A raucous blast of hard-edged sci-fi blended with a sort of piratical boardroom saga. Got it as an Early Review copy, didn't know what to expect, and really enjoyed it. Part one of three, will try to read the next one soon. ( )

"Horvil now understood the need for the large workspace; the program took up every square centimeter and extended halfway to the ceiling like a Gothic castle. Connection strands stretched from module to module in startling and intricate patterns, some circumnavigating the whole mass several times. Even an observer who knew nothing about bio/logic coding could lose himself for hours studying the beautiful detail, the interplay of colors, the endless number of aesthetic themes that replicated across the surface of the program. Horvil had seen entire nervous system simulators that were less complex."

In the near-ish future, software that enhances the human mind is a major industry. A frenetic form of market capitalism reigns, and a small team of bright coders can make their fortunes quickly. Natch, Horvil, and Jara, our protagonists, are one such group. They're trying to get famous (except for Natch, who's already infamous for incidents in his youth), compete with the big firms, and invent the next big thing. They're doing well enough at this, if not taking the markets by storm, when they're approached by the secretive woman whose family has single-handedly, come up with almost all of the major technological breakthroughs that have shaped the world, and many of the political and regulatory systems that manage it as well.

This should have been a book I loved. It's big -- five hundred pages in paperback, for book one of a trilogy -- and the world is detailed and consistent. Edelman throws a lot of science, economics, politics, and technology into his setting, and for the most part it's convincing. Hard science fiction, with thoughtful world-building? Yes, please. That sort of thing is right up my street.

And yet, the book doesn't grip the way it should. Shortly after finishing it, I'd forgotten much of the detail, and had to re-read it for this review.

Part of the problem is with the central character of Natch. A charismatic, driven entrepreneur, it's he who drives almost all of the narrative. He drags his colleagues from one scheme to another, often against their better judgment. But the way he does this doesn't ring true. He gives his stirring speeches, dreams his dreams, comes up with the money, and the others follow him. But most of the time he hasn't actually told them what his schemes really are. Jara and the others go along with far too much, considering the bollocks he's constantly feeding them.

Which is possibly the bigger problem. Not only do the characters have little idea what's going on, neither does the reader. We're halfway through the book before Natch is approached by Margaret Surina with her mysterious new technology. He gets involved in trying to sell it and bring it to market, and the power struggles that this involves. But what exactly is this new technology, how does it work, and what will it be good for? That's not at all clear until near the end of the book (and not entirely so, even then).

This leaves a book that's curiously devoid of hooks to draw the reader in. There's an awful lot that happens, but it never seems to add up to much.

Perhaps the next volumes will improve on this. Certainly the writing is good enough that I'll carry on with the series. I'm just not as eager to as I'd expect to be. ( )

ZB9

(Amy) One thing I talk a lot about in this booklog is "believability", by one metric or another. In fiction, it is a relevant measure of a book to describe how convincing the characters and the plot are in helping one to suspend one's disbelief and thereby become immersed in the story. In speculative fiction, the world and its rules are added to the list. Well, Infoquake succeeded very well in the character arena, and the plot is sketchy at best until near the end, but does not ring false in any particular fashion. The world and its rules, however, make very little sense to me. By about two-thirds of the way through the book, I had managed to assemble for myself a sort of mental cheat sheet I could refer back to, with working definitions of concepts and so on, but it never did click for me. I guess two out of three ain't bad?

Nonetheless, I found the concept of bio/logic programming and this weirdly pseudolibertarian future solid and interesting enough that I plan to read on in the trilogy. I really rather have to read further, as when I came to the end of the book, I was reminded of the time in my youth when our dog, upon seeing our new glass patio door for the first time, charged toward this glimpse of freedom at full sprint until her skull bounced off of it with a resounding "BONG". This book, it does not end. It merely stops.

Of course, the 60-odd pages of appendices at the back didn't help to prevent my shock at the book being over so abruptly, as by pagecount-estimation I had actually thought there'd be plenty of verbiage left to wrap up all remaining plot threads. This does not, as I remarked at the time, bode particularly well for the next installment, but perhaps the remaining plot threads are . . . fractal. It happens.

Oh, and speaking of those appendices, it turns out one of them is a glossary. It never occurred to me to check for a glossary rather than assemble the aforementioned mental cheat sheet, but for any of you who pick the book up on this nebulous recommendation, or at least after seeing it, it might help leave you less confused than I was. Note to the author, however: If your non-foreign-language-including book requires a glossary, you get a C at incluing, at best.
( http://weblog.siliconcerebrate.com/ze... ) ( )

This book takes place many years after the collapse of civilization. A group of sentient computers called the Autonomous Minds rebelled against mankind in the Autonomous Revolt. Now, Earth is dominated by bio/logics, the science of programming the human body.

The programs have names like Eyemorph 1.0, DeMirage 24.5, Poker Face 83.4b and AntiSleepStim 124.7. The average person has thousands of such programs in their bodies, courtesy of microscopic robots placed at or before birth. Natch is a master of bio/logic programming, who has risen to the top with little more than brains and sheer determination.

For many years, Margaret Surina, ancestor of Sheldon Surina, the inventor of bio/logics, has hinted about this new technology called MultiReal. She enters into a partnership with Natch and his fiefcorp to bring it to market immediately. It can take months to understand and develop a new technology, get it approved by Dr. Plugenpatch (a set of databases that constitute the quality control system), keep it away from the competitors, and then bring it to market. Natch and his colleagues have to do it in three days. The reason for the very short time frame is to also keep MultiReal away from the Defense and Wellness Council. It’s a secret and unaccountable government organization that handles all military and intelligence affairs.

This is an excellent piece of writing. Cyberpunk fans will love it. Is there such a thing as "business cyberpunk?" This is also a really good book about the mixing of business and technology. The "cyber-" part is not too technical, and this is very highly recommended. ( )

I genuinely liked this book! Not just because I got a review copy way back last summer when Librarything had them. I finally got a chance to read it, and was quite pleasantly surprised.

Infoquake takes place in a far-ish future earth society that has done away with war and has adopted a single government. Our primary concern is with a relatively young upstart "feifcorp" (company) who program biologic programs. That is, programs that run on the nano-hardware swimming through our bloodstreams. Essentially everyone is filled to the gills with nano-processors, and the whole biologic market (which, honestly, reminds me quite a bit of the Apple App store) is full of programs you can buy (lease?) that run on that hardware. There are programs for every sort of thing, but they somehow all have short catchy names followed by a version number. (Jump 255 is one example.)

There is a lot to like about this book, plot, character and milieu (setting) are all top notch (the main character's name is Natch... ha!) ...but a satisfying ending is not one of those things. Essentially, this is very much the first in a series. (I ordered the second book last night.) I don't think the third (final) novel has been released yet. Normally, that would be enough to keep me away, but I had to read the book (review copy), and even though I have no idea when the third will be released, I'm glad I did. ( )

Infoquake is the first volume of Edelman's Jump 225 trilogy. It introduces an interesting world, in which the most significant event since our time is the invention of bio-logics, a form of software programming that gives us control of our
bodies, from nanobots that regulate our health to cosmetic improvements and extensions such as PokerFace v.83.

Our main character is Natch, leader of a fiefcorp (think
software start-up) intent on reaching the pinnacle of his profession. Natch is a pretty nasty guy, although he occasionally manages to inspire others with his vision and persistence. We see some of his upbringing and the traumatic events that shaped his personality. His apprentices are fortunately more personable and easy to care about.

Edelman's depiction of bio-logic programming, using programming bars within a 3-D workbench, apparently concerned primarily with drawing connections between objects, is an interesting extrapolation from contemporary techniques. His "data sea" seems a logical extension of the internet. Characters are able to interact with it mentally, although I'm not sure if that's a product of bio-logic or if it has to be learned.

Overall I found Infoquake to be an interesting, if not compelling, read. There are some stylistic annoyances,
such as Edelman's constant referral to characters by their roles rather than their names, which serve no discernable purpose and were serious distractions. As the first volume of a trilogy, the book is concerned primarily with setting the stage and introducing the characters and their world; there is only the beginning of a story arc. Not sure whether I'll continue reading. ( )

A darn good cyberpunk read. Has some slight Charles Stross moments in the sense that entire new worlds and terms are created in an exaggeratedly fantastic way. Also moments of that William Gibson world circa Idoru but not as brilliant prose. Overall an engaging 1st book in the Jump 225 Trilogy, thick, but not like Neal Stephenson thick. While I wouldn't say brilliant, I would say a terrific debut from a novelist that is sure to build a respectable following. I am looking forward to more from Edelman (and a nice guy here on LT too!). ( )

Infoquake was a lightweight read that had a lot to like about it. Edelman's debut novel describes a world living in the shadow of a machine revolt where technology once again has come to dominate our lives. Like in Richard K. Morgan's Takeshi Kovacs series, humans hack their bodies to improve function, with the exception that consciousness has not yet been digitized, so death is still an absolute.

Infoquake follows Natch, a brilliant loner with a vindictive streak that claws his way to the top of the software industry and tries to bring an entirely new product to market, over the objections of a regulatory body that has grasped absolute power over technology in this brave new world.

The story is fast paced and interesting, and while Edelman advances the story through multiple points of view, they are not so disconnected as to leave you spinning in the dark. There isn't a lot of intrigue in this first book, but don't let that put you off.

I recommend Infoquake. It won't change your life or leave you with deep questions of morality to chew on, but it will be an enjoyable read. ( )

Infoquake is something like the bastard child of the Stross Mancx family and the Anthony Tyrant, that grew up on a steady diet of old 2000 AD.

Again, Pyr has picked a good book.

Natch is an often boy with a burning desire to grow up to be the best programmer out there. The future history this is set in is another of the 'hey, big powerful AI were a really bad idea' variety, and has been recovering from the destruction and collapse this caused.

Technology went in an organic direction, and there is a big programming market around providing upgrades for the human body, whether sensory, anti-disease, anti-waste, or something as silly as changing your nail polish colour automatically.

While doing pretty well at this rapacious computer catalogue game, he attracts the attention of someone with an amazing new technology - MultiReal - also the title of the second book. Also a technology that will upset the status quo considerably, and perhaps provoke violent conservative and anti-technology reaction. There are also community or not so profit oriented organisations around as a balance, as well as some corporate oversight and media players. There are off-planet colonies.

While there is 'black' code around, like Black Ice in Neuromancer's Sprawl, not much mention of good old public copyright infringement that is not corporate vs corporate skullduggery. Particularly given the sleep-deprived super geek bio/logic programmer ethos out there. Whether the rationale for that is that it is boring to write about, or no-one trusts the non-rated faceless masses to have no-name code adjusting their arseholes and gonads, not sure.

It ends with some extensive appendices on the background of this future history. There's also a website with excerpts, podcasts and more information mentioned.

Definitely would like to read the next book.

http://notfreesf.blogspot.com/2008/11... ( )

http://www.fast-forward.tv/bookreview... ( )

Set in a world where perception is programmable using bio/logics. Enhance your sight. Change what you think or feel or taste.

The main character did not seem like a real person. His supporting cast was however more real. The story was compelling. ( )

I found this an enjoyable read but for me it wasn't a compulsive page turner. However the main characters were well drawn and I did want to know what happened to them. The book is clearly advertised as part one of a trilogy and the plot quite clearly doesn't stand alone, in fact I would go to say (from where this book finishes) that it is more the first part of single long work (c.f. The Fellowship of the Ring/The Lord of the Rings). Having said this as far as it goes the plot holds together well. Possibly the core of this book is however its big idea - an almost completely capitalist world. Its an interesting idea and Edelman has created a world which holds together under its own terms. Although some may decide that the world of multi-projections is hard to accept it is not really any larger jump than accepting FLT. Not a must read, but if you get a chance do give it a go - I liked it enough to keep a look out for volume 2 ( )

This is a first novel by David Louis Edelman. It has just been published in the UK by Solaris but has previously been published in the US by Pyr. I was sent a review copy by Solaris as part of the LT Early Reviewer programme.

It is set some time in the future in a world where the majority of the people have OCHRE, programmable nanobots, embedded in their body. The main focus of the story is the rise of the main character Natch (a thoroughly unlikeable man) in the business world of bio/logics programming and depicts his involvement at the start of a new killer-app.

The book starts in medias res as Natch's company (fiefcorp - a bit like a US technology startup) is about to hit the number one spot on Primo's (a sort of sales/reputation index for fiefcorps). You are really thrown in to the thick of things and have no handle on character motivation or on the world depicted. I found this section to be rather uneven and the least enjoyable. Edelman then turns the clock back for the next section and tells of Natch's youth, growing up in a Hive, and how he got where he did. This alleviates a lot of the concern I had after the first section as we begin to see how the world works in more detail. I think the talk about the ancestry of Natch right at the start of the section was a little superfluous (although there may be some cosmic destiny as his fore-father was involved with the Surina family). The story then flips back to the present where Natch is offered the chance to get in on the ground floor of MultiReal - a technology that lets the user choose an outcome out of the thousands of millions of possibilities. This brings him new enemies which he has to deal with as well as some old enemies and adversaries. Because the book is just the first part of a trilogy it just trickles to an ending rather than coming to a climax.

The book also includes nearly 60 pages of appendices. I found that I didn't refer to these at all whilst reading.

Natch gets the majority (in fact nearly all) of the characterisation and backstory, most of the other characters seem almost cypher-like in comparison. The business environment is obviously extrapolated from a very US tech-sector view of today - from RODs (analogous to Rent-A-Coder like services) to the previously mentioned fiefcorps. Edelman takes a very heroic-programming stance (insane hours, insane amounts of focus) for his bio/logics development culture. This kind of programming is generally seen as giving bad results in the medium and long term by most progressive companies in the real world of today. I guess as Edelman has (or maybe still does) work in the software industry this is just one more aspect to his slightly dystopic vision of society but one that is more likely to bolster the heroic-programming myth rather than undermine it. As part of this as the deadline approaches Natch's team seem to suck down loads of Nitro, a hot slightly stimulating drink, which is obviously a future analogue of coffee. I find this rather redundant when a bio/logics package to replicate the exact same effect could be installed.

However the writing does have some urgency to it and I found the book to be a fast and enjoyable read. I will definately be reading the second novel in the trilogy (and I have bought it already) which should be recommendation enough.

The only way I can see to get your fiction published these days is to write something that no one else is writing. Sure, there are several players in, say, the "vampire space" on the bookshelf, but they've all been around for a while. Try breaking into that now. Not so much. Even in generally evergreen niches with devoted fans, like military SF, you need something different, like John Scalzi.

David Louis Edelman's Infoquake is just that: something different. It's Big Idea Science Fiction. It's dystopic-flavored. It's got the Competent Man. But the most unique thing about it, and what probably got it published in the first place, is that it's about commerce. That's right, not exploration, not the Singularity, not aliens with lasers. It's about how you make a living in the future, and how you compete for a big pile of money not a big rock in space. It's the science fiction that James Stewart would write. It's not like anything you've ever read before.

There is so much going on here that it's hard to give a summation, but I'll try. Natch runs a bio/logic programming concern, which makes products that people can buy to enhance or alter their bodies or minds through millions of nanobots lurking in their blood and tissues. Natch is ruthless, brilliant and ambitious, engaging in all manner of subterfuge and cunning to put his small company on top of the bio/logic rankings. His notoriety and resourcefulness earn him the attention of the scion of a powerful, revered and very wealthy family (imagine a woman who is Steve Jobs and Warren Buffett), who wants him to help her bring a new product to market, one that can observe, calculate and reproduce the desired cause and effect of any action from any alternate reality.

It's also not like most popular science fiction in that there is almost no violence in it. There's a thing with a bear, and a scene with a couple of dart guns, but that's about it for on-screen physical threats. Which is why it is all that much more amazing that Edelman managed to raise the stakes high enough to rivet me to the page.

I'm going to get the sequel, MultiReal, as soon as I can get myself to a bookstore. ( )

On shabbos at the hotel in ridgecrest, ca I finished Infoquake by David Louis Edelman. This book was a random library grab, the good type that will make sure I do NOT fulfill my By the Stacks Winter Challenge. You see, when I walk into a library… I often feel I must have /something/ because the books might not (gasp!) be there the next day when I’m back. So I must take them out. And I often go for the new books, or randomly choose a letter for either title or author. There are so many books out there that we don’t hear about. This will be one we will hear about, but I hadn’t when I took it off the bookshelf and decided to put it in my suitcase instead of any of the other books I’m currently reading ((It won because of its size, large, but not too large.

Anyway, this is the first in a trilogy and I will impatiently wait for volume two.

At a distant time in the future (though I see much of this happening in my lifetime) we meet bio/logic master Natch, a gifted programmer/entrepreneur who knows how to pick his enemies. He wants his company (a fiefcorp) to be number one on the listings. He doesn’t necessarily want to play dirty tricks to get there. He wants to be number one NOW. Natch has some tendencies which make his apprentices want to quit yet they also are in awe of his genius. He teams with his hivemate and long-term friend, the programmer Horvil and analyst Jara and dive right into this brand-new technology MultiReal. Natch must face rivals both known and unknown and continue to the top.

Confused about the terminology? Curious about how this story fits into the history of "the" world? Don’t worry, there are some really great resources on Edelman’s website (and in the book).

(first posted 2006-12-25 at penguingirl.com) ( )

The biggest problem is that there’s no real tension in Infoquake. If you like to see all the office politics behind the creation of a Powerpoint presentation, then this book is for you! Okay, I’m exaggerating a bit here. It’s actually a product demonstration of MultiReal, but that’s only a smidgen more interesting cause a product demonstration happens in front of people outside a company.

(Full review at my blog) ( )

David Louis Edelman has recreated the excitement of the world of business in his science fiction novel, Infoquake the first in the Jump 225 trilogy. Set in a far future, where the old nation states no longer exist and all technology is more related to biology than mechanics, Infoquake tells the tale of Natch, a master programmer and CEO of his own business. Natch is skilled, shrewd, and often unscrupulous. These are traits that serve him well in the laissez-faire world in which his business operates. When he is given a business opportunity he can’t pass up he find himself plunged into a political, scientific and economic war with his competitors, the government, and even his own partner.

Edelman has succeeded in making the world of the corporate boardroom into an adventure filled narrative. What John Grisham has done with the legal thriller, Edelman has done with business. Drawing on his experiences in marketing and computer programming, Edelman has created a very thorough world, consistent and detailed. (A small portion of the book is appendices explaining the political and social structures of this trilogy, and more information on the setting of the Jump 225 trilogy can be found at Edelman’s website.)

Infoquake is well-written and well-cadenced. The climax is fulfilling and exciting, yet it is only a speech, and a marketing one at that. Edelman has so well woven the elements of his plot together that Natch’s simple speech has a much power and excitement to it as another science fiction story’s destruction of a spaceship or a fantasy’s evil overlord dying hideously at the hands of a hero. That takes skill to write, and Edelman has it in spades. I highly recommend this novel.

Full Review at Grasping for the Wind ( )

Despite nitpicks, I'm interested in the world, the situation, and where the story might be going. No doubt, it's complex, and while this volume has its own story arc, it does not even begin to answer every question raised. Which is why, of course, I'm looking forward to the sequel, to learn what's really happening, even if some of it flies over my head. :)

Boardroom SF, people. Who knew? I think Edelman has definitely made a splash in the genre, and I think those interested in the worlds and technologies found in Charles Stross's works and Vernor Vinge's (mind you, I've only read Accelerando and Rainbows End respectively) will be entertained by this book, which--for the record--will be re-released as a Solaris mass market paperback this June, a month before Pyr's release of the sequel, MultiReal.

For a full review, which may or may not include spoilers, please click here: http://calico-reaction.livejournal.co... ( )

unimpressed. doesn't have the mystery of asimov, science of clarke or tension of wyndham. ( )

It's four-hundred-something years in the future, and human beings have merged with information technology to a point where most bodily conditions are regulated by nanotech compters running bio/logic software. Transporting your body is no longer important, either, as everyone is able to project a virtual image of himself to almost any location on earth and the orbital colonies, creating an experience indistinguishable from being present physically.

In this fascinating world of the future, a driven young man named Natch strives to dominate the bio/logic industry. Natch, with his end-justifies-the-means philosophy and unbridled egotism, is a hard protagonist to like at first, but an even harder protagonist to turn away from by the time you're midway through the story. We learn that his ambition is the product of a tortured childhood, and his vision and genius the stuff that has relentlessly advanced humankind towards perfection throughout the ages.

Besides creating a rich and believable vision of the future, "Infoquake" generates plenty of suspense without relying on violence and unrealistic plot twists. Instead, David Edelman hooks you with the kind of thinking-person's suspense born of high technology, corporate manuevering, and strong character conflicts. And unlike many technies who butcher the English language in penning their sci-fi visions, Edelman writes gorgeous prose. (His chapters describing Natch's awe for redwoods and his black-code trip are two prime examples.)

"Infoquake" is, in short, the best science fiction book I've read in years. If I had to fault one aspect of it, I would have to mention the slightly flat ending, though this is somewhat forgivable in the first of a trilogy. And with the solid groundwork established here, the next two installments will surely continue this talented author on his ascension towards perfection. ( )

(Reprinted from the Chicago Center for Literature and Photography [cclapcenter.com].)

Regular readers of the CCLaP website know that I am a fan of science-fiction; and when it comes to what I like most about the genre, I have to admit that for me it mostly boils down to the concepts, to the grand ideas on display versus the author's writing style or other technical issues. And this of course is something else that regular readers already know, that I see the actual mechanics of writing (grammar, style, plot, etc) as fairly pedestrian topics, the least important part of what makes a writer good or not; since in my opinion it's the one thing about writing that literally anyone can master given enough practice and/or education, versus things like grand concepts and compelling characters that a person is either born with an ability to conjure or not.

It's something to keep in mind while reading through Infoquake, the first novel by Washington-DC web developer David Louis Edelman, which last year became not only a surprise sleeper hit but also a surprise Campbell Award nominee; because make no mistake, some of the ideas Edelman bandies about here are insanely great enough to make your head pop right off your neck, even as he displays only a basic mastery at this point over the actual mechanics of writing a novel, a fact that will drive heavy readers of so-called "literary fiction" a little crazy. It is ultimately a very good example of something I've said here before about genre work, which is what makes genre work both loved and reviled by most; that it delivers in spades everything a lover of science-fiction wants in a great science-fiction novel, but simply never transcends that and into the world of general interest, like the absolute cream of the crop of genre work does. It's a great novel to be sure, an infinitely smart page-turner that will have your brain spinning for days afterwards; but it's obvious that Edelman is still trying to find his mature voice as a writer, something that lovers of great books need to be warned of before diving in.

In fact, because of Infoquake being so concept-heavy, I suppose that's where we should start when it comes to a review of it; I'll warn you now, today's essay is going to be longer and more exposition-heavy than normal, because of the novel itself being the same...

--First off, like many other sci-fi projects, Infoquake's world is one that has survived an apocalyptic war between humans and intelligent machines -- the 'Autonomous Revolt' as it's known in Edelman's universe, caused (he implies) by the growing obsession of primitive humanity (i.e. us) over building "smart machines" that replace natural human functions rather than enhance them. (Think of how spell-check software these days is rapidly replacing our need to know how to spell; now multiply the ramifications of that by ten thousand and you start seeing what Edelman's getting at.) In fact, this is a major theme throughout the entire novel, of the difference between technology that makes humans lazier and lazier, and technology that simply optimizes natural human endeavors, so is something to pay close attention to whenever mentioned.

--This war was so bad, in fact, that it decimated over a billion humans, and caused the destruction of most of the world's national governments. As a result, humanity enters a so-called "Second Dark Age," in which the only parts of the planet to maintain law and order are the ones run by ultra-right-wing religious organizations, who of course forbid the teaching of science, robotics, computers, or any other subject having even remotely to do with the Autonomous Revolt.

--After several hundred years of this, though, finally a man named Sheldon Surina steps up and ushers in what's known as The Reawakening, by inventing both a business system and life philosophy called Bio/logics, based on the mostly forgotten precepts of the now-antique Dot Com years; a way of introducing machine-aided technology back to humanity, that is, but this time through the checks and balances of a three-pronged free-market system (including one wing that creates microscopic "nanobots" that help regulate the human body, one wing that creates the software that runs these nanobots, and a third organization that provides the unbiased medical information off which all software and hardware is based). As mentioned, the difference here is that the machines are not being created to replace various human functions but rather to enhance them; from regulating a bad heart to changing one's eye color, and every biological function in between.

--In turn, The Reawakening brings a virtual end to organized religion, with groups called "creeds" popping up to take their place -- groups that are spiritually dedicated to the various ideals behind rational thought (like a creed dedicated to honest discourse, a creed dedicated to creative thought, etc), pretty much the French Revolution's wet dream for anyone familiar with that era of history. Such a free-market system becomes so successful, in fact, that it brings a worldwide stability to the planet that humanity hasn't seen for half a millennium, threatening to bring a permanent end as well to the sad remaining remnants of the world's former national governments. In desperation, these groups basically disband and start a global central government instead, headquartered in Australia and basically a direct competitor to the various creeds and private city-states that now exist, all of them maintaining their own small armies mostly for defensive purposes (which yes, even includes the spiritual groups).

--Oh, and did I mention that the line between physical reality and virtual reality has been erased in the far future as well? Thank the nanobots for that, which can now not only provide real-time video and audio from any location on Earth, directly pumped right into one's eyes and ears, but indeed a perfect replication of all five senses, not to mention a manipulation of the people actually there at that physical space, so that your holographic representation there seems more "real" to them too. Combine this with the maglev bullet trains that now crisscross the planet (which for example can get a person from New York to LA in a couple of hours), plus honest-to-God teleportation (which is barely used by the general public because of its prohibitive cost, a nice touch by Edelman as to the practical limitations of high technology), and you basically have a world where any human can be in any location on the planet at any time they want, for no more relative cost than a subway ticket or an hour at an internet cafe.

And that, ladies and gentlemen, brings us to the first page of the actual novel! WHEW! Hopefully you're starting to see what I mean now, when I say how concept-heavy Infoquake actually is; that like many fantastical books, it is the universe that Edelman has created that is of equal importance as the story itself that takes place there. And indeed, this is yet something else that many sci-fi fans love about sci-fi, is the vast and consistent environment that is created for these stories to reside; it's what makes Trekkies Trekkies, what keeps Star Wars fans endlessly arguing over what is "canon" material versus "non-canon." And in this case, Edelman creates a whopper of a universe for his characters to inhabit, one filled with an entire glossary of minor figures and obscure historical events, just begging for a little fan-fiction to fill the gaps*; and this is to say nothing of the story itself, which basically centers on the great granddaughter of Surina, who is about to release a stunning new technology of her own, as well as the various characters in all the ancillary industries that surround this technology, who all stand to either gain or lose profoundly from it. It is a world where free-market capitalism has taken on the kind of revered Classicism that we in current times assign to the ancient Greeks; a place where people no longer argue over what type of government is best, but rather whether governments even need to exist anymore.

But like I said, Infoquake has some glaring technical problems too, a fact that doesn't prevent me in particular from being a big fan but definitely will prevent some of you from being so. For example, like many of these "Grand Idea" literary projects, Infoquake can make one suffer from Slow Death By Exposition if you're one of those people who get peeved by such a thing; that approximately half of the entire novel comes off as an extended encyclopedia entry instead of a narrative story, which sadly is a hallmark of a whole lot of genre projects. Also, Edelman's personal writing style leaves a lot to be desired, with many of his characters coming off as a lot more pissy and whiny than I think he meant for them to be, and with terms for these future concepts that sometimes devolve into the hacky attitude one saw in a lot of '90s sci-fi as well, whereby adding "cyber" to the beginning of any word was suddenly supposed to make it hip and edgy. (I mean, seriously, Edelman, "SeeNaRee?" Seriously?)

Now like I said, as an avowed sci-fi fan such things are of the least actual importance to me, when it comes to determining whether or not I like a particular book; but I also acknowledge that it's the very thing that turns a lot of people off of sci-fi altogether, just as these same elements turn me off of the various genres I am not a natural fan of (like romance, crime thrillers, legal dramas and more). Thankfully for all of us, Edelman's going to be getting a lot more chances to improve over the coming years -- turns out that Infoquake is merely part 1 of a larger trilogy known as "Jump 225," and its surprise success has already convinced his publisher (the small press Pyr, an imprint of Prometheus Books) to commit to the other two volumes, MultiReal and Geosynchron, where I have no doubt that his personal style and other technical skills will be improving on a daily basis. But it's unfortunately for the reasons cited that I need to issue a big caveat with today's recommendation; that Infoquake is miles away from being a breakthrough or crossover novel, and will in fact mostly appeal only to those who are already diehard science-fiction fans.

That said, if you are a sci-fi fan, I wholeheartedly recommend that you pick up a copy right away, if for no other reason than to prepare yourself for what will undoubtedly be the bigger and grander stories to come. And Mr. Edelman, if you happen to come across this review -- dude, seriously, more about the Unconnectibles, please! I will be severely disappointed if part of the next novel doesn't take place among the Islanders or Pharisees; it's yet one more area of this complex universe that I'm highly looking forward to learning more about.

Out of 10:
Story: 9.5
Characters: 7.0
Style: 4.8
Overall: 6.8, or 9.3 for science-fiction fans

*Oh, and speaking of complex backstories and fan-fiction projects, no review of Infoquake is complete without special mention of the absolutely astounding support website Edelman has created for it (infoquake.net); not "astounding" as in it's flashy or trendy or contains a bunch of streaming animations that ultimately amount to nothing (yeah, Viking, I'm talking to you), but "astounding" as in the amount of background information Edelman provides about the "Jump 225" universe, including not only a full reprinting of the paper book's appendices but also almost 10,000 words of backstory not found in the book at all. Imagine if JRR Tolkien had had access to a personal website while writing Lord of the Rings, where he was able to publish his background notes in real time instead of years after his death; that should give you an idea of what the Infoquake support site is like, a project that's just begging for some smart fan-fiction to fill in the narrative gaps. So how about it, Edelman? You claim to be a big fan of the Web 2.0; how about open-sourcing the background universe of Jump 225, and allowing others to write and publish their own stories that take place in it? We nerdy slashfic Sigh fans anxiously await your answer! ( )

http://cephyn.com/library/david-louis... ( )

Infoquake, the debut novel by David Louis Edelman, is the first volume of the Jump 225 trilogy. Its a financial thriller in a cyberpunk setting. Infoquake takes place several hundred years in the future, mankind has emerged from the decimation of the autonomous revolution thanks to the work of Sheldon Surina. Surina is the father of bio/logics, digital programs that work through nanobots, or OCHRES, which are spread throughout the bodies of most humans. Competition to create and sell new bio/logic programs is fierce, and Natch is one of , if not the best in the business.

The story starts out with Natch unveiling a Machiavellian plot to ascend to the top spot on Primo's list, the Fortune 500 of the bio/logic biz. This stunt works and even earns him the notice of Margaret Surina, the descendant of Sheldon. She presents Natch with the opportunity of a lifetime. She wants him to finish and sell MultiReal a bio/logic program capable of creating a near infinite number of alternate realities. The catch is that not only does every other Fiefcorp want to get their hands on this program, so does the shadowy High Executive of the Defense and Wellness Council, Len Borda.

The book is fast paced from the start, although the action is much more cerebral than physical. Plots and intrigues abound. Edelman creates a very interesting character in Natch. He has few redeeming qualities but the reader is drawn to him none the less. The supporting cast is very strong as well. I particularly enjoyed Jara, one of Natches apprentices. Edelman creates a rich narrative of a future earth. The back of the book is chock full of appendixes, which includes, a glossary, a time line, and in depth explanations of some of the most prevalent technologies. He is clearly a master at fleshing out his concepts. The story drew me in from the start, and I'm eagerly anticipation the forthcoming volumes.

8.5 out of 10 ( )

http://www.intergalacticmedicineshow.... ( )