Authored by: Eric S. Nylund First Published: 1999

Please note, this page contains information that may spoil the ending of Singal To Noise?

Brief Overview

Jack Potter starts the book looking down on the still planet earth, its rotational energy used up by the Gateway device given him by the alien Wheeler, whose signal he originally found amongst the noise and static of transmission in space. After bargaining with the alien for a genetic enzyme to make DNA more efficient, a supercomputer that requires only a single electron, and the Gateway device, he soons learns that each comes with a price. Now, stranded on the moon with only the four humans he was able to rescue before the end of the earth, and the genocide of his entire civilization on his hands, Jack's problems are only just beginning...

Brief Review

Like the previous book in the pair, this work tends to focus heavily on a few interesting ideas, and all the possible uses they may have. The writing style is almost overburdened with metaphors, save for the fact that these are woven into the story using ocular implants and "bubbles" to create areas where thoughts are visualized, and metaphors appear real, to aid the characters in making their leaps of intuition and innovation as to how to solve the next problem, or make the next step in using the technologies available to them. Whilst not an overly well known author, the ideas developed will appeal strongly to those in the IT world, without ever showing or requiring too much science, and the metaphor bubbles allow for ample artistic description of locations and thoughts. Whilst a one or two of the explanations are a little weak, the ideas and descriptions make the book and this definitely fits the analysis and discussion of self that seems to go hand in hand with cyberpunk books.

Related Works

Signal to Noise? is the first book in this pair of books.

Trivia

External Links