A Google user
Like ultra-computerized stock trading, D-Space can replace corporations, governments, or armies in the time that it takes to load an augmented reality application. A social darknet game managed by an AI virus offers better economic and emotional rewards than actual society. It recruits skilled professionals and support staff by pointing out how corrupt predators have distorted the standard public system and how a non-ideological automation can compensate. Each side infiltrates and manipulates the other. In this sequel to The Daemon, players are given nicknames and scores for reputation stars and base factor. The Major has to figure out how to kill the botnet to preserve the natural order before it eliminates him as it did CEO Hollis. Pete Sebeck has to make a quest to justify the freedom of humanity. Loki Stormsbringer is the top-level network operative who has a host of high-tech tricks at hand such as HUD glasses, automated armored Razorback motorcycles, gestural shamanic interface, Herr Boerner, physical avatars, crowdsourced characters, holon team cells, hypersonic audio projection, and free energy. In three parts, the book counts fiscal quarters, as the price of gold and gas climb, the unemployment rate reaches the tipping point, and USD/Darknet credits increase by a couple orders of magnitude. Chapters are introduced by posts from darknet users. The bibliography cites Bamford, Brin, Singer, Robb, Tapscott and Williams, which add authenticity to this dramatic rendering. Thanks.
Michael Flaster
I tend to like books that are either exciting page turners even if not very deep (eg James Patterson), or books that are thought provoking. This book was definitely the former, with a little bit of the latter. A bit hand wavy, but interesting to think about alternative ways that people could organize themselves through technology. Plus it was a fun read!