Customer Reviews

Echelon

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

If you are looking for a really good summer page-turner, this is your book. I bought it to take on vacation, but I ended up reading the whole thing before I even left. It is a good mix of adventure, science, science fiction, and suspense, with a bit of steamy romance thrown in. It is definitely cinematic, as the editorial review states. The book also could serve as a timely dialogue on government snooping into the lives of citizens - but it doesn't force any kind of politics down your throat. A good, fun read.

I picked this up at a bookstore on a whim as the title sounded interesting. Turned out to be a little bit different than what I thought. I was expecting this to be more of a current X-Files and got something a little more futuristic. Not that this is a bad thing. Just expect more future tech than current tech.

I thought the book read decently but was not completely smooth. I found sections where some of the action and descriptions got a little bit "muddy". It didn't stop me from finishing the book but I did find that I noticed it. Then again, from the authors description, this is his first novel. Heck, I wish my first novel was this good... :)

Echelon is one of those novels that is quite fun while you're reading it and then instantly forgotten once you've finished. It's not bad for what it is - all high-octane, densely plotted stuff packed with boat chases, shootouts, conspiracy and subterfuge for those who like that sort of thing. The problem is, there isn't enough here to make the novel stand out on its own two feet as something unique. It's all very Neuromancer crossed with James Bond without being as good as either. In fact, Conviser's depictions of 'the flow' aren't nearly as convincing as Gibson's portrayal of a digital world and that was written well over twenty years ago before such things as the internet even existed!

You would think that a novel filled with this much action would make me care about what's going on to the main characters, but unfortunately beyond all the explosions and fight scenes there is very little at the heart of this book. A lack of core characters makes it obvious away who the real bad guy is. And a lack of subtext and moral questioning about the implications of Laing's actions leaves the book feeling flat and bland. Personally, I think a much better novel could have been achieved if Conviser had spent more time going into the implications of what he shows us. For example, what's it like coming back from the dead? Was there an afterlife? If not, how does that affect someone's take on life? Laing's attitude of constantly going around like a man with a death wish just seems wrong considering he's already died once.

As said, this isn't a bad book. It's a solid example of its genre, well paced and with consistent writing. But more than anything else, it just didn't excite me very much. To be blunt, I found it hard at times to care about what was happening and quickly got bored while reading it despite the rate at which I was turning those pages. That, more than anything else, is the biggest criticism I can level against this book.

Normally when I read a book, it is of the fantasy genre. Despite that, I checked out Echelon although it is more like a science-fiction-type-thriller. I did this because I simply wanted an interesting and complete story packed into an ergonomic 304 pages. I received that and more when I read it. Josh Conviser portrays human nature in a not-wholly original, but nevertheless fascinating way. He characterizes humans as uncivilized anarchists who would destroy each other without a dictator-like Big-Brother in charge.
The story takes place in a near future where the world has not seen strife or war for almost a century. An organization named Echelon is the reason for this. Echelon consists of computer nerds, mathematicians and field agents working in secrecy and regulating the affairs of the world with an iron fist. Although originally a part of the NSA, Echelon does not serve any one nation. It achieves its total dominance over humanity by filtering through every piece of data that is transmitted in the "flow".
The flow is, fundamentally, our present day internet. But it is completely different from the world-wide-web that we know. In this future, to log on to the flow, one slips on special goggles. Once online, a new world appears, a world where anything is possible to see, hear and feel as if it were real.
A couple other interesting aspects of this future include the results of global warming and amazing advancements in nanotechnology.
The main protagonists include Echelon field agent Ryan Laing and Sarah Peters, a code nerd/mathematician. Laing executes Echelon's dirty work; he is the hitman whose purpose is to take out the potential human threats to the stability of the world. Sarah Peters' job is to sift through the flow and to locate and delete all inflammatory material that could spark chaos.
The story is gripping and takes many twists and unexpected turns. But, the one thing that was disconcerting and unrealistic in the story was how the characters treated their bodies like machines. For example, a protagonist can be injured, yet can continue on and seemingly disregard all pain. In fact, on a few occasions they actually die and come back to life as easily as I can shut down and restart my computer.
Nevertheless, Echelon is an enthralling read that gives a unique glimpse into a near-future. The characters are interesting and have depth despite the slenderness of the novel.

Nice ideas... would have like to explore some of them a bit.

However, it seems at times like this book has been written for a movie.

All in all, a worthy read.

In the late twentieth century, the NSA used ECHELON as an information gathering program on the net but the data collected proved too chaotic and overwhelming to be useful. Computer scientists sought the key to separate the dross from the gold, which led to Echelon becoming the guiding force that ruled humanity; though most people believe that to be an urban legend. However those who allegedly control Echelon use the program to insure the planet is a safe place to live.

The head of Echelon believes that a saboteur is working inside the Echelon community. The head of the Agency maneuvers thing so that when he is captured, Echelon agent Ryan Laing, restored from the dead due healing drones added to his physiology, learns who the traitor is. However, Ryan assumes this is too simple because the person is a follower not a leader so he turns to hacker Sarah to help him uncover the traitor's master.

Josh Conviser paints an interesting picture of a future guided by guardians who hold so much power that when one turns egomaniacal the world is in jeopardy. Combining current technology with Lord Acton's warning that "Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely" ECHELON is a plausible science fiction thriller that grips readers with its grim realism. This compelling action-packed story line starring a wonderful hero will have audience pondering whether we are already walking that path with telecommunication manipulation.

Harriet Klausner

ECHELON grabs us right out of the box and never lets go. Conviser does a terrific job of immersing us in a world that's like ours but not quite - which is the mark of great "what if" science fiction. Sci-fi can be obtuse at times; ECHELON isn't. The future he envisions is a believable evolution of the one we live in now. And in Ryan Laing he's created a great franchise character. Can't wait for the sequel!

This is an amazingly thought provoking book. It is where politics meets action-thriller. It keeps you wanting to find out what is next and you feel a sense of wanting more at the end. I often had to remind myself this book is a fiction since it seems like it is turning into our reality. A great read! Highly recommended. I can't wait for the sequel.

Echelon is an above-average spy thriller with interesting ideas that are carefully worked into a cautionary tale of surveillance gone awry and civilization gone soft. A fine first effort by Mr. Conviser; kudos to him for this first step in a promising career. And now, I shall vent:

As an attorney, I have had pretty close contact with folks both guilty and innocent who run afoul of the criminal law--by and large they are an uneducated and rough-cut bunch. Intriguingly, these gentlemen (and ladies) almost uniformly sport tattoos and speak a dialect of English that is based almost entirely upon the f-word, which becomes a "catchall" that is paired with nouns that act as modifiers. I have witnessed entire conversations that consist largely of that one word; like Asian languages, the tonal inflection of the speaker can convey meaning and distinguish the usage. (Truly there is a dissertation lurking there for a budding linguist.) In fact, start with this thesis: the use of the f-word is analogous to the tattoos, the "educated" use of the word marks a person as a member of a certain ideological persuasion more clearly than overly proper grammar would betray a Professor of English.

Echelon comes perilously close to pure f-word communication. The author seems to be overly comfortable with a word that exists solely to create dissonance and discomfort. How I wish that I could enjoy the fascinating story that Mr. Conviser had carefully thought out without having characters so dull of speech that they can't consider any other expletive than F this or F that. Mr. Conviser aspires to be a writer and shows great promise but his book is disfigured by ugly and coarse language. Even worse, the repeated use of the F word is akin to writers who use too many exclamation marks, it betrays a lack of skill. Who doesn't shudder upon encountering phraseology such as "It was great!!!!!"

OK, perhaps Mr. Laing, our erstwhile protagonist, uses abhorrent and foul language because he is forced to deal with abhorrent and foul people. No, actually the characterization was somewhat more nuanced than their language would indicate. Perhaps our author has deliberately chosen to inject offensive and degrading dialogue as a subtext to highlight the intrusive and objectionable aspects of the Echelon software/creation. Yeah, maybe.

What we have here is a good old-fashioned spy thriller that is updated for the internet age. The plot is much better carried off than some and the action is relatively non-stop. The technological ideas are smoothly blended into the thematic whole even if they aren't quite completely fleshed out--I give Mr. Conviser points for not creating an ubergeek with "special" powers. He does invest his characters with a believable human component that gives the reader a reason to hope for a resolution of the technological nightmare. Big Brother is indeed watching but from where...

But, please, it is altogether wrong to have a character who can't seem to get through a sentence without the f-word. Heavens, Shakespeare managed to live without it--indeed, he chose the path of wit and innuendo that was itself annoying to some. Most of the classic noir novels manage to do without it--even though they deal with hard-boiled topics and characters, somehow the author can convey scene and emotion without resorting to a word that is frankly becoming the equivalent of the teenage girl's use of "like;" a verbal comma that though invisible to many is a sad comment on the declining state of the mutual rules by which we define the boundaries of acceptable discourse.

The story, for me, parallels so much of what is going on in the world with the NSA and world power domination and experimentation with DNA, GMO and disease. Once Echelon goes down - the terrorists, racial conflict, few holding power, countries wanting control, the have's and have-not's, the people who are numbed out to what is going on in the world, those who are trying to create a prefect world, or push their agenda, etc. All this stuff is happening now... but it's set in the future.

I loved the characters and like to cast them as I read. I made Clive Owen into Ryan Laing. Talk about unstoppable! He and Sarah are my heroes! I like how smart and strong she is and yet vulnerable.

I love the whole concept of stepping into the flow and how they do it. This is awesome and somewhat WHAT THE BLEEP. For a movie, a big part of it will be the flow and its cool effects with them projecting into other situations, locations and retrieving information. All the techno goodies like the drones in Ryan's body and their coil bikes and body suits... this is awesome!

I like the descriptions of the city skylines, the quaint Harvard, and still making wine, but better, Napa, crazy streets of Venice, CA, etc.. References to what exists today into the future like the bar, Tortilla Flats. And, thought put into how the weather patterns have changed on planet earth.

I loved the action, emotion and characters. I want to see this get made into a movie!

If you like Minority Report meets The Matrix - you will be 100%+ satisfied when you read this book!

I bought it from Amazon and received in days! Happy reading!