The movie was a noble attempt, but in the end, had to rely on movie FX that just weren’t quite up to snuff back in the 8os.

I haven’t read the Foundation Series, but I feel like I should. Additionally, I would recommend the series of books that Frank Herbert’s son put out a few years back as a prelude to the Dune series. It jumps ahead a few thousand years to show us where our reliance on AI may take us. Even if you haven’t read the seven or so Dune novels, it really doesn’t matter. I suppose I preferred those because, well, I’m a big SF geek, and also because they just seemed more like novels as opposed to Suarez’s thriller-style of writing.

Either way, I’m game for reading Freedom. Let’s see where the Daemon takes us!

Have you read any of Asimov’s Foundation series? That’s one of the closest analogues I can think of to Daemon. In Foundation some genius foresees the troubles the human race will face, and prepares a series of solutions designed to kick in to ‘save’ humanity at their moments of greatest peril. There may or not be characters involved, though knowing Asimov I doubt there’s any depth. What’s key is watching how humanity develops, reaches crisis, and how the genius plans save them.

That’s what pulled me through Daemon. Characters don’t develop, but the Daemon does, and we’re left guessing what it’s endgame will be. I guess I didn’t even expect any real depth from the people. Hell, there wouldn’t be room for depth! At points there are four or five talking heads in a room and all they get by way of a name or a tag is- CIA, FBI, Corporate America.

Suarez did that on purpose. That’s the pace of a thriller I guess.

Also, I wonder if you read any Dan Brown books? That’s the other similar work I reference. No depth, just a hectic pace through an intriguing series of reveals.

I heard an interview with Suarez, where he explains how he wrote Daemon in lieu of writing a White Paper for the government about the potential threats of technology. He figured only a few people would read that, so instead made a thriller book out of the ideas he had.

Freedom TM waiting for you when/if you’re ready

I think it’s great that this book has obviously touched a deep chord with you. Good books are supposed to do this. Unfortunately, I can’t really say the same for myself. Without a doubt, the idea with which Suarez used to write Daemon was truly unique and frighteningly realistic. I, too can see how many of the incidents that occurred in the book could also conceivably happen in our own increasingly tech-ruled world.

However, I would argue that his idea wasn’t nearly enough to carry the book itself. The characters were either maddening cliches or completely unrealistic props. A brooding cop with a penchant for late-night escapades? The career-centered CIA girl chick who falls for the wrong guy? Haven’t seen either of those before. On the other hand there’s also the MMORPG geek who also runs late-night raves and has a penchant for murder? Are we supposed to believe people like that exist?

Not only did I think the characters were poorly envisioned, but at no point did I feel empathy with any of them. Oh, this one died? Didn’t see that one coming. Wait, they may not really be dead? Oh, OK…

My feeling is that Suarez came up with this great idea and rushed the book out before anyone else could steal it. There were definitely hints of a better writer throughout Daemon though, which is why I’d also like to give Freedom a chance (ha). If he could get his writing wits about him, he is definitely capable of producing some quality work, not just fodder for the tech-geek masses. Anyway, sorry to poo-poo this one. I promise I’ll return it in one piece!