Paperback, 640 pages
English language
Published May 31, 2005 by Spectra.
From his triumphant debut with Snow Crash to the stunning success of his latest novel, Quicksilver, Neal Stephenson has quickly become the voice of a generation. In this now-classic thriller, he and fellow author J. Frederick George tell a shocking tale with an all-too plausible premise. There's no way William A. Cozzano can lose the upcoming presidential election. He's a likable midwestern governor with one insidious advantage--an advantage provided by a shadowy group of backers. A biochip implanted in his head hardwires him to a computerized polling system. The mood of the electorate is channeled directly into his brain. Forget issues. Forget policy. Cozzano is more than the perfect candidate. He's a special effect. "Complex, entertaining, frequently funny."--Publishers Weekly"Qualifies as the sleeper of the year, the rare kind of science-fiction thriller that evokes genuine laughter while simultaneously keeping the level of suspense cranked to the max."-- San Diego Union-Tribune"A Manchurian …
From his triumphant debut with Snow Crash to the stunning success of his latest novel, Quicksilver, Neal Stephenson has quickly become the voice of a generation. In this now-classic thriller, he and fellow author J. Frederick George tell a shocking tale with an all-too plausible premise. There's no way William A. Cozzano can lose the upcoming presidential election. He's a likable midwestern governor with one insidious advantage--an advantage provided by a shadowy group of backers. A biochip implanted in his head hardwires him to a computerized polling system. The mood of the electorate is channeled directly into his brain. Forget issues. Forget policy. Cozzano is more than the perfect candidate. He's a special effect. "Complex, entertaining, frequently funny."--Publishers Weekly"Qualifies as the sleeper of the year, the rare kind of science-fiction thriller that evokes genuine laughter while simultaneously keeping the level of suspense cranked to the max."-- San Diego Union-Tribune"A Manchurian Candidate for the computer age." --Seattle WeeklyFrom the Trade Paperback edition.
Maybe a little too close to home 25 years later, but still a welcome diversion from the questionable reality of the 2020 election season.
A tightly crafted, fast-paced story in Neal's best form. Cliff-hangers, suspense, near-misses, and completely believable villains.
I missed it originally perhaps as it was released under Stephen Bury pseudonym.
If it was published today it would be on-topic and current.
For a book released in 1994 it is strikingly prescient, to be expected of Neal.
SPOILERS:
Having completely enjoyed this romp through conspiracy theory, now I have to take the authors to task a bit. The trope of a hidden network of unseen conspirators who only have to be grappled with and defeated tackles a far scarier topic in an overly simplistic fashion. By bundling all our fears into a single, if powerful and far-flung Network, Neal creates a scarecrow that requires only knocking over to save the world.
This is the fundamental appeal of Conspiracy Theory.
Far more difficult to grapple with is the actual Marketplace, with the substitution …
A tightly crafted, fast-paced story in Neal's best form. Cliff-hangers, suspense, near-misses, and completely believable villains.
I missed it originally perhaps as it was released under Stephen Bury pseudonym.
If it was published today it would be on-topic and current.
For a book released in 1994 it is strikingly prescient, to be expected of Neal.
SPOILERS:
Having completely enjoyed this romp through conspiracy theory, now I have to take the authors to task a bit. The trope of a hidden network of unseen conspirators who only have to be grappled with and defeated tackles a far scarier topic in an overly simplistic fashion. By bundling all our fears into a single, if powerful and far-flung Network, Neal creates a scarecrow that requires only knocking over to save the world.
This is the fundamental appeal of Conspiracy Theory.
Far more difficult to grapple with is the actual Marketplace, with the substitution of hundreds of uncoordinated and contrary Invisible Hands working at odds both with our heros and each other.
The Market will generally find an optimal (least spanning might be a better term)solution, but it works like evolution in that you better define that solution pretty clearly (by interfering with the Market) and it will be stunningly wasteful getting there.
If you have sacred cows to be preserved in the solution, that must be built into the Market as a required outcome.
