Radio Freefall

In Matthew Jarpe's debut, a megalomaniac software billionaire wants to take over the world. Arrayed against this dastardly plan are a disparate bunch of rock stars and genius hackers who just might be able to mount a resistance, if they could keep off the drugs long enough to plan coherently. But with the assistance of our hero Quin Taber's very illegal AI sidekick, and a sentient computer virus, they might just pull the irons out of the fire. A pretty decent first novel.

3 out of 5 stars

I stumbled upon Radio Freefall by Matthew Jarpe at the library recently. It isn’t a new release, I hadn’t been familiar with the author, and I can’t recall ever hearing about the novel. So, naturally, I checked it out immediately, knowing nothing but what the flap copy said – this this was a cyberpunk story with rock and roll, AIs, and technology. And you know what? It was a lot of fun.

There is a lot going on in Radio Freefall. It is the story of an Earth coming together under one government, of political unrest, of billionaires controlling everyone and everything they can, sentient computer viruses, and autonomous AIs. It is also the story of a musician finally getting the fame he deserves, of a new band show more shooting towards stardom, and of learning to trust. I loved reading about Aqualung and the success of the band. I also loved reading about the AIs, Digital Carnivore, and WebCense’s takeover. And I loved when these two seemingly separate plots wove together.

These many threads start out as several separate plot lines, with the narrative switching between Aqualung and Quin, especially in the beginning of the novel. However, all of these threads come together to weave a complex tale of music, technology, and politics. Our main characters are not saints, though. Despite being extraordinarily gifted at their respective careers, both have their flaws. Quin is paranoid. Aqualung is slow to trust and uncomfortable giving out advice to his younger band mates, even when the advice is looked for.

The novel was a fun read. The Freefall technology was interesting. The concept of a world government coming together was fun to read about and would probably appeal to fans of Malka Older’s Centennal Cycle series. The AIs, their autonomy, and subculture was also fascinating. Some of the world building could have been fleshed out a bit. For all of the AIs in the story, we don’t know much about them or their culture. Walter Cheeseman, head of WebCense, seems to have no motives for his actions other than greed, and feels a bit two dimensional.

While the conclusion left little to the imagination, wrapping all the threads of the story together quite nicely, it did feel just a little rushed. We learn what happens to Aqualung and the rest of his band members through a news article, not through the dialogue or prose that comprised the majority of the rest of the novel. This certainly provided proper closure to multiple character’s story lines, but it created a certain distance that wasn’t present in the rest of the novel.

Despite this, Radio Freefall was a fun read overall. I enjoyed my time with this book, and would definitely read more books by Matthew Jarpe. If you like cyberpunk or rock and roll I would suggest giving this book a read.

This review can be originally found on Looking Glass Reads. show less

Reading through the night, unable to put this book down, I realized Radio Freefall's claim of being a rock and roll cyberpunk romp that exceeds pomp and circumstance, worships various masters of at least three different science fiction sub-genres, drawing subtly new ideas, and having a really kick-ass time doing it. I rather liked the Ken Kesey character morphed into a tech guru.

I read this book for RL book group. I didn't expect much, the description turned me off, and the idea of comparing it to The Moon is a Harsh Mistress (MIHM) also annoyed me.

The book delivered though. It had many story layers, that all worked together. Good characters, and writing, and the story was interesting. It dealt with music, and computers, and cyber culture and other more basic and enduring human traits and emotions. It also brought in the Moon colony and a space station, so it had the 'feel' of MIHM, without trying to copy or one up it.

I found it that rare book that I enjoyed, but don't feel the need for another book, or more story (series). That is not to say that I wouldn't read this author again, because I would.

Very good, show more satisfying first effort. show less

Web, drugs and rock and roll! Set in the near future this (post) cyberpunk book nearly has everything it needs. Good plot, evil corporates, AIs... maybe the only weakness of the book's the little one-dimensional characters. And it was too short for me... :-)

Quick read. The story was engaging and through proving. Set in the not too distant future this novel explores the dynamics of technology, freedom, and the pursuit of happiness.

Come on, what our hero does is not rock and roll, rather its opposite! I didn't like the book anyway, but as a Jethro Tull fan I also feel offended.