bleed·ing edge

noun: bleeding edge; plural noun: bleeding edges

-- the very forefront of technological development.

Before reading this novel, I did not know the meaning of this term, so here it is.

And also, I am still surprised that I've picked up another Thomas Pynchon book...Unfortunately, I started with The Crying of Lot 49, which was a complete mystery to me, though I did laugh out loud at that strip poker scene. Pynchon always makes me laugh at unexpected times.

This time, we (the readers) follow Maxine Tarnow/Loeffler, a fraud examiner, as she looks into the nefarious goings on at a computer security firm called hashslingz, run by a badass named Gabriel Ice.

The colorful characters, clever and funny dialogue, and social commentary make these 400+ pages sparkle. When it comes to the plot, there are many issues that are not resolved. These fascinating scenarios are vehicles that Pynchon uses to contemplate the effect the internet has had on our lives, how there will be no more privacy and fewer choices.

It's an intriguing read! And I can see why David Foster Wallace was compared to Pynchon.