Bradley K. Brown

We live in an age of escalating surveillance–one in which personal privacy is increasingly rare, and more and more of our lives are shared publicly on the Internet. So perhaps it's no surprise that The Circle, by Dave Eggers, takes things a few steps further with his novel, introducing us to a very Google-like company named The Circle, in which they are at the forefront of technology, with seemingly endless resources available to make their bold visions a reality. The Circle's goal is to capture all human knowledge and make it available to the masses. But this type of all-encompassing information-gathering comes with a high cost.

The Circle by Dave EggersThe Circle focuses on Mae Holland, a newly-hired employee, as she begins her career with the technology company. It's immediately obvious that The Circle is an analogy to modern-day Google, with its over-the-top benefits, campus-wide parties, and nearly anything employees could desire available to them–day or night. As Mae settles into her new position, she's overwhelmed by how lucky she is to be part of this amazing group, especially after spending her first two years out of college working in a drab cubicle at a utility company in her tiny home town. She not only feels incredibly lucky to be part of The Circle, but somehow undeserving of the job. The first few chapters are a whirlwind of introductions to resources available on the campus, and to how much information the company collects–and expects their employees to contribute. At first, the comparisons to Google are obvious, but the novel quickly moves beyond even what Google currently provides, into a different level entirely. Oddly, this is both one of the novel's strengths, as well as its weakness; as more and more statistics get introduced, it nearly overpowers the narrative of the story, becoming instead a list of social media “to-dos”, rather than a functional story.

Much of the book is spent introducing concept after concept; TrueYou, SeeChange, ChildTrack, SoulSearch, PastPerfect, Demoxie, and countless other names are thrown around, with each new program introducing increasingly pervasive levels of surveillance, until there's no such thing as privacy any longer. Politicians are forced to wear cameras at all times, streaming their entire lives to the world, or face persecution for failing to do so. All of these programs are well-intentioned, but the ramifications of them are far-reaching and disturbing beyond measure. Indeed, a totalitarianism is hinted at, as politicians who voice criticisms of The Circle suddenly are found to have child-porn on their computers, or some skeleton in their closet–buried in their past–is suddenly uncovered, leading to their ruin. Perhaps these events are coincidental, but people seem to accept the explanations as fact. After all, The Circle is incapable of fault, right?

What makes this novel so intriguing isn't the outlandish invasions of privacy that The Circle is able to obtain, but that Eggers paints a portrait of Orwellian society in-the-making–one that is all too believable, considering the current state of technology. Already, today's Internet companies have extraordinary access to data, and the ramifications of this is just beginning to come to the public consciousness. The Circle takes current events just a little bit further, and serves as a cautionary tale to show what might happen if these companies' aren't reigned in before it's too late.

Despite the intrigue, the novel does have its share of faults. The main character, Mae Holland is rather naive,and her idealism leads the reader to question her sanity from time to time. It's often a frustrating read, to have the author point out more and more disturbing revelations, only to have Mae rationalize things and accept the latest egregious assaults against civil liberties. She seems forgetful of things that are rather crucial, and even cold-hearted as she turns her back on her past to embrace The Circle wholeheartedly. Eggers introduces so many concepts and spends so much time detailing how many ‘screens' the characters use, that it sometimes feels like a diary of going to work each day–albeit at an amazingly generous company–to the point of feeling mundane. Entire plot points get left out, like the treatment of her father's illness, and their lack of participation in the newest programs of The Circle. There are times it's particularly unbelievable that society as a whole is embracing what The Circle has to offer, yet they seem to do so–in increasing numbers.

Despite its shortcomings, however, The Circle is a must-read novel, if only to highlight the strange nature of today's society, and how the information we share can be used. Internet companies probably know more about us than we do ourselves, and the more we share, the more they learn about not only us, but our friends and loved-ones as well. It's a thought-provoking adventure into a what-if future. It's one of today's 1984-style novels that should be read, discussed, and argued. After all, that's what makes a good book transcend the genre and become a great book.

Extremes, book two of the Retrieval Artist series by Kristine Kathryn Rusch furthers the adventures of Miles Flint, and his former partner, Armstrong Police Detective Noelle DeRicci. In Extremes, DeRicci is sent to investigate a death on the course of the Moon Marathon. At first, it appears to be a simple case, but DeRicci quickly realizes that this death is anything but simple. Meanwhile, Miles Flint is settling into his life as a Retrieval Artist, and learning what cases he should–and shouldn't–take. The former partners paths cross in the most unlikely of ways, but not before all of Armstrong is threatened with survival. Does Extremes live up to the promise laid out in The Disappeared, or does it fall tremendously flat?

The characters introduced by Rusch in The Disappeared make their glorious return, and Flint is very much new to the role of Retrieval Artist in this novel. Rusch spends an extraneous amount of time (perhaps too much) detailing Flint's new life, and his struggles with making himself comfortable. When a client approaches him, he plays very-hard-to-get, keeping readers in the dark about the proposed job until more than halfway through the novel. Alternatively, DeRicci's investigation into the death of a Marathon runner very quickly turns into a murder investigation with far-reaching implications. The mystery surrounding the death is well handled, though the ultimate reveal leaves a bit to be desired. The characters in Extremes are decidedly excellent, and continue a narrative that will obviously use the entire series to explore. The Retrieval Artist novels are very much individual chapters in a larger story.

Once again, Rusch avoids the temptation of dwelling on exposition to fill in the past. The scenes where history is revealed is necessary, and brief. A few more species are alluded to, though very little detail about them is revealed. In fact, Extremes is very much a singularly human story–there is virtually no alien influence at all in the novel, which is a good thing, as it avoid detracting from the central mystery. The technology revealed isn't particularly futuristic, though sets it apart from current levels of technology. The Retrieval Artist novels provide a timelessness that is difficult to match in current science fiction. So many of today's stories are set so far into the future that technology has seemingly leaped into the realm of magic, or they are set in essentially the modern day, or very-near future so that some scientific breakthrough is about to change modern society in ways we can only imagine. It's refreshing to see a story that's still accessible and familiar, yet beyond our current reach; it gives us something to strive for.

Unfortunately, Extremes doesn't quite live up to the excellence set forth in the previous installment of the series. The mystery is a good one, though the clues come together a bit too quickly, and readers will likely put the pieces together faster than the book does–primarily due to several characters each holding a piece of the solution. The plot moves rather slowly–even more so than in the first book. Still, this is nitpicking, finding faults that are minor. Overall, the book is a solid mystery, and a worthy read–if not quite as good as The Disappeared. It still furthers the Retrieval Artist story, and will continue to draw readers into the continuing saga being weaved by Rusch, one long chapter at a time.

How does one review a book–the biography Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson–when the book itself is more or less a review of Steve Jobs' life?

Anybody who reads seems to be reading, or have read, Steve Jobs. Consequently there have already been numerous quotes, reviews, and discussions both about the book, and about Steve Jobs in general. It's difficult not to tread too much on what's already been said, and impart a unique position, but alas, it's worth a shot.

Steve Jobs is a marvelously engrossing book, about one of the world's greatest technology visionaries. It details nearly his entire life, including where he came from–both his genetic parents, and his adopted parents. From the very beginning, it's clear that Jobs must have been insufferable to live with growing up, and even more insufferable as an adult.

What makes Steve Jobs so intriguing are all the behind-the-scenes moments that intersperse the book. Even to those who are familiar with Steve Jobs' life and career, there was a lot of new information presented in this book–both good and bad. In the end, it's clear that though Steve Jobs built a remarkable company, he did so by being shrewd, manipulative, uncompromising, and most of all: unapologetic. His vision of the way people should use technology was unwavering, much to the chagrin of many in the media, and the outside world itself.

It's clear in this book that Steve Jobs was a very difficult person to work for and with, live with, or even to be around in any way. He could be extraordinarily demeaning to people at one moment, and treat them as if they were the greatest person alive the next.

What makes this biography so interesting is the way Isaacson details both the good and bad sides of Steve Jobs. He criticizes Jobs' faults, and praises his strengths–sometimes simultaneously. But it's clear that this biography was designed to portray Steve Jobs, and not some mythical figure who could do no wrong. For those who weren't aware of the way Jobs handled his day-to-day duties, and the way he interacted with those around him, the book may come as a shocking blow; Steve Jobs was not a great guy. Instead, he focused his efforts and his energy on making great products that he believed in.

At times surprisingly callous, and at other times genuinely amiable, Steve Jobs was a man who–perhaps by luck–changed the world. He made no apology for being the way he was; that was simply Steve Jobs.

Steve Jobs is a fascinating read, and–though lengthy–is a page-turner. Though completed before Steve Jobs' death on October 5th, 2011, it's clear that the author knew it was likely to be published after Jobs succumbed to his cancer. In many ways, it's a fitting epigraph to a life that was filled with contentious and arduous bouts with corporate executives, celebrities, and even his closest friends and family. Most of the book is spent describing how Jobs became to be the man he was, and also about his ideas and opinions that led to revolutions in so many different industries. It's clear that without Steve Jobs, the world would likely be a very different place.

At the same time, it's also clear that Steve Jobs really was the main force driving Apple's innovation. Though Apple has been built to inherit Jobs' design aesthetics, and culture, one has to wonder how long his influence will continue beyond his death. Is there anyone who will take up the mantle of perfection that Jobs insisted upon? Time will tell, of course.

Steve Jobs is also a wonderful book in that it isn't overtly technical in nature. Someone who's not necessarily into the tech scene, or computers can still pick up and read the book without difficulty. Though there are certainly sections that will enthuse tech people, it doesn't get too complicated for the average reader. It really is a wonderfully intriguing, and well-written biography.

I'll begin by saying that this book was better than I thought it would be, but not as good as I'd hoped it would be.

What do I mean by this statement? Well, I'll try to explain throughout the rest of the review. For the sake of those fans who have yet to read the book, I'll try to remain as spoiler-free as possible.

I have to admit that this novel was probably one of the most well-written Star Wars novels I've ever read. This dialogue was believable, if not strange in some sections. The language was fairly eloquent sometimes, but never really grew repetitive; The exception being some of the lines exchanged by Vergere and Jacen throughout the book.

Yes, Jacen is alive. Sort of.

What happened to me being spoiler-free, you ask? Well, Del Rey makes no secret of his being alive on the back of the book, so why should I bother pretending otherwise? After all, like you thought he was really dead.

Nevertheless, this book surprised me. As I've said, I had hoped it would be better. Then again, maybe I should rethink that statement.

Because this book strayed so far from what I expected, I automatically judged it, based on my expectations. Which is wrong. It's like falling to the Dark Side of the Force. One thing we learn, reading this book, is to reevaluate our opinions of everything we've ever known.

I think a lot of fans don't like the New Jedi Order because it did what they didn't expect. Chewbacca's death was, in my opinion, what either bolstered a fan to the NJO, or pushed them away. Hindsight being better than foresight, maybe Chewbacca's death should have occurred later in the series. And maybe not.

But maybe some fans dislike the series simply because it doesn't do what they think it should. That's absolutely the reason why I continue to like the series.

Traitor flies in the face of everything I had begun to call cliche with the NJO. I thought I had it mapped out and could predict the final moments of the series. But Jacen's revelations in Traitor shine new light on the changes that have occurred, illustrating just how disparaging the situation is.

Matthew Stover wrote a wonderful novel, full of introspection, intrigue, and deep meaning to a series that desperately needed it.

Though some sections were so disorienting, I found myself struggling to make any sense of it, most of the book falls under the age-old category of ‘page-turner' with a slight twist. Most page-turners keep me entertained to the point that I can know, keep in my mind that it's interesting. Traitor kept me so involved, I was surprised to find that I'd read 150 pages in one sitting. I don't even remember flipping the pages.

Some fans will find huge problems with this book, as it revolves almost solely around Jacen. I was at first surprised by the extremely short Dramatis Personae at the beginning. After reading the rest of the novel, however, I realize that the Dramatis Personae is actually a bit inflated, including characters who are rarely discussed throughout the book.

Personally, I found the book more involving because of its focus on one character. Most books flip around from scene-to-scene, character-to-character, back-and-forth. When written well, that type of style can be wonderfully dramatic, succeeding just as well as a single character novel. But Traitor is involving because of its single character. The flow feels never-interrupted and reads wonderfully well. We've read other single character books in the NJO: Conquest centered on Anakin Solo and Dark Journey was centered around Jaina Solo. But neither of those novels succeeded on as many levels as Traitor. I would easily compare this novel to the uniqueness of I, Jedi, which was written completely in the first-person viewpoint.

In Traitor, we begin to see how important Jacen Solo is not only to the Jedi, but to the entire series. Suddenly, New Jedi Order takes on a whole new meaning.

Matthew Stover has surpassed many of my fondest hopes for this series by delivering a pleasant, surprising read, and I would gladly welcome him back to the Star Wars universe, were the choice mine. He has certainly given me my favorite NJO paperback, if not my favorite novel of the entire series–to date, anyway.

Well, I seem to have gotten off on a tangent (which I often do). I highly recommend this novel. The rest of the New Jedi Order will hinge greatly on events on this novel.

My only gripes: The story is sometimes horribly hard to follow, and can take a concerted effort to continue reading. A couple of lines get overused once or twice. My biggest problem is the cover. For such a good book, why give it such a horrible cover? The term “never judge a book by its cover” has never been more appropriate.

Remember, everything I tell you is neither the truth or a lie. It's just my opinion.

Peter F. Hamilton has a large collection of works published, including the very popular series Night's Dawn, and the Void trilogy.

In Great North Road, a member of the prominent North family is found murdered, in the same exact manner used as a previous North massacre twenty years prior. Angela Tramelo was convicted and has been in prison ever since–so who could have done it? Angela claimed twenty years ago that an alien monster was responsible, but no one believed her. Could there be a sentient species out there, hell-bent on wiping out the North family? The planet St. Libra, where the original murders took place, is key to the economy of Earth, and any threat is one that must be investigated. The Human Defense Agency launches a massive expedition to St. Libra, with the intention of finding and capturing the monster–that is if Angela Tramelo is telling the truth, and a monster actually exists.

Great North Road CoverMeanwhile, Detective Sid Hurst is investigating the North murder on Earth, and all the clues point not to a monster, but to a corporate struggle that turned deadly. As his investigation continues, Angela's story seems less and less likely.

Angela is released from prison to join the St. Libra expedition, since she's the only one to have survived an attack by the monster, but her every action is scrutinized and questioned. As the expedition searches for the monster, strange accidents begin causing injuries and deaths to their group, until even the planet itself seems to turn against them.

The novel is–first and foremost–a mystery set in a science fictional universe. The world-building is phenomenal, and it's easy to believe that events on the pages are real, with a rich history behind them. Though long, the author does a nice job of filling in backgrounds, but without providing too much exposition; when used, it's effective. Each character comes from a background that's fully-fleshed. Unfortunately, the same can't be said for the characters' current incarnations; they never quite ascend to people we would want to be friends with. There's some indefinable gap that truly prevents the characters from jumping out of the page, and feeling like they belong. Some may disagree with this assessment, but the characters never wowed me, the way some books have. Still, that's not to say that Great North Road isn't a good book, because it is. It's just not a great book.

The book is long, and not just in sheer page count. At 976 pages, it's a lengthy story, but it could easily have been told in a more condensed manner. Often times the reader is thrown back in time, to be given another tidbit of the story about one particular character, then returned to the present, where the revelations reveal just a little bit more about their motivations or actions. It gets a little tiring, especially as the book starts to reach its climax, only to be thrown back in time with a new revelation. None of the things that are revealed are cheap, or unnecessary, but the back-and-forth over a book of this length is wearying.

Even though it's long, Hamilton does a good job of keeping readers interested. The pacing of the story is good, if methodical, and the end result, and resolution to the mystery is at least well-executed, if just a tad too far-fetched to have been worth the mystery to begin with.

For fans of a good mystery, Great North Road can be recommended, but for most casual readers, it's probably not for you.