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3.63 AVERAGE
3.63 AVERAGE
The data stored in her blood can save a city on the brink… or destroy it, in this gripping cyberpunk thriller.
When college student Emery Driscoll is blackmailed into being a courier for a clandestine organisation, she’s cut off from the neural implant community which binds the domed city of New Worth together. Her new masters exploit her rare condition which allows her to carry encoded data in her blood, and train her to transport secrets throughout the troubled city. New Worth is on the brink of Emergence – freedom from the dome – but not everyone wants to leave. Then a data drop goes bad, and Emery is caught between factions: those who want her blood, and those who just want her dead.
Within a techno-thriller-like framework Implanted’s author, Lauren C. Teffeau, weaves solarpunk and cyberpunk themes into a rich setting. New Worth is structurally crafted to evoke a sense of the outside world after radical climate effects have occurred. The stratification of class is literalized, with the rich living high up, enjoying the sun and the best goods the city has to offer. The poor live in all but darkness and have society geared against them in that there’s more crime and the cleaning robots don’t come around that much in the lower levels, etc.. The layout of the entire city is meant to feel like a vertical urban sprawl with only the aesthetic or veneer of a green space, a neat take on an urban jungle.
Emery comes from the terrestrial district down below, with her parents working her ass off to get her in school and land a job that’ll eventually enable them to move up. She’s short, she’s brown, and she’s completely bought into the status quo. Almost. It’s immediately clear early on that she’s a trauma survivor who goes to a virtual reality arcade to hone her skills. A particular skill set that she uses to claw back some control or agency in her life by hunting down people who prey on marginalized people, usually women; removing their implants and selling them.
In her personal life, she’s closed off and secretive, slow to trust—focusing on her coming graduation and landing a decent, but boring job to help her family move up, literally! Of course, this isn’t to be. A corporation blackmails her into joining their ranks, cut her off from everyone, even faking her death, and trains her to be a courier. Porting important information around in her blood, co-opting her very body for their own agency.
“...humans are fallible. Fallible for putting all their trust into the network. Fallible for not believing what they see with their own eyes. And we at Aventine use that to our advantage.”
Importantly, she was close to fully synching with Rik, a person she plays the arcades with but has never actually met.
Implants are the heart of the high tech in this cyberpunk fiction. Everyone has one and it’s installed fairly early on, else they lose some of the higher functionality, apparently. It allows people to sync with one another, sharing their emotions and thoughts so long as they’re connected. All of society is built on this technology. Citizens’ identities and the way they interact is completely changed by their implants. Social structure and corporate structure is built on the idea that everyone has one. Except… not everybody does. The Disconnects are people who reject this idea, unwilling to trade their freedom and natural human interactions for a device that essentially keeps the populace under the city’s thumb. All the information that is disseminated from them is outright trusted. People no longer trust their own senses, they trust the information being fed them. Social interactions have gone “Online” even more, essentially.
“It's true connection has a cost...The messy infrastructure can barely keep pace with the demands of the implants place on it. Not to mention security risks., malware, and emotional bleed - the kind that incapacitates or breeds paranoia instead of bringing people together.
Drawbacks we blindly put up with in our search for efficiency and escape.”
Joining Aventine, the corporation that has blackmailed her, eradicated the one connection she was building toward having despite her trauma. It’s the ultimate way of letting someone into your life, as their presence would always be there with you.
Fast forward months later and a job goes wrong. The information she’s carrying turns out to be important enough that both the corps and the disconnects are after her and she has to risk finding and asking for Rik’s help, who thought her dead.
What ensues is a fairly typical technothriller structure. The slow lead up filled with infodumps and personal stakes followed by action as she has to use her knowledge of the city to navigate her way to any sense of freedom. It’s a cyclical and satisfying narrative that doesn’t feel bloated but does take a while to get going. Luckily, the whole thing is a fast read so it’s not a big deal.
There are some more interesting aspects to the story though, deviating from cyberpunk and the techno-thriller formula. The underlying feminism to the fiction was always nice, even if it made Rik kind of annoying sometimes. The agency of the story is always with Emery, which means when she screws up it’s on her; just as the bulk of the decisions are her own. Rik is a well-off white guy in the higher levels who is a fairly good blueprint for a good supporting character. He sympathizes with the disconnects and acts of as a lens to fill Emery in on the details of the New Worth she herself is unaware of. It works well. But he’s still a little wrapped up in his own privilege in the story, in my opinion. Which, I think is how it is meant to be.
“That takes me by surprise. To willingly give up your implant? They make modern life bearable.
"Don't look so shocked. Implants aren't everything. It's not a weakness to want to separate mind from machine."
Weakness maybe not, but definitely outside the norm.”
The story is all from Emery’s perspective. Usually, I don’t end up liking something written in this way but it’s pulled off nicely here. Emery is likable and well fleshed out and her voice, while very casual (the only meh part of it for me), ultimately culminates in good character work. There is less prose but the themes are worked in such that there’s a decent amount of emotional payout because of the perspective.
It’s also somewhat subversive. It’s less frenetic than traditional cyberpunk, which usually has new terminology and infodumps that take place during action that doesn’t relent much. This is decidedly more low-key, making it also more accessible.
It also feels solarpunk in that it’s not entirely nihilistic regarding technology or the future, in general, despite the ecological disaster. There are explorations of being responsible and not simply ignorant when trying to understand the outside world that this society looks forward to. Not doing so having real, lasting impact that’s detrimental to humanity. The characters have low points but even when the omnipresent corporations illicit very little hope, it’s disillusioned later. Emery isn’t looking to simply save herself, she has to consider what her actions will do to others; decidedly not traditional cyberpunk where the protagonists are anti-heroes. Which, I like a lot. This feels like a more relevant cyberpunk story because of this.
The city finding a new use for things is also present but… not in the way you’d expect. It’s a living, breathing thing aesthetically because it has technology to counteract the greenhouse effect of living under glass, but also has maintenance tunnels and spaces for sub-cultures that are used by her as a courier to get her job done, even when that job eventually becomes eluding everyone. It felt like a well-realized setting with a purpose beyond the overcapacity of humanity resulting, again, in a nihilistic narrative more indicative of cyberpunk.
She needs to integrate into a corporation. Dressing like them and doing as they say. There is not the normal freedom of expression found in cyberpunk here, that’s been taken from her and, though subtle, I thought was an interesting way to turn it around later when she’s running from the corporation using the tech and the clothes they gave her. Rather than cybernetics being the thing used to subvert power structures, it’s a more literalized repurposing. Pretty cool.
Implants are both good and bad. Therefore the “good”, the “bad”, and the morally grey are put squarely on the shoulders people. Which ends up getting rid of the technophobia trope, too.
“...humans are fallible. Fallible for putting all their trust into the network. Fallible for not believing what they see with their own eyes. And we at Aventine use that to our advantage.”
It’s also always great to read a female protagonist that isn’t sexualized. Her voice and thoughts make sense, both in just the case of being a believable character, but also in terms of being respectful of a trauma victim while not skirting the issue. She has internal things to work out as a result and the narrative is about that. It’s not only a blip of a character detail to make her sympathetic. It’s how you come to be able to empathize and understand her thoughts and decisions throughout the entire story.
Surprising, thoughtful, and good; Implanted, I hope, is the start of a distinctly feminist cyberpunk wave of literature striking out against the cyberpunk visual tropes pervasive in visual media today that people seem to be waiting for. People like me!
“Over-reliance on digital infrastructure. If you don't exist in the infrastructure, where do you exist?”
I’m new to Cyberpunk. Sure, I saw Johnny Mnemonic and read Altered Carbon but that’s basically it. Not much. I have no idea why as I enjoy fancy advanced technology mixed with dystopian elements. Well, on the bright side, I have a lot to discover.
Implanted hooked me with the premise and unique concept of the hemocryption - coding data in the blood cells. Not only it’s imaginative but also infinitely cool. Here’s the quote explaining the process.
Dope.
In the world of Implanted, people live under a glass dome that separates them from the hostile environment outside. New Worth, built on the battered foundations of Fort Worth, Texas, makes life difficult and demanding, especially for the underprivileged. Under the dome, everything comes to status, credit balances and career potential. Stratified society lacks common goals and a sense of solidarity. Emery Driscoll hopes to pursue a career in data curation. Unfortunately, her DNA has special traits that make her interesting to a clandestine security company. Soon, she finds herself blackmailed into being a blood-courier. She has to cut off any ties with her friends and family.
Officially, she dies.
For the most part, Implanted kept me glued to the pages. A dystopian world, a stratified society obsessed with technology and thought-provoking concepts make it an excellent read. Especially that Teffeau introduces everything accessibly. Her prose flows nicely and never gets in the way of the story.
Teffeau tells the story in the first-person present tense. As a result, the reader is experiencing the events of the book at the same time as the narrator. I would say this feeling of going through the plot together creates an instantly closer relationship. On top of that, Emery remains likeable throughout so rooting for her comes naturally. She’s a fully fleshed, three-dimensional heroine with an interesting back story that defines her choices. I find her admirable.
While we don’t get to know other characters so deeply, they all feel distinct and believable. They are fixated on technology and connectivity, and it allows for passages of interesting explanation. Emery’s point of view is saturated by technology because her perception is shaped by it. Like most people, she has an implant that allows her to constantly ping emotions and thoughts with her friends and family. She’s addicted to the neural implant, instant connectivity and resulting camaraderie. When she loses it, Emery goes through the feeling of mental amputation.
There’s a romance, but it develops slowly and convincingly.
Apart from things done right, Implanted has a few things going against it. In the second half of the book, the plot becomes a little unclear. Emery’s storyline intertwines with larger things, but the connection feels loose. For example, I still don’t know how corrupt is the government. Adding data about the world and things that actually happen there, would make the story more comprehensible. The ending scenes were bloodcurdling, but the last chapter felt too tidy and, as a result, anticlimactic.
Regardless of these issues, Teffeau paints a distressing and convincing picture of the future I wouldn’t like to experience.
In the realm of ratings, I’d say this landed pretty solidly in the lower-end of the I really like it. It was a solid book that read fast, kept me engaged, but didn’t really amaze me. Worth the read though.
Implanted hooked me with the premise and unique concept of the hemocryption - coding data in the blood cells. Not only it’s imaginative but also infinitely cool. Here’s the quote explaining the process.
Aventine employs a proprietary hemocryption process where data’s encoded onto the protein strands of your immune cells in your bloodstream. When you get an assignment, encoded blood’s injected into your body. When you arrive at the drop-off location, your blood needs to be scrubbed – essentially a type of dialysis where the encoded cells are separated out from the rest of your blood. The data encoding is geared to a specific HLA type that you and the other couriers have. In other words, you are immune, unaffected by the encoded blood, where people with different HLA types would become sick, with something akin to anaphylactic shock, if injected.
Dope.
In the world of Implanted, people live under a glass dome that separates them from the hostile environment outside. New Worth, built on the battered foundations of Fort Worth, Texas, makes life difficult and demanding, especially for the underprivileged. Under the dome, everything comes to status, credit balances and career potential. Stratified society lacks common goals and a sense of solidarity. Emery Driscoll hopes to pursue a career in data curation. Unfortunately, her DNA has special traits that make her interesting to a clandestine security company. Soon, she finds herself blackmailed into being a blood-courier. She has to cut off any ties with her friends and family.
Officially, she dies.
For the most part, Implanted kept me glued to the pages. A dystopian world, a stratified society obsessed with technology and thought-provoking concepts make it an excellent read. Especially that Teffeau introduces everything accessibly. Her prose flows nicely and never gets in the way of the story.
Teffeau tells the story in the first-person present tense. As a result, the reader is experiencing the events of the book at the same time as the narrator. I would say this feeling of going through the plot together creates an instantly closer relationship. On top of that, Emery remains likeable throughout so rooting for her comes naturally. She’s a fully fleshed, three-dimensional heroine with an interesting back story that defines her choices. I find her admirable.
While we don’t get to know other characters so deeply, they all feel distinct and believable. They are fixated on technology and connectivity, and it allows for passages of interesting explanation. Emery’s point of view is saturated by technology because her perception is shaped by it. Like most people, she has an implant that allows her to constantly ping emotions and thoughts with her friends and family. She’s addicted to the neural implant, instant connectivity and resulting camaraderie. When she loses it, Emery goes through the feeling of mental amputation.
There’s a romance, but it develops slowly and convincingly.
Apart from things done right, Implanted has a few things going against it. In the second half of the book, the plot becomes a little unclear. Emery’s storyline intertwines with larger things, but the connection feels loose. For example, I still don’t know how corrupt is the government. Adding data about the world and things that actually happen there, would make the story more comprehensible. The ending scenes were bloodcurdling, but the last chapter felt too tidy and, as a result, anticlimactic.
Regardless of these issues, Teffeau paints a distressing and convincing picture of the future I wouldn’t like to experience.
In the realm of ratings, I’d say this landed pretty solidly in the lower-end of the I really like it. It was a solid book that read fast, kept me engaged, but didn’t really amaze me. Worth the read though.
Ahoy there me mateys! I received this sci-fi eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. So here be me honest musings . . .
This was a fun read that I read in one sitting. The story takes place in a domed city called New Worth where most of the society is implanted with a technological implant. The story follows Emery, a college aged student, who is about to graduate and begin working in a mundane job dealing with data organization. Only her extracurricular activities have caught the eye of a clandestine organization that transports data via couriers. The hitch - the data is carried in an encoded format in the courier's blood. The data is set to self-destruct in less than three days so if not removed the courier ends up dead.
Emery is a fun and fierce protagonist. Besides having to be the actual mule for the data, belonging to the courier organization means that ye have to give up yer prior identity by faking yer death. Being removed from all the data of yer previous life and learning the city from a implant free standpoint is rough. Watching Emery try to reconcile the change is one of the better aspects of the novel.
The domed city has been working on revitalizing the land outside in preparation for "the Emergence" when the residents can leave the dome and start their lives anew. However there is a faction of the city that does not have implants. These people are called Disconnects and either don't have implants because of money or circumstance. Like all places, money equals status. The more money, the higher up in the dome ye live with access to cleaner streets, more light, and more space. The Disconnects are the bottom dwellers of the dome. Literally. While I enjoyed the concept of the Disconnects, this is where the novel didn't fare as well for me.
The first half of the book dealing with Emery and her change in circumstances was easy to follow, engaging, and fun. When she is pulled into a bad data exchange, the scope of the novel changes and becomes about the larger issues of the Disconnect and their dissatisfaction with being low-class citizens. Add into the mix the politics of the Emergence and the plot became rather messy. I wasn't sure which groups were the "bad" guys and the political issues were rather flat and one-dimensional. Some of the outcomes were extremely predictable and yet the plot meandered in a rather odd fashion to reach these events. Plus the romance lightly discussed in the beginning becomes an additional issue. I missed the clear concise writing of the beginning.
Still I did enjoy this one and the other members of me crew seemed to have loved it.
So lastly . . .
Thank you Angry Robot!
Check out me other reviews at https://thecaptainsquartersblog.wordpress.com/
This was a fun read that I read in one sitting. The story takes place in a domed city called New Worth where most of the society is implanted with a technological implant. The story follows Emery, a college aged student, who is about to graduate and begin working in a mundane job dealing with data organization. Only her extracurricular activities have caught the eye of a clandestine organization that transports data via couriers. The hitch - the data is carried in an encoded format in the courier's blood. The data is set to self-destruct in less than three days so if not removed the courier ends up dead.
Emery is a fun and fierce protagonist. Besides having to be the actual mule for the data, belonging to the courier organization means that ye have to give up yer prior identity by faking yer death. Being removed from all the data of yer previous life and learning the city from a implant free standpoint is rough. Watching Emery try to reconcile the change is one of the better aspects of the novel.
The domed city has been working on revitalizing the land outside in preparation for "the Emergence" when the residents can leave the dome and start their lives anew. However there is a faction of the city that does not have implants. These people are called Disconnects and either don't have implants because of money or circumstance. Like all places, money equals status. The more money, the higher up in the dome ye live with access to cleaner streets, more light, and more space. The Disconnects are the bottom dwellers of the dome. Literally. While I enjoyed the concept of the Disconnects, this is where the novel didn't fare as well for me.
The first half of the book dealing with Emery and her change in circumstances was easy to follow, engaging, and fun. When she is pulled into a bad data exchange, the scope of the novel changes and becomes about the larger issues of the Disconnect and their dissatisfaction with being low-class citizens. Add into the mix the politics of the Emergence and the plot became rather messy. I wasn't sure which groups were the "bad" guys and the political issues were rather flat and one-dimensional. Some of the outcomes were extremely predictable and yet the plot meandered in a rather odd fashion to reach these events. Plus the romance lightly discussed in the beginning becomes an additional issue. I missed the clear concise writing of the beginning.
Still I did enjoy this one and the other members of me crew seemed to have loved it.
So lastly . . .
Thank you Angry Robot!
Check out me other reviews at https://thecaptainsquartersblog.wordpress.com/
This is a book with a slow beginning and a slow ending. The middle, however, is a fun rush of action and intrigue. If you can deal with the plodding nature of it all at the start and end(not to mention the very cheese-laden romance part of it all) then this is an easy, quick and mostly enjoyable read. The biggest struggle I had with the book is the first-person present-tense writing. I know that is ALL THE RAGE right now in both fiction and non-fiction magazine writing but it’s an absolute mess to read and it was particularly hard in this book for some reason. I wish people would just stop that. It doesn’t lend any additional immediacy to the read. It’s confusing, difficult and off-putting. Another quick complain while I’m at it is the timeline in the book. Ok. The story takes place in the future but it is very unclear when. Several times the author/characters hint that the story takes place 2-3 generations after the whole world has to take shelter under giant domes because we’ve trashed the world so profoundly. Ok. I like the idea of the domes and the emergence but I kept getting “thrown out” of the story by the timeline. How could all of these technological advancements, constructions, social stratifications, etc take place I’m just 2-3 generations. Stun guns!? That was very confusing to me and impacted my enjoyment of the story. If she had put this 200-500 years in the future it would all make sense. As is, it hurts.
I loved the political, socio-economic intrigue and that social issues and questions of justice are at the heart of it. Very good. I think there could have been less romance and more politics!!
The implants themselves are one of the more intriguing parts of the books. How people augment themselves and gain constant and intrusive access to information and the inner workings of other people. It is very thought provoking. I know that, myself, as a hyper sensitive and easily overwhelmed introvert the constant connection and intrusion would send me to a nervous breakdown. I would HAVE to be part of the Disconnects. But is that fair? Is it fair that people who don’t want the implants or CANT have them are relegated to a cheaper and more fragile existence? The author does get at this question of justice. I think she could have gone further.
All in all this is an easy, quick and mostly enjoyable book. It for sure has some major faults but it’s an excellent first effort and I would read this author again.
I loved the political, socio-economic intrigue and that social issues and questions of justice are at the heart of it. Very good. I think there could have been less romance and more politics!!
The implants themselves are one of the more intriguing parts of the books. How people augment themselves and gain constant and intrusive access to information and the inner workings of other people. It is very thought provoking. I know that, myself, as a hyper sensitive and easily overwhelmed introvert the constant connection and intrusion would send me to a nervous breakdown. I would HAVE to be part of the Disconnects. But is that fair? Is it fair that people who don’t want the implants or CANT have them are relegated to a cheaper and more fragile existence? The author does get at this question of justice. I think she could have gone further.
All in all this is an easy, quick and mostly enjoyable book. It for sure has some major faults but it’s an excellent first effort and I would read this author again.
Where to start with this? I can tell you right now that if you're new to Cyberpunk, like I was, this is an excellent place to start. While I love Science Fiction as a general rule, sometimes it can feel a little inaccessible. Cyberpunk has always peaked my interest though, because of the mix between advanced technology and dystopian world building. I took the plunge with Implanted, and I'm so glad that I did.
Imagine a world under glass. A world protected from the outside elements because the world we once knew is uninhabitable. That's the world that Emery lives in, and it's a fascinating one. I'm a stickler for world building, as you well know, and Teffeau shines in this respect. Everything about Emery's world instantly comes to life on the page. From the implants that both help and hinder society, to the stratification that comes from a city competing for resources, I immediately felt like I was part of this space. New Worth became my home for the duration of this book and it was equal parts intriguing and terrifying.
Even better, this book is written in first person. While some readers might not enjoy that perspective, I thought it worked perfectly in this story. It added to the overall mystery, since I was uncovering things right along with Emery. Each twist, each shock, it came over both of us at the same time. I felt like we were one, and that made all her emotion even more palpable. Teffeau created this space for me to live in during this story, and I loved every minute of it.
My only tiny issue with this book was how quickly it had to wrap up. I was so immersed in Emery, so lost in her quest to survive, that I didn't realize how close I was to the end of the story. It felt like the ending was a bit rushed, compared to the slow build up of everything that came before. No spoilers here, don't worry. This is absolutely a ride that you'll want to experience yourself, and it's best to go in blind. Pick this up!
Imagine a world under glass. A world protected from the outside elements because the world we once knew is uninhabitable. That's the world that Emery lives in, and it's a fascinating one. I'm a stickler for world building, as you well know, and Teffeau shines in this respect. Everything about Emery's world instantly comes to life on the page. From the implants that both help and hinder society, to the stratification that comes from a city competing for resources, I immediately felt like I was part of this space. New Worth became my home for the duration of this book and it was equal parts intriguing and terrifying.
Even better, this book is written in first person. While some readers might not enjoy that perspective, I thought it worked perfectly in this story. It added to the overall mystery, since I was uncovering things right along with Emery. Each twist, each shock, it came over both of us at the same time. I felt like we were one, and that made all her emotion even more palpable. Teffeau created this space for me to live in during this story, and I loved every minute of it.
My only tiny issue with this book was how quickly it had to wrap up. I was so immersed in Emery, so lost in her quest to survive, that I didn't realize how close I was to the end of the story. It felt like the ending was a bit rushed, compared to the slow build up of everything that came before. No spoilers here, don't worry. This is absolutely a ride that you'll want to experience yourself, and it's best to go in blind. Pick this up!
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
As I am sure anyone reading this synopsis can tell, this book is set in such a cool future. Obviously, its a dystopia, but the best YA novels always are. The way the city is set up, though, feels all too real. Yes, its a domed city, and yes, the technology is futuristic – but the layers in the city and the separation of wealth and affluence from the grime of a dirt poor existence is literally represented by height. How cool is that?! The more affluent you are, the higher in the dome you live — basically a commentary on the current societal expectations of wealth. And only the wealthy can afford implants, which are basically smart phone-like devices that are accessible through eye movement, etc. They connect you to other people instantly, so when synched you can basically secretly chat across any distance. It was hard to read the chat dialogues sometimes, but it added another layer of secrecy to an already secret organization. Reading about what it would be like to be constantly connected to everyone at all times made me realize how important it is to disconnect and just appreciate our surroundings and genuine, face-to-face human interaction. Not that I don’t love all of my followers!
I also didn’t mind reading about the secret agent-like organization, Aventine, and their cool, out of this world way of storing data in their employees blood. I love this sort of sci-fi stuff, and I can actually see this happening, with the research that we have going on at uni, so I really enjoyed seeing where the author took it. Further, the fact that Emery is so empowered, and can totally kick butt of everyone she meets made me love her even more. She tries to protect everyone she loves, she carries data in her blood, and she can kick butt? COUNT ME IN!
One other cool thing (since everyone knows how much I can harp on romances that are unreal) is the way that Emery’s and Randall’s relationship grows throughout the pages of the novel. Even for a regular, everyday type of love (you know, the kind that doesn’t let other people live inside your head) theirs would have satisfied my inner romantic skeptic. But the implications of a love that grows through an implant that connects your psyches together? Absolute must read!
I also didn’t mind reading about the secret agent-like organization, Aventine, and their cool, out of this world way of storing data in their employees blood. I love this sort of sci-fi stuff, and I can actually see this happening, with the research that we have going on at uni, so I really enjoyed seeing where the author took it. Further, the fact that Emery is so empowered, and can totally kick butt of everyone she meets made me love her even more. She tries to protect everyone she loves, she carries data in her blood, and she can kick butt? COUNT ME IN!
One other cool thing (since everyone knows how much I can harp on romances that are unreal) is the way that Emery’s and Randall’s relationship grows throughout the pages of the novel. Even for a regular, everyday type of love (you know, the kind that doesn’t let other people live inside your head) theirs would have satisfied my inner romantic skeptic. But the implications of a love that grows through an implant that connects your psyches together? Absolute must read!
Emery is blackmailed into a job that essentially boils down to doing clandestine data handoffs through her blood, data is encrypted onto her blood cells and reinjected into her body so she can carry it to the designated location in a futuristic version of Fort Worth called New Worth, a city under a dome because we destroyed the earth.
In this future there are people with implants and people without(disconnects), implants allow direct mind-to mind linking and it encourages a level of intimacy unheard of except among full telepaths but it also allows people to become very unaware of the real world.
The goal is Emergence as they attempt to rehabilitate the earth, some people think it's time, others are aware that the land isn't ready. The main conflict is with the implanted and the disconnects and the governments inability or unwillingness to aid the terrestrial district of the dome and Emery coming into a data transfer that everyone is trying to kill her over.
This was a fun mix of tech, dystopia, spy/political thrills with a bit of romance thrown in.
In this future there are people with implants and people without(disconnects), implants allow direct mind-to mind linking and it encourages a level of intimacy unheard of except among full telepaths but it also allows people to become very unaware of the real world.
The goal is Emergence as they attempt to rehabilitate the earth, some people think it's time, others are aware that the land isn't ready. The main conflict is with the implanted and the disconnects and the governments inability or unwillingness to aid the terrestrial district of the dome and Emery coming into a data transfer that everyone is trying to kill her over.
This was a fun mix of tech, dystopia, spy/political thrills with a bit of romance thrown in.
There were aspects of the story I liked but a lot of it felt very superficial. I know nothing about Emery, or her best friend, or her family. There's very little substance to her relationships.
For fans of speculative science fiction this book is a must read. A premise similar to The NIght Land (William Hope Hodgson) where the remaining population is broken into self contained city states (literally contained in a dome), with a long term objective of Emergence from the dome to the slowly reclaimed landscape of native earth. But the most fascinating part of this story is the integration of technology and culture and how that impacts individual lives. Similar to Neuromancer and Snow Crash, citizens have implants that allow not only instant communications between friends they have linked with - but they can also sense emotions. Preferences determine how much or how little depth gets communicated between each link (think Facebook preferences), but this is a society that has lived with Implants for generations, to the point where the thought of NOT getting an implant is considered subversive. The authors exploration of the impact on people and society of this level of “connectedness” is fascinating.
And on top of all that, the storyline is compelling with great characters, politics, intrigue and a healthy dose of action. All in all a very satisfying read.
And on top of all that, the storyline is compelling with great characters, politics, intrigue and a healthy dose of action. All in all a very satisfying read.