Product Description
A MAD BOMBER crosses the country with nothing to lose and orders to kill. He won't stop until the "cloud computing" that powers the internet is destroyed. But he's not acting alone--he's part of a conspiracy that reaches to the highest levels of power.
His only obstacle? A team of professionals with serious flaws: a corporate investigator who's too brash to stay out of trouble, a hermit-like blogger with crippling paranoia, and a beautiful public relations expert with her own fair share of secrets. They'll have to work together to discover the true source of the attacks--before it's too late.
Along the way, they'll come in contact with modern technology's greatest risks. The chase takes them from Silicon Valley to New York City, with stops at Napa and Area 51 in between. They'll have to move quickly--there's only one chance to keep the cloud from crashing.
If you love taut, puzzle-based thrillers with big ideas, you'll want to start Cloud Crash immediately.
His only obstacle? A team of professionals with serious flaws: a corporate investigator who's too brash to stay out of trouble, a hermit-like blogger with crippling paranoia, and a beautiful public relations expert with her own fair share of secrets. They'll have to work together to discover the true source of the attacks--before it's too late.
Along the way, they'll come in contact with modern technology's greatest risks. The chase takes them from Silicon Valley to New York City, with stops at Napa and Area 51 in between. They'll have to move quickly--there's only one chance to keep the cloud from crashing.
If you love taut, puzzle-based thrillers with big ideas, you'll want to start Cloud Crash immediately.
From the Author
An Interview With Phil Edwards About Cloud Crash
Cloud Crash is about a high tech problem. How do you make it accessible?
Cloud computing has become increasingly common since I wrote the book. If you use the internet, you use "the cloud." That said, I didn't want to write a technical manual, so I tried to craft a story with lots of puzzles, explosions, and strong characters that make the big ideas palatable. There's a lot to think about, but it's mashed up with a lot of adventure.
This book features a look at Silicon Valley. How did you research it?
My first goal was that the book be accessible to readers who didn't know what cloud computing was. My second goal was that the characters epitomize that Valley mentality. I spent a few years working as a consultant about Facebook, so I've read all the hype, met a lot of different people, and learned the basic tech. From there, I read technical works to make sure the book was accurate. The scenario I've charted--the collapse of the internet--is definitely a worst case scenario with explosives added in. But it's plausible enough to spark debate.
What other characters are your favorites in the book?
This book is densely plotted and fast paced, so the characters gave me a great outlet to have some fun. I love Kevin, the Zuckerbergesque (that's a word now, I've decided) CEO of Bioze. He's spacier than Zuckerberg, but has the same risky idealism. And I like the renegade blogger Ben. I'm happy to say I don't resemble him much at all, though his incredibly bad basement apartment is, sadly, modeled on one I used to live in.
