Customer Reviews

The Dark Net

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Not many real science fiction books are written anymore. The Dark Net isn't just your romance-clothed-in-shiny-steel-with-laser-guns book, or your Klingon-speaking-gotta-read-the-series science fiction novel. This is a _good book_. Remember Ender's Game? 1984? Fahrenheit 541? The Dark Net is that kind of book, one that you can read over and over again and find something new, something meaningful.

That's not to say The Dark Net is a serious treatise on the state of the world. But it's worth reading if you like to read.

Riordon has written an adventure in the internet, a science-based story, a pulp thriller that gives the reader something to think about.

The story winds through ordinary life, the virtual world-to-come, the isolated portions of the internet, and a weird farm in the Pennsylvania hills. (Actually, I could totally dig the Freedom Club if they weren't sofa king Ayn Rand about it.)

This book may never be on the syllabus of any Lit Crit classes (though I could write "The Significance of the Color Green in Riordon's The Dark Net" or "Penguins and Boats: Lost and Found in the Void of Riordon's The Dark Net"). But heck, that's probably what they said about Dickens too. Riordon's novel, originally published on a blog, is like Dickens' serialized newspaper novels, and the format of the life-as-it-happens writing method makes the story's plot a lot like real life. Max's end isn't obvious from the beginning. Sometimes he winds up in places he never could have anticipated. But I enjoyed being there with him (well, sometimes it was really sad.)

And that's what I like to see in a book. Shogun, Clan of the Cave Bear, Harry Potter: they're not literature or anything but they sure are great to read.

This was really a great book. I like science fiction books a lot and this book was better than most. I would love to see a sequel or even a movie made of this book. I liked when Max went on the run from the internet people. If Mr. Riordon has written other books, I really would like to read them. I would recommend this book to other teens.

The Dark Net weaves its story through a virtual underworld, following the saga of Max, a programmer. His project was the experimental education of two virtual penguins, Linus and Minus, by reward and punishment respectively. When a student dies mysteriously, the hero, Max, is called upon to clean out his virtual office. Amid whispers of the legendary Doomsday virus, Max's discoveries lead him into the Dark Net, a virtual underworld of villainous people dealing in black market programs. A little-known group of Luddites who shun technology offer him shelter as he is drawn into the plans of the wicked and powerful.

I thoroughly enjoyed the imagination of the novel from the epileptic protagonist and the eroticized office assistants (created by grad students, of course) to the the virtual reality vision of the Web and the religious fervor of the Luddites. And the lively presence of the penguin Linus.

James stop reading ;-)

(this is the negative portion) Any of you Galaxy Quest fans? Remember that scene where Tim Allen and Sigourney Weaver have to go through ridiculously dangerous contraptions to get to the Omega-13, and they point out that there's not a good reason for the booby-traps? Occasionally, I had that feeling about areas of the Dark Net. On the other hand, I have no idea what virus-makers get out of infecting my computer, so maybe it's completely reasonable that such dangers exist.

Other than that, I would have liked to hear more about the background of the Luddite group during the story rather than getting it all on the end. I think that the already interesting history could have been further developed and woven into earlier chapters.

James, you can read again.

But to end with something good -- the conclusion was excellent and completely blind-sided me (but then it made so much sense...).

I can only tell you about the first 3 pages - that is all I could stand. I bought it because it was cheap for a kindle. Be warned.

I bought it beacuse of the good reviews, and because it was a little cheap, I am an IT professional and of course a geek! What I have to say about these book is it is Matrix-Like, the principal charachter is not developed, there is no goal in the history, it is full of sci-fi cliches, I almost trhow this book when I reach the end, until I realizes I was reading on the kindle. It just doesn't worth the time to read it. The first 30% of the book was wuite nice. when I was at the 80% I was reading it just to finish, but wasn't enjoying it.

I couldn't even force myself to finish it. As an IT professional, the psuedo-tech in this book was very poorly conceived. The nomenclature was lazily developed and gave me the impession that the author is technologically illiterate.

The main character is an incompotent waste without a single redeeming quality. Technological farce aside, the story is a disjointed, uncompelling fumble through a series of comically lame misadventures...

So yeah, I'd say it's a waste of time. if you want good sci-fi, read Daniel Suarez, William Gibson or Orson Scott Card.

Apologies to those who enjoyed this book and to the author, my review is simply my opinion of the work itself.

I purchased two of The Dark Net for 2 teenage boys for Christmas - then couldn't put it down myself. It is a rare talent to be able to combine a soaring imagination with such down to earth hard facts. You can tell Riordon knows his stuff - this is no "I just understand the basics that someone gave me" stuff; we're talking true geek speak!

This thriller is clever, action packed and well written.
The author brings us into a world that could easily overwhelm.
He write so clearly that it is easy to see
the characters and to follow them.
It is story which is relayed very well. Good job!!