Cyber Punk, that is.
This morning I saw a post by @kevinwong about the lack of #cyberpunk on Steemit. I had to post about one of my favorite authors. If you're just now hearing about Daniel Suarez, you can thank me later. I've read or listened to all of his books, some of them multiple times. The research that goes into his novels reminds me of Tom Clancy's attention to detail. His writing is gripping, entertaining, and educational, both technologically and philosophically.
All of his books can be found at http://thedaemon.com/
The Daemon is Daniel's first novel, and it's amazing. Imagine a massively multiplayer online game (MMOG) done in real life with augmented realty overlays all controlled by an artificial intelligence created by a now deceased genius. This book takes you on a wild ride where the start is completely normal and the end is so surreal, you still can't understand why you believe it all. But you do. I first found this book playing around with digital download options for my local library. I'm so glad I did. When I finished it, I immediately purchased his next book, which is a continuation of the story, and kept reading.
Freedom (tm) picks up right where the Daemon ends. The incredible world of gamified reality driven by 100's of thousands of people all over the world gives birth to new purpose, justice, and technological advancement. It's a truly incredible story I hope they turn into a blockbuster movie some day.
Kill Decision will scare the crap out of you. Imagine a swarm of completely autonomous killer drones who pattern their communication and destructiveness after weaver ant colonies. This book raises some really important questions about the future of autonomous warfare, one we should all be aware of.
Influx, IMO, takes it all to another level and involves Suarez's most generous use of artistic license. He creates a world where new technology is so dangerous, an elite group of people have to protect the world from itself by controlling or eliminating new discoveries. Or at least, that's their intention given the results of the planet-wide simulations they run and the existential risks involved. As with most attempts at centralized control, things don't always go to plan.
Let's see if we can get Daniel Suarez on Steemit!
As you can see, he's active on Twitter and replies often to his fans (even this one!):
Let's all send him a tweet to come checkout Steemit, the decentralized social media platform built on blockchain technology which pays content authors and curators directly. Here's mine.
If you haven't read his books yet, visit his home page at http://thedaemon.com/ and buy them today.
If you have, what did you think? Which one is your favorite and why?