Halting State

Charles Stross
Halting State Cover

Between technothriller and SF

pizzakarin
1/8/2015
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This book is somewhere between technothriller and near future science fiction about what happens when infrastructure fails to keep up with technology. Our world already exists in this state, so moving the timeframe forward a bit, or allowing this to be a little "alternate history" (which it is by nature of being near future fiction published eight years ago), doesn't make the points it has to make less valid.

I liked it, but didn't love it, because I felt like I was constantly missing something, like he was expecting me to be able to set each piece in my mind and keep it in motion while he introduced new pieces. I'm not that good of a reading engineer, so I lost track of things.

I enjoyed the second person narration with changing perspectives. I know it sounds like experimental narrative bullshit, but it works here as a tool for positioning the book as an "augmented reality" for the reader. You'll just have to trust me that after the first chapter or so it isn't as disorienting as the concept of second person narration seems.

Recommended if you like geeking out over network security or augmented reality.

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