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Published Jan 2009
448 pages
Genre: Thrillers
Publication Information
Already an underground sensation, a high-tech thriller for the wireless age that explores the unthinkable consequences of a computer program running without human control—a daemon—designed to dismantle society and bring about a new world order.
Technology controls almost everything in our modern-day world, from remote entry on our cars to access to our homes, from the flight controls of our airplanes to the movements of the entire world economy. Thousands of autonomous computer programs, or daemons, make our networked world possible, running constantly in the background of our lives, trafficking e-mail, transferring money, and monitoring power grids. For the most part, daemons are benign, but the same can’t always be said for the people who design them.
Matthew Sobol was a legendary computer game designer—the architect behind half-a-dozen popular online games. His premature death depressed both gamers and his company’s stock price. But Sobol’s fans aren’t the only ones to note his passing. When his obituary is posted online, a previously dormant daemon activates, initiating a chain of events intended to unravel the fabric of our hyper-efficient, interconnected world. With Sobol’s secrets buried along with him, and as new layers of his daemon are unleashed at every turn, it’s up to an unlikely alliance to decipher his intricate plans and wrest the world from the grasp of a nameless, faceless enemy—or learn to live in a society in which we are no longer in control.
BookBrowse Review - Kim Kovacs
Daemon is one of the better technological thrillers this reviewer has encountered in quite some time. The author’s style is reminiscent of Michael Crichton’s. Like Crichton, Suarez builds his novel on technology that exists today and which could plausibly be employed as described in the narrative. As someone whose day job is in computer technology, I was intrigued by the author’s accuracy and thorough knowledge of the inner workings of corporate networks, the Internet, and computer hacking.
This book does have its flaws. There are a few brief scenes that are a bit amateurish. In addition, there are times when the author drifts into unnecessary detail. Technologically savvy readers don’t need this information, and those unaware of it are unlikely to care or fully understand the author’s explanations. Fortunately, these sections do little to slow the novel’s overall pace.
Its weaknesses aside, Daemon is simply a fun read. It has all the breath-taking action of a computer game, a complex plot, and plenty of surprises for the reader along the way. The buzz it’s garnering is well-deserved.
Other Reviews
"Starred Review. Complicated jargon abounds, but most complexities are reasonably explained. A final twist that runs counter to expectations will leave readers anxiously awaiting the promised sequel." - Publishers Weekly.
"Suarez's dialog is crisp, and his action exciting, but he needs a more logical plot." - Library Journal.
"Greatest. Techno-thriller. Period. Suarez presents a fascinating account of autonomous, logic- based terrorism, incorporating current and anticipated technologies to create a credible and quite clever story. Experts have long feared the Internet doomsday scenario; the Daemon is arguably more terrifying." - William O’Brien, Director of Cybersecurity and Communications Policy, The White House.
"Daemon is the real deal—a scary look at what can go wrong as we depend increasingly on computer networks." - Craig Newmark, Founder Craigslist.
"Originally self-published, Suarez's not-just-for-gamers debut is a stunner, with an ending that promises sequels to come." - Kirkus Reviews.
About the Author
Daniel Suarez is an independent systems consultant to Fortune 1000 companies. He has designed and developed enterprise software for the defense, finance, and entertainment industries. He is an avid gamer and technologist. Daemon is his first novel.
This information about Daemon was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Daniel Suarez is the author of the New York Times bestseller Daemon, Freedom, Kill Decision, and Influx. A former systems consultant to Fortune 1000 companies, he has designed and developed mission-critical software for the defense, finance, and entertainment industries. With a lifelong interest in both IT systems and creative writing, his high-tech and Sci-Fi thrillers focus on technology-driven change.
Suarez is a past speaker at TED Global, MIT Media Lab, NASA Ames, the Long Now Foundation, and the headquarters of Google, Microsoft, and Amazon -- among many others. Self-taught in software development, he is a graduate from University of Delaware with a BA in English Literature. An avid PC and console gamer, his own world-building skills were bolstered through years as a pen & paper ...
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