Drew Cordell

This science fiction borrows from many dystopian mega-city traditions, but it begins and it finishes with a rather awesome focus on Thoughts.

No, no, not like the thought police, although there *is* a bit of that going on, but on the interesting concretization of thoughts becoming actionable and even becoming possessions that people can trade for basic living expenses in the slums. Let's hook you up and scan you, son. Any original thoughts? No? Oh well, you can get your basic living allowance as long as you tow the line.

Eeek. Not only timely and eerily like what we've already got now, the author takes it to new levels and lets the elite and the big computer that runs the society do some really interesting things... such as the pursuit of Absolute Knowledge... which, you should know, is pretty much a euphemism. :)

This is a dystopia with lots of clandestine and thrilling counter-culture elements, after all, and I can name at least 3 major and pretty awesome plot twists that I'm not going to spoil for your reading pleasure, but rest assured that the story is quite solid and interesting throughout, not just a pretty idea, but a character-driven thriller as well.

The book delivers. Are you looking for some clever SF with cyberpunk elements and a Hard-SF dystopia with a good MC that struggles, strives, against the machine? Look no further. :)… (plus d'informations)

This is a good prequel and especially a good taste of some very nice world-building. My appetite for the novel [b:Absolute Knowledge|33666708|Absolute Knowledge (Absolute Knowledge, #1)|Drew Cordell|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1484703554s/33666708.jpg|54538053] is whetted almost perfectly.

The fact that the action is split between programmers and a burgeoning AI in the 1960's and a 180 years in the future from that point doesn't leave me flat. It's a great way to get us interested in a way that's grounded and pique our interest in how the continuity is set up.

There's no real surprise that consciousness is uploaded here if we've read the blurbs for the proper novel, but that's just it: this is the setup, the taste-tester, the appetizer. :) It just makes me all the hungrier and now I've just got to wonder whether we've just been introduced to a hero or a villain. :)

Sweet! :)… (plus d'informations)

I've been getting into the Absolute Knowledge series quite a bit, but is it a far stretch to say that I've been loving the prequels a slight bit more? Probably not, but here's the reason: I love world-building.

I'm hooked for world-building, and this piece sets up an entire realm that has remained outside of the events that have transformed the Earth... outer space! :) No major AI to stand over their shoulders. In fact, it feels more like I'm being set up for even greater things to come.

This short piece is good and it has cool action and events, but I'll be honest... if it wasn't for the fact that it's all tied to the rest of the series, in context, it probably wouldn't feel that special.

It's the mystery that makes it fun as hell. :)

… (plus d'informations)

This second book continues [b:Absolute Knowledge|33666708|Absolute Knowledge|Drew Cordell|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1484703554s/33666708.jpg|54538053] right where it left off, and does it beautifully, knocking the intrigue right out of the park and into action and a very dystopian militaristic world.

From eerie cyberpunk right into androids, mech-suits, and a world that is sliding ever deeper into chaos.

Years pass and we've got old and new MC's just trying to hang on as the absolute AI and the highest caged-prey of humanity lives out their lives in gilded cages.

And yet, through all the hard-scrabble existence and infighting among the last of humanity, big reveals are still coming and the revolution hasn't quite lost all its momentum.

This is a newer age of cyberpunk. Hardcore mil-SF, too. And where the first novel was intrigue, smaller-scale, and rebellion from the inside, this one takes over with action and, ultimately, a very dark turn.

Very enjoyable! Hard-SF for lovers of dystopia, mil-SF, and high-tech, all still based on Earth in the nearish future... so far. :) It comes as a very interesting piece with all the short stories and novellas. The world-building is quite fantastic. :) I recommend those, too.… (plus d'informations)