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sarahetc's review against another edition
3.0
I wish I could science. I think that, if I could science, I would have read this book and snickered and raised my eyebrows a lot and mumbled, "Uh huh. Whatever." every few pages. But I can't science, not really. I can technobabble! And hoo-boy, what a beautiful bunch of it is this novel. The adage is "show, don't tell" and Daniel Saurez's variant on that theme is "Technobabble, don't show; and when in doubt, fast-forward three months."
Suarez comes recommended as a geek's geek and he doesn't disappoint. His bio lists TED global, NASA Ames, and (ding ding ding!) The Long Now Foundation. So I went at the novel with legitimately high hopes. And I was disappointed, but only slightly. It reads like I imagine Neal Stephenson would write if he were 17 and dividing his time between novel writing and WoW raiding. Seriously, y'all-- there is a real live Leeroy Jenkins joke.
The nugget of plot that pushes through the technobabble is interesting: if there's a government agency to monitor and control technological advancements, what's to stop that agency from eventually usurping the technology to the point that is begins to manipulate humanity and actually prevent advancement? Jon Grady, the novels protagonist, invents a gravity mirror. (I know; just go with it.) But the Bureau of Technology Control thinks it's a really bad idea that anybody should have done that. After all, if you can just up and change gravity, there's no end to your power. So they capture him and drop him in the most horrible possible prison in order to mine his head for his knowledge. While there, he discovers he is only one of many scientists and inventors who've been imprisoned for things like perfecting fusion, curing cancer, etc. Throw in a genetically engineered super babe, an AI that achieves singularity and proceeds to pretend it hasn't and an army of clones and wooo! There goes Detroit.*
Influx is a light meditation on some interesting ideas. I actually feel guilty about wishing some other author, really, Neal Stephenson (there is no limit to my fangirling), had meditated through these ideas. That said, I stayed up way past my bedtime to read the last 150 pages. It was a good time. I'd say potboiler, but pots are so not future.
* Poor Detroit, always bearing the brunt of advanced tech conflict. Daniel Suarez and Scott Sigler should get together and form The Detroit Destroyers club.
Suarez comes recommended as a geek's geek and he doesn't disappoint. His bio lists TED global, NASA Ames, and (ding ding ding!) The Long Now Foundation. So I went at the novel with legitimately high hopes. And I was disappointed, but only slightly. It reads like I imagine Neal Stephenson would write if he were 17 and dividing his time between novel writing and WoW raiding. Seriously, y'all-- there is a real live Leeroy Jenkins joke.
The nugget of plot that pushes through the technobabble is interesting: if there's a government agency to monitor and control technological advancements, what's to stop that agency from eventually usurping the technology to the point that is begins to manipulate humanity and actually prevent advancement? Jon Grady, the novels protagonist, invents a gravity mirror. (I know; just go with it.) But the Bureau of Technology Control thinks it's a really bad idea that anybody should have done that. After all, if you can just up and change gravity, there's no end to your power. So they capture him and drop him in the most horrible possible prison in order to mine his head for his knowledge. While there, he discovers he is only one of many scientists and inventors who've been imprisoned for things like perfecting fusion, curing cancer, etc. Throw in a genetically engineered super babe, an AI that achieves singularity and proceeds to pretend it hasn't and an army of clones and wooo! There goes Detroit.*
Influx is a light meditation on some interesting ideas. I actually feel guilty about wishing some other author, really, Neal Stephenson (there is no limit to my fangirling), had meditated through these ideas. That said, I stayed up way past my bedtime to read the last 150 pages. It was a good time. I'd say potboiler, but pots are so not future.
* Poor Detroit, always bearing the brunt of advanced tech conflict. Daniel Suarez and Scott Sigler should get together and form The Detroit Destroyers club.
darth_vader's review against another edition
3.0
Creative plot. Suarez continues to amaze me with his writing. Where does he come up with such fun ideas? Captivating, suspenseful novel. I really enjoy science fiction and technology.
invisible_universes's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Not a genre I'm hugely familiar with the conventions of, which makes it hard to evaluate how well done it is from like a technical standpoint. It reads well though, the science is interesting, the moral questions strong and the answers stronger. The action is consistently solid but not amazing, while the spy/heist/secrecy plots vacillated wildly between hugely impressive and bit 'meh'. A handful of the characters were very compelling, but several others, including a key player, fell a bit flat. The hint of a romantic subplot was disappointing and I think a little reductive, but it had one moment that was beautiful so I can't complain too much.
Overall, it was interesting. Like, I don't think I could read a thousand of these in a row, I'm not the target audience. But like... I do get it. I see the appeal. I understand how this could be someone's passion. It's got interesting ideas and it plays with them at speed. That's pretty fun.
Overall, it was interesting. Like, I don't think I could read a thousand of these in a row, I'm not the target audience. But like... I do get it. I see the appeal. I understand how this could be someone's passion. It's got interesting ideas and it plays with them at speed. That's pretty fun.
rebelmouse's review
4.0
Yep, I quite enjoyed this one. Quite different to anything I have listened to before.
The reader was really good and I loved the way he could move from one character to another - even to female ones. (of a sort).
I enjoyed the premise of the book. I know nothing about technology, but this was not a handicap and in fact could have been a benefit. It may be that people out there who know about this stuff may say that the technology mentioned in the book couldn't possibly exist. Didn't matter for me - just enjoyed a different genre for a change.
The reader was really good and I loved the way he could move from one character to another - even to female ones. (of a sort).
I enjoyed the premise of the book. I know nothing about technology, but this was not a handicap and in fact could have been a benefit. It may be that people out there who know about this stuff may say that the technology mentioned in the book couldn't possibly exist. Didn't matter for me - just enjoyed a different genre for a change.
anatema's review against another edition
dark
hopeful
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture
shdnx's review against another edition
3.0
The idea is cool, but the implementation was disappointing. The whole story is filled with plotholes and deus ex machina runs rampant. The characters are all beyond boring, there's not a single personality among the dozen characters.
It would also help if the antagonists were not so painfully stupid. If your entire story is enabled only by the fact that the "bad guys" are Dumb and Dumber, then I'd say you have a problem.
Overall, it's a decent book, but not a good one by any stretch of the imagination.
It would also help if the antagonists were not so painfully stupid. If your entire story is enabled only by the fact that the "bad guys" are Dumb and Dumber, then I'd say you have a problem.
Overall, it's a decent book, but not a good one by any stretch of the imagination.
ewitkows's review against another edition
3.0
John Grady has invented a gravity mirror, basically a means of cancelling gravity. Before he can announce his discovery he and his team are swept up by a mysterious group, the BTC, whose goal is to prevent the discovery of inventions that would disrupt the status quo of the 20th Century. John quickly finds that the promises of the early 20th century of cold fusion, molecular medicine and artificial intelligence have been discovered but suppressed by this organization and must fight his way out of their prison and find a way to bring them down so that humanity can benefit.
An interesting premise, especially since I was just talking with someone on how it seems that there haven't been any ground breaking discoveries in the last 40-50 years, just improvements on existing technology. The book's flaw is that it does have a lot of science in it which can cause the average reader's eyes to glaze over.
An interesting premise, especially since I was just talking with someone on how it seems that there haven't been any ground breaking discoveries in the last 40-50 years, just improvements on existing technology. The book's flaw is that it does have a lot of science in it which can cause the average reader's eyes to glaze over.
federico's review against another edition
5.0
Another great book from Suarez. Kept me up long into the night :-D
grecia_r's review against another edition
5.0
I was a little nervous to read this book, related as it was to physics. But it was a good, wildly unexpected story line with rogue agencies, changing perspectives, and lots of excitement. I would have loved to know some of the details that tied up the ending though.