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3.79 AVERAGE
3.79 AVERAGE
adventurous
hopeful
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I was lucky to get an advance copy of this to read and of course I couldn't put it down once I opened the first page.
Once again Daniel Suarez tells a story that while labeled fiction, is close enough to be possible that it scares you. Your first reaction is to think that it could never happen and then the more you read and the more you think you start to realize just how real it could be.
If an agency existed to regulate what innovation humans were allowed to have, would that much power go to their head? Who could stop them if that happened?
I don't want to say anything more to spoil the book, but plain and simple anyone who loves a scientific and technology focused thriller will love this book. The beginning might be a bit painful, but you'll quickly be flipping the pages as quick as you can to see how it all turns out.
Once again Daniel Suarez tells a story that while labeled fiction, is close enough to be possible that it scares you. Your first reaction is to think that it could never happen and then the more you read and the more you think you start to realize just how real it could be.
If an agency existed to regulate what innovation humans were allowed to have, would that much power go to their head? Who could stop them if that happened?
I don't want to say anything more to spoil the book, but plain and simple anyone who loves a scientific and technology focused thriller will love this book. The beginning might be a bit painful, but you'll quickly be flipping the pages as quick as you can to see how it all turns out.
Have read four of Daniel Suarez' books. He is the go-to author for terrifying stories about good technology getting perverted for less than good purpose. This one more than held up to that standard.
Wonderful premise. Forget the picture of social control Orwell shared in 1984. This is chilling.
I don't want to give too much away lest it take away from the fun of discovery in the book. There's lots of physics and (near/far) futuristic innovations and inventions to satisfy your tech geek side. Good story telling that drew me in and kept me reading (quickly) to the last page.
Just the right amount of food for thought mixed in with a great edge of your seat thriller!
Wonderful premise. Forget the picture of social control Orwell shared in 1984. This is chilling.
I don't want to give too much away lest it take away from the fun of discovery in the book. There's lots of physics and (near/far) futuristic innovations and inventions to satisfy your tech geek side. Good story telling that drew me in and kept me reading (quickly) to the last page.
Just the right amount of food for thought mixed in with a great edge of your seat thriller!
Loveable characters:
No
LEEEEEEROY JENKINS
Yes, the review title is relevant to the book :)
If you can make it past 20% it gets good.
Pros:
An amusing supporting cast to a sympathetic main character, Jon Grady, with actual science woven into a thrilling adventure. Good commentary on the advancement of humanity and even more reason to invest in ethics and humanities to temper the dangers of tech.
Cons:
I almost DNFed at 20% because the starting chapters were... rough. I'm a scientist (and sci-fi geek) and even I was overwhelmed and put off by the jargon at the beginning. The lack of women (and icky way the 1 woman was described -- seriously, barely any lady scientists, kinda sad tbh) also put me off.
After finishing Influx I'm glad I kept reading as my early complaints were resolved or became irrelevant as the story progressed, though the "lone brilliant but misunderstood scientist" thing always stretches the limits of suspension of disbelief for me. Four stars for irritating me until it got good.
Yes, the review title is relevant to the book :)
If you can make it past 20% it gets good.
Pros:
An amusing supporting cast to a sympathetic main character, Jon Grady, with actual science woven into a thrilling adventure. Good commentary on the advancement of humanity and even more reason to invest in ethics and humanities to temper the dangers of tech.
Cons:
I almost DNFed at 20% because the starting chapters were... rough. I'm a scientist (and sci-fi geek) and even I was overwhelmed and put off by the jargon at the beginning. The lack of women (and icky way the 1 woman was described -- seriously, barely any lady scientists, kinda sad tbh) also put me off.
After finishing Influx I'm glad I kept reading as my early complaints were resolved or became irrelevant as the story progressed, though the "lone brilliant but misunderstood scientist" thing always stretches the limits of suspension of disbelief for me. Four stars for irritating me until it got good.
Knowledge is power and technology in the wrong hands is deadly but who have the authority to control access to the human knowledge and should knowledge be available for everyone.
The novel is revolving around this idea in a thought provoking way but with the right dose of cinematic visualization as if it was written so it would be adopted for a movie, which I will not be surprised if it does happen soon.
The novel is revolving around this idea in a thought provoking way but with the right dose of cinematic visualization as if it was written so it would be adopted for a movie, which I will not be surprised if it does happen soon.
I picked this one up from the new books truck in a quiet moment at the desk, and after a few paragraphs I knew I was going to have to read the whole thing. It was a fun, quick read, very imaginative. Not the best quality writing I've ever seen, and I caught quite a few errors and awkward turns of phrase that were begging for the intervention of an editor. But Suarez does a fantastic job of making the world seem bigger and more exciting. It's fantastical but not implausible.
To sum up, it's worth reading if you're looking for something kinda light and exciting. It read like a popcorn movie, and sometimes that's just fine. I will keep Daniel Suarez in mind for the next time I'm looking to escape into a book.
To sum up, it's worth reading if you're looking for something kinda light and exciting. It read like a popcorn movie, and sometimes that's just fine. I will keep Daniel Suarez in mind for the next time I'm looking to escape into a book.
The main reason I picked this book up is because it name-checked the town in which I teach. The premise is interesting, but the execution is meh. It was sort of a dystopian version of the movie Tomorrowland, which is a shame - if it had gone in a more shiny direction, it could have been a great, even inspiring story.
Really glad I read this book. I was beginning to think that I'd lost my interest in science fiction. But not now. Thank you Daniel Suarez.