Insidious

Michael McCloskey

Dec 2010 · Synchronicity Trilogy Book 1 · Squidlord LLC

About this ebook

Leaked stories of strange new rules and codes of behavior indicate something's gone sour in the deep space retreats of the superrich corporate execs. Some say that it's only the eccentricities of the powerful leaders of capitalistic society. But others speak of dark, twisted rituals, human slavery and illegal experiments in banned technologies.

Bren Marcken is a robot handler and strategist on a special team of the United Nations Space Force, formed to occupy the corporate space stations and seize their technological secrets. To accomplish the mission, he's been authorized to field artificial intelligences that he considers just as dangerous as the enemy.

Chris Adrastus is an aggressive young executive whose careful machinations have carried him to a high position at the powerful European Union company, Vineaux Genomix. Instead of finding satisfaction, he's become disillusioned with what he discovers at the top of the executive world.

Aldriena Niachi is a covert operative of Black Core, a Brazilian software company with a global sphere of influence. She's about to find out what Black Core will do for a technological lead. Do some kinds of knowledge come at inordinate cost, even for a supercorporation?

Ratings and reviews

It has a fascinating central mystery whose resolution really took me by surprise and, if that's not enough to keep you reading, plenty of suspense. I just had to find out how it all turned out. Plus I loved the dilemma of being forced to rely on AIs even while being desperately afraid they will run amok. Still I could have done without the clunky prolog and sex act descriptions.

Not a good book!

Excellent Cyberpunk exploring AI exceeding human intelligence

About the author

Michael McCloskey is a software engineer in Silicon Valley who dreams of otherworldly creatures, mysterious alien planets, and fantastic adventures.