Mean ghost in the machine
It’s a stressful fact of modern life
that most of us have to rely on technology we don’t fully
understand. Daniel Suarez taps into that anxiety with this tale of
technology gone wrong. A high-concept plot device kicks things off: A
computer-game designer releases thousands of malevolent web bots
after his death.
The technical details are believable,
and Suarez keeps them interesting enough for non-geek types, but as a
thriller, the book disappoints. We never learn why Sobol went to
considerable trouble to cause mayhem he can’t profit from. Thin
character development wouldn’t be a fatal flaw for a page-turner,
but Suarez’s action sequences tend to drag, and he shows a nasty
penchant for describing gore in sadistic detail.
Suarez’s subtle, cynical humor
redeems him, though, and the book serves as a timely reminder that
those who do understand technology may not always have our best
interests at heart.