading. The idea bio/logics and its crucial place in society is just so fascinating that it shines despite the book's other flaws. Sometimes one great idea is all you need. But it helps if you have a little more than that.
will_sargent's review against another edition
2.0
Imagine if Steve Jobs were transported to a world where people thought he was an asshole and he engaged in sketchy business practices to get to the top. Imagine if you didn't give a shit. Imagine reading this book.
nigellicus's review against another edition
4.0
There’s nothing like a slick, smart, well-written science fiction thriller to set the mind buzzing and racing with strange new ideas and brilliant, imaginative, logical leaps into the future. The reader is plunged into a world that is utterly strange and yet oddly familiar, as the old human passions and drives and desires play their old games in this future funhouse.
The future funhouse of Infoquake, gives us a world where technology is literally built into people, turning them into walking iPhones, and the big business is in creating, developing and selling apps for a populace hungry for novelty and innovation. Fiefcorps compete savagely for their share of the market, and one of the youngest, hungriest and most devious of these fiefcorps is run by a supremely ambitious young man called Natch, along with his old friend Horvil, an engineer, and an analyst called Jara, who finds her conscience under severe strain thanks to some of Natch’s more underhanded strategies. Their exploits bring them to the attention of Margaret Surina, descendant of one of the genuises who helped create the technology that shaped the world. Rumour has it that she may be set to reshape the world again with a mysterious new technology called Multireal.
With enemies and rivals closing in on all sides, Surina convinces Natch to prepare and develop Multireal for demonstration and release in only a few days. But potentially lethal rivals and a crushing deadline are only minor problems compared to the biggest of all: nobody seems to know what Multireal is.
At heart, Infioquake is a old school corporate thriller full of cut-throat boardroom poilitics, maneuvers and counter-maneuvers, back-stabbing and betrayal, all married to a vividly realised world full of wild technological marvels. It’s an adrenaline-fueled ride from start to finish as Neetch and friends fight to stay alive and stay on top.
The future funhouse of Infoquake, gives us a world where technology is literally built into people, turning them into walking iPhones, and the big business is in creating, developing and selling apps for a populace hungry for novelty and innovation. Fiefcorps compete savagely for their share of the market, and one of the youngest, hungriest and most devious of these fiefcorps is run by a supremely ambitious young man called Natch, along with his old friend Horvil, an engineer, and an analyst called Jara, who finds her conscience under severe strain thanks to some of Natch’s more underhanded strategies. Their exploits bring them to the attention of Margaret Surina, descendant of one of the genuises who helped create the technology that shaped the world. Rumour has it that she may be set to reshape the world again with a mysterious new technology called Multireal.
With enemies and rivals closing in on all sides, Surina convinces Natch to prepare and develop Multireal for demonstration and release in only a few days. But potentially lethal rivals and a crushing deadline are only minor problems compared to the biggest of all: nobody seems to know what Multireal is.
At heart, Infioquake is a old school corporate thriller full of cut-throat boardroom poilitics, maneuvers and counter-maneuvers, back-stabbing and betrayal, all married to a vividly realised world full of wild technological marvels. It’s an adrenaline-fueled ride from start to finish as Neetch and friends fight to stay alive and stay on top.