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3.79 AVERAGE
3.79 AVERAGE
Sci fi techno thriller with a message. Thin characters, but the plot and the whiz bang ideas are the focus.
I the first two Daniel Suarez books (Daemon and Freedom) and thought the third was really good, but Influx may be my favorite.
Set in the near future (around 2016) where inventors have created a tool that can be a mirror to gravity, but a government agency (BTC) is in charge of keeping technological progress from making leaps and bounds takes control of the tool and the young inventor. The BTC is in place to keep society in balance and not letting new disruptive technologies from creating havoc.
As the introduction of the book states, ever wonder why the future technologies we thought we would have in 20 to 30 years (from the perspective of 20 to 30 years ago) never materialized? Perhaps they did and have been keep secret from the rest of us. This is premise of Suarez near future techno thriller. Per usual this is a great romp that will have the pages flying. Suarez sets hook in the first 20 pages that had me fully engaged.
Suarez weaves in wonderful deeply plausible technologies, but my favorite piece that rep-sparked interest in following what is happening is his weaving in sections on the brain and cognition, particularly around creativity and invention / innovation.
Set in the near future (around 2016) where inventors have created a tool that can be a mirror to gravity, but a government agency (BTC) is in charge of keeping technological progress from making leaps and bounds takes control of the tool and the young inventor. The BTC is in place to keep society in balance and not letting new disruptive technologies from creating havoc.
As the introduction of the book states, ever wonder why the future technologies we thought we would have in 20 to 30 years (from the perspective of 20 to 30 years ago) never materialized? Perhaps they did and have been keep secret from the rest of us. This is premise of Suarez near future techno thriller. Per usual this is a great romp that will have the pages flying. Suarez sets hook in the first 20 pages that had me fully engaged.
Suarez weaves in wonderful deeply plausible technologies, but my favorite piece that rep-sparked interest in following what is happening is his weaving in sections on the brain and cognition, particularly around creativity and invention / innovation.
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
Fast paced book on a secret government organisation (Bureau Technology Control, BTC) that collects new technologies to prevent sudden shocks (influx) of new inventions.
Many tech/science terms are thrown around, sometimes a bit too much name-dropping.
Fun trivia: one of Cotton's aliasses is Leeroy Jenkins (see http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/leeroy-jenkins?full=1)
Many tech/science terms are thrown around, sometimes a bit too much name-dropping.
Fun trivia: one of Cotton's aliasses is Leeroy Jenkins (see http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/leeroy-jenkins?full=1)
What if cold fusion existed? What if it had been invented decades ago and a secret government agency had kidnapped the inventor and secreted them in an escape-proof prison? And, what if there were hundreds of these inventors, all silenced, all imprisoned in Hibernity? Because the government agency has run its computer algorithms and determined that all of these inventions would disrupt humanity to such an extent that it might trigger an extinction level event? Or at least that's what the head of the secret agency believes. But, when Jon Grady is kidnapped and refuses to join the Bureau of Technology Control and his gravity mirror is destroyed and he is sent to Hibernity, let's just say things get interesting. Great plotting with overtones of The Man in the Iron Mask and loads of plot twists. Very entertaining read.
Love all the books by Daniel Suarez! Influx is a story about how a government agency is trying to control technology advances for the greater good of society. The only problem is the corruptibility of the people in charge of what is an advance and whats not an advance. Also, what happens to the technology advance and the people responsible for the advancement? Influx is all about that scenario and it is a thrilling ride. Love the way Suarez incorporates the latest technology into his techno-thrillers. He is the closest writer to Michael Crichton but also has his own style and expression. Can't recommend this high enough if you like a fast fast, technology filled thriller.
This is the third Suarez book I have read, and once again he takes a brilliant idea and makes some punk rock science fiction out of it. I loved the first 2/3rds and the ending was not as fantastic as the I had hoped it would be. Still some of the ideas in this novel are wonderful takes on technology that should be right around the corner.
Influx is a novel that has a very interesting premise and for the most part was a very enjoyable read. It details a world where technological inventions are controlled by a secret government agency. The people who generate these ideas are either conscripted to work for this agency or are sent to a special maximum security prison.
Things I liked:
Interesting characters and world building made for a fun read. All the different things invented over the years and now controlled by the Bureau for Technology Control were very cool!! Lots of action with futuristic weaponry and effects make this a novel that many people will enjoy
Things I wasn’t so sure about
The timeline seemed to not make sense in a few places. The quick turnaround by the main characters former friends and associates was not explained real well. These are pretty small niggles and did not really impact the story greatly.
4 stars for a fun read. Recommended for anyone who enjoys futuristic action thrillers
Things I liked:
Interesting characters and world building made for a fun read. All the different things invented over the years and now controlled by the Bureau for Technology Control were very cool!! Lots of action with futuristic weaponry and effects make this a novel that many people will enjoy
Things I wasn’t so sure about
The timeline seemed to not make sense in a few places. The quick turnaround by the main characters former friends and associates was not explained real well. These are pretty small niggles and did not really impact the story greatly.
4 stars for a fun read. Recommended for anyone who enjoys futuristic action thrillers