Suggested Hi-Tech Thrillers and Hard Science Fiction

I've had a lifelong fascination with thinking about the future, but the next few decades concern me. The experts -- men like Kurzweil and Moravec -- believe that our machines will surpass us in intelligence, even merge with us to form something radically new. Technology is rapidly changing our lives; most of us feel it's for the better, but the issues are pressing closer. My passion is near future hi-tech thrillers and hard science fiction featuring artificial intelligence, robotics, nanotechnology and genetic engineering.

The following are a few of the books that deal with these subjects. Please select a review from the list to your left or just browse the pages. I am solely responsible for the ratings -- each novel has been evaluated on its literary content and the importance of its theme. I plan to add to this list on a continuing basis, so stop back frequently.

Rating	Explanation
*****	Outstanding. One of the best in the genre.
****	Well written; makes you think.
***	Okay, but it didn't blow me away.
**	Below average; only for the author's fans.
*	Shouldn't have been published.

Digital Fortress

****

Interesting plot, weak characters

Digital Fortress is a 384 page paperback by Dan Brown published May, 2000.

Here’s the problem: Digital Fortress has a good plot, but it’s filled with weak characters. I really liked the plot. A disgruntled NSA employee develops an unbreakable encryption program (the Digital Fortress) and threatens to give both the encryption program and the key (which is buried in the program) away on the Internet. If the bad guys gain access to the key, they will be able to communicate without fear of the NSA decrypting their messages. This throws the NSA into a panic – as it should – so they send David Becker to track down the former employee. However, David learns that the man has died in suspicious circumstances, so … well, you know.

Pretty good so far, but now consider the main characters. Susan Fletcher and David Becker are the perfect pair. She’s beautiful, intelligent, sexy and decent to the core. He’s beautiful, intelligent, sexy and – yes – decent to the core. Although Susan has an IQ of 170, she’s mostly eye candy. The only surprise was that nobody tied her to railroad tracks in front of an oncoming train. Although that might have improved her characterization. David, on the other hand turns out to be the greatest daredevil of all time, outwitting a professional assassin, even though the most exciting thing he has done is to thrash an opponent on a squash court (and then treat him to a fruit shake and bagel). There’s another character known only as Jabba … enough said?

Okay, so what’s the bottom line? This clearly isn’t a top-level thriller, but if your plans fall through some weekend, this wouldn’t be a bad book to pick up.

Beggars in Spain

****

Worth reading more than once

Beggars in Spain is a 438 page paperback by Nancy Kress published March, 1994.

I first read Beggars in Spain six or seven years ago and I enjoyed it then. I’ve found that the better stories age well; come back a few years later and they still engage your heart and your mind. This is one of those stories.

Nancy Kress illustrates a fast approaching issue – the impact of genetic engineering – with well-drawn characters in realistic situations. The premise is science has learned how to engineer humans such that they no longer need to sleep. Obviously, the “sleepless” have a huge advantage over the “sleepers,” and Kress explores the chasm that develops between the two classes of humans. Not to give away the story, but the “sleepless” have additional gifts that notch up the intensity significantly.

My only complaint is that the story seems to run out of gas toward the end. Kress has ably developed the issues, but doesn’t bring the plot to a definitive climax. Nevertheless, Beggars in Spain is an excellent story, one that will stay with you over the years.

Prey

Improbable science

Prey is a 364 page hardcover by Michael Crichton published in 2002.

A really good novel illustrating the potential danger of nanotechnology would be a welcome addition. Prey is not that novel.

Here’s the plot: Somewhere in the Nevada desert, a hi-tech corporation has been experimenting with nanotechnology swarms. Of course, the little critters get loose and begin evolving into fierce predators. Jack Foreman, an expert in designing computer programs that mimic the behavior of swarming animals, is called in to deal with the swarm. Jack’s wife is a Vice-President at the firm, but she hasn’t clued Jack into the big picture.

I won’t give it away, but the swarm evolves so rapidly – and unbelievably – it’s difficult to sustain belief in the storyline. Actually, it’s impossible. Adding to the disappointment are B-movie characters that blur into the background, their tracks sinking out of sight in the sand of a sluggish plot.

Darwin's Radio

****

Creative, believable and terrifying

Darwin's Radio is a 538 page paperback by Greg Bear published July, 2000.

Darwin’s Radio is a pleasure for someone who loves hard science fiction, as I do. Here’s the premise: SHEVA, a retrovirus long-buried in our genes, suddenly awakens and begins to attack pregnant women, forcing them to miscarry after three months. But that’s just the beginning – after the miscarriage, these same women spontaneously become pregnant again, this time developing a fetus that’s not quite human. The federal government, led by the science establishment, after first denying the truth, then begins pressing parents to turn over their strange children to the government.

This premise just blew my mind; it’s creative, believable and terrifying. The science was complex and I referred to the glossary, included at the back of the book, several times. As I progressed through the pages, I was reminded of Beggars in Spain, Nancy Kress’s wonderful story. Both novels explore the rapid evolution of humanity into another species, although Greg Bear, unlike Kress, makes humanity involuntary travelers on the journey.

My major complaint is the slow pace. Too much time was spent on a romance between the two major characters. Even more frustrating was the endless politics between and among the scientific community and their patrons. Although Darwin’s Radio is science fiction and not a techno-thriller, more action – yes, a little violence, too – would have strengthened the brew.

The bottom line: a slightly flawed but thought-provoking tale.

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