Daniel Suarez, Daemon

Daemon

Dutton, Jan 2009, $25.95

ISBN 9780525951117

At thirty four years of age, Matthew Sobol, the genius behind successful CyberStorm Entertainment dies from brain cancer. However, the brilliant game maestro would not allow something as petty as death prevent him from causing global havoc from the grave. He somehow kicked off a war from cyberpsace against mankind.

Concerned authorities enter Sobol's mansion in Thousand Oaks, California only to find themselves under attack in spite of the fact that no human is inside or on the grounds; the police suffer several deaths as they retreat. Sobol has left behind the greatest weapon of mass destruction ever created; his daemon computer processor has taken control of most of the world's major computer systems and has signed up brilliant quisling humans as foot soldiers to carry out the plan for world domination.

'Daemon' is a fabulous futuristic AI technology thriller as the twisted but brilliant late computer game creator Sobol sets in motion a doomsday machine after he dies. The storyline is fast-paced from the onset even with complex vernacular as Daniel Suarez assumes his audience can do more than breath and chew gum refusing to dumb down his tale. Readers will relish this superb science fiction book with a great finish that sets up AI part two.

Harriet Klausner