by James L. Halperin
In interesting book, written back in the era when you could talk about the future President Gore and look ahead to 2004.
It reminded me of the big idea books of old science fiction – mostly about a big new technology, and exploring its consequences. There are more women and more emotional engagement than in rockets and physics lecture sci-fi, but it’s consciously and intentionally uses a drier reporting style to avoid first person POV.
The cast of characters is interesting, though the main character, Pete, is a genius very much in the mold of older sci-fi. His two friends David and Diana are destined for greatness, much like Pete.
The core of the book, though is about the intersection of a society trapped in a rising tide of crime, and willing to make tremendous tradeoffs to solve the issue.
In the end, it’s an interesting thought experiment, and Pete is an appealing lens to examine just what we’d trade for safety — and the tremendous changes that society would undergo if lying became impossible.