Influx by Daniel Suarez
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Suarez writes stories that I enjoy. Immensely. Influx is definitely keeping with that pattern. I love the concepts here, and it is easy to see how the themes apply in real life. The BTC regulates which technologies the world can have, and vanishes away any innovator who might provide the world with the next great leap forward. This agency may not really exist, but then I think about how some countries must view the USA. Our spy networks are unparalleled. Our technology fantastical. In addition, through trade agreements and tariffs, we largely regulate what technologies are available in some countries (for better or worse). In addition to this bit of introspection, I also came away with a healthy respect for the dangers of allowing an agency to have free reign to do as they please with a limitless budget. Of course, there is no such agency in the US that might have that sort of free discretion.
I'd highly recommend this book to most readers. It has quite a lot of action and some great insights into technologies that might just be around the corner. I read the first 100 pages or so as if the style were riffing on the humor of Men In Black. It got much darker, but I can definitely see a silver screen version of this film having some comical moments.
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Review: Influx
Review: Crux
Crux by Ramez Naam
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is the follow-up to Nexus, the book that introduced us to a drug that brought about the post-human. I felt that the first few chapters were like reading a sales pitch on the technology. All of these wondrous potential applications for Nexus are touched on, along with a few of the potential pitfalls. This isn't a terrible thing, but it did take me out of the story. The first half of the book does a lot of scene setting that the second half really cashes in on. If you've read the first book, definitely pick up this sequel!
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