Customer Reviews

Freedom (TM)

5 star:		(61)
4 star:		(33)
3 star:		(14)
2 star:		(8)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

Freedom is Daniel Suarez's follow up to his 2008/2009 surprise best seller, Daemon. Last year I was blown away by Daemon. Suarez managed to write a compelling thriller around some big ideas. I have been a huge fan of Michael Crichton for years but I always felt his characterizations were weak and the big ideas were shoe horned into a thriller plot. Suarez stays true to the big idea and manages to weave a realistic plot with fully fleshed out characters and situations. This isn't some made-for-movie screenplay, this is a fully realized thriller with deep ideas and a compelling story. I was sucked in from the first page and devoured the first book and left gasping at the end for the follow up. Freedom, just released, doesn't disappoint (except maybe I was hoping for a trilogy). Freedom is a different kind of book to Daemon, the plot continuation is smooth, but the atmosphere of Freedom is very different. While Daemon was a techno thriller, Freedom morphs into a hero's quest/mythological story. The technological ideas are still there and actually they are fully realized in Freedom. Suarez manages to flesh out the technological vision he alluded to Daemon. The convergence of life and augmented reality are smoothly juxtaposed to provide a glimpse of a near future. Suarez is a technologist and it shows. His use of current technology to create his vision is accurate and realistic. He explores the implications of social network theory, augmented reality, game design and ad-hoc network topologies to form a backdrop for a dystopian future. Even his underlying message of governments gone amuck are well researched and realistic; if a little paranoid.

Bottom line: Freedom is a solid sequel to Deamon and together they form a compelling thriller. For those that like big ideas and technological innovations you are in for a treat. No longer are big ideas and fully realized stories mutually exclusive. This is Michael Crichton meets Michael Chabon meets Joseph Campbell - ideas meets characters meets mythology. You do have to read Daemon first, but together they are a fun, intellectually stimulating joy ride through the near future.

Note: If you like the big ideas and technology behind the book, definitely check out Suarez's talk at the Long Now Foundation - Daniel Suarez: Daemon: Bot-mediated Reality.

The sequel (or more correctly "conclusion") to Daemon is entertaining and exciting, but it has two problems that are very common to sequels, particularly in the sci-fi genre. First, in the process of expanding the scope of the story and showing the consequences of the first story, it loses one of the primary things that made the first book so compelling - the feeling of connection and relatability to the characters. Second, the author moves outside of his area of expertise, and it affects both the believability of the story and the easy flow of the writing.

The Dune saga is a perfect example of the first kind of failure, if that's not too strong of a word. In the original novel Dune, you are personally invested in Paul's story because he is experiencing the same feelings in his situation as you would - being overwhelmed, amazed, excited, repulsed, etc. You create an emotional connection to the character because you recognize in his nature the same things that are in your own. However, by the time you get to the fourth book in the series, God Emperor of Dune, the story has moved to such a level of abstraction and - literally - galactic scope that it becomes difficult to personally care about the outcome.

This book doesn't go to that extreme, but I did end up losing a lot of the emotional connection I had to the first part of the story in Daemon. So much time is spent in trying to explain the nature of the worldwide societal changes that the individuals experiencing them tend to get a bit lost in the shuffle. I appreciate that it is extremely difficult to expand a story to a global scale without losing a feeling of personal connection, but it's not impossible, even for a popular fiction writer; I'd say that Steven King was able to manage it in most, if not all, of his Dark Tower series. Plus, an author should be sure of his ability to chew what he has bitten off, so to speak.

The issue of an author moving too far from his area of expertise is extremely common across all genres. When an author is deeply familiar and passionate about his subject matter, there is a natural feeling to the writing that is very compelling. Daniel Suarez is obviously an expert in the field of computer technology, particularly on the inner workings of corporate level distributed networks and the vulnerabilities of technological homogeneity, and his passion for the subjects comes across clearly and compellingly in the first book, Daemon. He is far less of an expert on psychology and social dynamics, and unfortunately that comes across in the feel of this book. He obviously educated himself on the subjects, and is writing from an informed position, but those aspects of the story feel simplistic. They lack the nuance and subtlety that come from true expertise, and they are the primary focus of this book. While it is laudable to try and push your artistic boundaries, there is something to be said for sticking to your strengths.

I don't want it to sound as if I didn't like this book, because I did. I just don't feel like it lives up to the standard that Mr. Suarez set for himself in the first novel. That said, I can't imagine not reading Freedom after finishing Daemon, and I don't feel disappointed by it as a conclusion to the story, I just feel like it was flawed in very understandable ways.

Freedom(tm) is or should have been the second half of Daniel Suarez' stunning debut novel - "Daemon". I would not recommend anyone's reading Freedom(tm) unless they first finished "Daemon". It's really the same book, probably split into two for marketing purposes - think "Kill Bill".

The question on the future of our technologically-complicated world - does it have one? - seems to be DS obsession and maybe it should be everyone's because dark times may lie ahead. Uncovering the answer or thinking of some viable solution seems to be Suarez' life's passion and he has the technical skills, the literary talent and the imagination to engage the reader. Suarez' premise is that we can't keep going this way. We just can't. Most resources are limited and they are being wasted away and so are our lives, increasingly lacking meaning and purpose. We live in an overpopulated and shrinking world controlled or manipulated by bloated, soulless corporations where increasingly totalitarian and violence-prone states and governments serving their corporate masters or serving the political class unquenchable thirst for ever more power. Suarez attempts to answer 2 big questions: 'do we have a future' or can we even survive in this world that we built? And, 'can we live free' and what are the limits to our individual freedom and, given humans' general inability to resist the temptation of grabbing and exercising power over their fellow humans, who is going to enforce those limits and how?

These are tough questions and, if 'Daemon' deals mostly with the first question, not necessarily hinting at an answer, in Freedom(tm) there's Suarez' answer to both. DS suggests a solution to the survivability dilemma and he wraps it around an engaging, well written, technologically plausible action/techno-thriller Utopian-dystopia. Besides the how-to's on avoiding the fate of the long gone Maya or Anasazi civilizations, many pages in Freedom(tm) are dedicated to chronicling the emergence of a radically new, technologically advanced but sustainable civilization while the old order crumbles and dies and not without a vicious fight. When it comes to personal freedom... it's complicated but the author is unafraid to present us his own, intensely geeky but quite original solution.

In the good tradition of H.G. Wells and Orwell, Freedom(tm) chronicles the birth of a brave new world and the struggles and tribulations of a few humans who either play a role in facilitating it or are followed in the story so that we may witness their gradual transformation and evolution. Unlike 'Daemon' which was almost exclusively about about struggle, revenge and mayhem, 'Freedom(tm)', while keeping the carnage going, introduces us to 'new growth'. Suarez did an incredible amount of research - how many fiction books come with a bibliography? - and found in himself the talent and the dedication to put together a new world. Yes, it's Utopian and yes, it's improbable. DS' mix of open hostility toward the way we do things today is combined with a love/hate/hope/fear at what might become of us if we just keep going or stampeding the way we are now. Daemon and Freedom fascinating and stimulating reads. Can't we too dream while reading this beautifully constructed and almost plausible story? Yes, we can and Suarez' work is a great dream facilitator.

Had he tried philosophy, sociology or religion (as a prophet?), Suarez would have been quickly marginalized. His assessment of today's world with its senseless but seemingly unstoppable march toward an almost certain catastrophic discontinuity would be ignored or summarily rejected. Today's opinion makers avoid discussing or even thinking (the unthinkable?) of a future were very little seems to get 'better' and where an individual's quality of life and personal freedom have ceased to improve or expand for a generation already and there's very little hope left. Suarez did the right thing writing a book - two books. Works such as Suarez' novels, movies such as Avatar, the very few real life heroes that refuse to compromise their freedom and integrity and do not trade away their individuality in exchange for some false recognition - thinking of people such as Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn (I'm reading him now) or Stephen Hawking or even a politician such as Ron Paul - they inspire and challenge us to transcend our limitations and our inherent smallness and to dare ask questions and sometimes even to suggest answers. Daemon/Freedom are the literary expression of someone who dares suggest an answer. To the extent that these books are read and they make us think and more aware of the world we live in, Suarez' effort was worthwhile.

My hope is that Daemon/Freedom will be read by many and, because they were read some of the readers' lives will change, even in small ways. And, as some might have guessed, the hero I was thinking of - see my review's title - is not a character in the book. I was thinking about the author. He is one of my heroes now.

And, since I mentioned Orwell and Wells a few paragraphs above, I am now wondering if Suarez is going to follow the path of Wells - a prolific and uncompromising writer not much read these days - or, like Orwell, say it all in a few books but not yet forgotten. 'Nineteen Eighty-Four' was Orwell's last book and his peak accomplishment. Is Suarez already working on his next amazing tale of cybergods and freedom-loving humans battling today's destructive and venal corporations and self-serving 'authorities'? One can only hope but no matter what Daniel Suarez does for the rest of his life, he's earned his place as one of my pen-carrying heroes, along with the likes of Solzhenitsyn, Orwell, Dostoevsky, Borges, (yes) Spengler, a few others.

Freedom is an absolutely outstanding book. Having read Daemon I was concerned that perhaps Freedom might be a let down. No way. Freedom maintains the fast, expanding pace and alerts the reader to potential ramifications of very real current trends. The themes of Freedom encompass not only cutting edge technology and its ramifications but society's relationship with the leverage large business entities enjoy over elected governments, the resultant dependencies and the all too real ramifications of such dependencies.

It is interesting to research some of the specific technologies mentioned in Freedom, wondering if each is simply based on the author's imagination, or in fact existing currently. Guess which. Eye-opening indeed.

One helluva lot of research went into this book. I personally did not find anything beyond the realm of reasonable possibility, either technologically or socially. One could consider this work of Suarez, encompassing both Daemon and Freedom, as a wake up call.

For those interested in further understand Suarez's perspective, it is educational to watch a couple of videos of Suarez, one speaking to a set of google teams [...].

and the other to a futuristic vision organization, The Long Now Foundation [...].

Hope the above might assist those considering this book in making their decision.

I read this book in the course of two days while my wife was studying. Having read the first book, and finding myself left wanting at the end, I was anxiously awaiting the conclusion of the Daemon story.

Note: In order to fully enjoy the story, you will be well served in reading the first book.

I found this sequel to be faster paced than the first, information dense and wholly enjoyable. If you are in IT, you will love the technical capabilities explored... if you're not, then you may find yourself in awe of what networked data can do. By the end of the book, I found myself re-impressed by what technology _could_ achieve, and my trepidation for its misuse reinvigorated.

First of all make sure to first read Deamon, by the same author, this is the sequel. Both of these books talk about an alternate present very similar to our where thing have been greatly affected by one man and the technology he helped to create.
The story is science fiction only because we have not seen the technology yet, but most of it is very plausible. The story is told from the perspective of many protagonist, and jump around a bit, but that is to show the extent of the situation.
Basically humanity is forced into a technology revolution, upsetting the established power holders and giving people a real choice in what they do... Real FREEDOM.

I was one of the lucky readers who came a bit late to "Daemon," which is the first half of this story. You really must read "Daemon" first, to understand what's going on in this volume, and I was able to read both with just over a month between. Author Daniel Suarez really has one big book in the two volumes; well, it would be one HUGE book but some pruning would have been possible, even advisable.

In spite of that, I enjoyed Freedom (TM) in ways that I can't quite explain. There are endless battle scenes, and even some gory torture scenes, which I usually avoid but not this time. The new social order, one character says, was "beta tested by gamers"--and I've never been a gamer. It's full of roiling action and finishes with a lot of loose ends, which isn't bothering me at all.

"Freedom(TM)," like "Daemon," pulses with futuristic technology that's both scary and exciting. Just as mind-bending is the utopian-dystopian model of society, based on regional sustainability and interdependence. The Darknet is created by a legacy of background programs created by a dead computer genius, and members take their levels and reputation rankings from the votes of other Darknet members. In the "persistent world" of the Darknet, a raw democracy prevails. Some of the most powerful figures are avatars, non-living characters; they're never presented otherwise, because for all its technological magic, this is not packaged as a work of fantasy.

The iconic quest of Darknet champion Pete Sebeck is a counterpoint to the passionate intensity of the villains. Early in the book Suarez poses the question: can good grow from evil intentions? "Freedom(TM)" blurs the boundaries, with government security forces and Daemon/Darknet operatives showing the best and the worst of humanity. Greed and the lust for power--well, it's an old story, a "Cybergeddon." Civil disruption and economic collapse provide opportunities for greed.

"Tinkering with the organization of human society"--it never ends well. "Freedom(TM)" challenged my senses the way some movies do. It may not be the most coherent novel you'll ever read, but I didn't find a dull paragraph in it.

Linda Bulger, 2010

You know what it's about:

A brilliant/deranged videogame maker unleashes the ultimate "daemon" - a program that spreads its tendrils across the internet and takes dramatic action in response to events or "triggers". Introduced in "Daemon", the program is not so much a form of AI as a facilitator of others. Rather than do all the dirty work itself, the Daemon co-opts many others into a growing society. Matt Sobol, its creator, is already dead when the first novel begins, but it's clear that he has some grand plans for our world, and Daemon is his means to that end. The last novel came to an end with Detective Pete Sebeck (a police detective who becomes embroiled with Daemon while investigating a homicide) accepting a challenge posthumously offered by Sobol. Officially dead (having been executed for crimes he didn't commit based on evidence supplied by Daemon) Sebeck is challenged to fight for man's right to be free - hence the name.

"Freedom TM" picks up shortly thereafter as America sinks into chaos. Joblessness and the price of gas have skyrockted, while media reports of roving gangs crossing illegally from Mexico further solidify the image of a nation that has lost control...of everything. Private armies - mercenaries - are the only ones in control. On his "quest", Sebeck enters the scattered and evolving communities of people who have joined Sobol's cause. For the most part, these denizens of "Darknet" are concerned with agriculture (corn seems to be their enemy) and sustainable energy alternatives. The beauty of Darknet is the way that its followers can assign and coordinate each other, creating whole armies almost immediately. Their society seems linked according to a hierarchy patterned on "Dungeons and Dragons". Meanwhile, as existing pillars of society (the government and corporate leaders) weigh strategies for fighting the Daemon, some oligarchs have their own plans for exploiting Sobol's creation, searching for ways to selectively deploy its powers of destruction. Though many of Sobol's followers are struggling to create new lives amidst the chaos of America, some of them are committed soldiers, men like "Loki Stormbringer", one of the Daemon's first followers. A lone fighter who can amass armies of remote controlled machines (driverless cars called "autom8s" or blade-armed robot motorcycles called "Razorbacks") against his enemies, Loki is a character who arouses fear and suspicion from other denizens of Darknet.

WHERE "Freedom" DISAPPOINTS.
"Freedom" is the strongest proof that readers have matured beyond "cautionary tales" - usually science-fiction positing what will happen if WWIII breaks out or if we accidentally unleash some horrible "bio weapon". Instead of what could happen, "Freedom" offers a funhouse version of what many people suspect already exists - a world devolving into chaos, where the "everyman" has been divested of the right to choose his own destiny. Despite nearly 25% unemployment and gas at $10 a gallon, the America of "Freedom" isn't much more ominous than inviting.

The Daemon doesn't make its presence felt as powerfully as it did in the first book, and the sequel gives us plenty of other reasons to worry (hordes of mercenaries, plutocrats, hackers and spammers) kept at bay by Daemon.

As in "Daemon", "Freedom" lacks critical components - you seldom come to juncture that reminds you of something you've seen earlier but ignored. It's like Suarez imagined his brave new world and wrote a dramatic and extended wikipedia article about it. "Freedom" takes such pains to make itself believable that you lose much of your disbelief (and hence your ability to truly enjoy the genuinely cool moments).

The human drama is largely absent, and dialog is largely expository. The menace of the Daemon was already mapped out in the last story and the sequel charts no new ground. Most of the characters are dramatically unnecessary (scientists who exist only to spew out the story's technobabble; one of them, Nathalie Phillips, is a vet of the prequel and the weakest character of either book).

"Freedom" actually leaves behind "Daemon"'s most compelling plot point - the battle between man and machine. Now we have Daemon followers battling against mercenary armies of the oligarchs - it's like "Robocop3" (the parallels don't end there).

WHY YOU MUST READ IT ANYWAY.
I'm not going to over-analyze the technology of Daemon or how plausible a story it is. Suffice it to say, Daemon is a lot of fun. If the Daemon-altered world isn't menacing, it's still inviting. It's a world that you want to explore and one not without its share of thrills. If you can't buy its science as anything more than harmless hokum, the fast pace of the story keeps you from realizing that. "Freedom" goes along way to depicting a world visibly and exotically altered by the growth of computing and the internet within the lives of most earthlings. None of us at "The Rotten Review(tm)" belived a word of "Freedom" but we enjoyed every minute of it. "Freedom" does not surpass "Daemon", but that would have been a tough act to follow, and in any event, it delivers the goods.

If you have not read Daemon, you have to stop and read it first. It is possible to read some sequels without having read the first book, but this is not one of them. The author jumps right into the story shortly after the end of "Daemon" and provides very little background information.

The first book was about the genesis of the Daemon and the shock of the terrible things it could do, it taking over systems and seeming to act like an all-powerful entity. In this book the Daemon has been spread worldwide and there is an established darknet community. People generally fall into three different categories: Daemon followers on the darknet, those who are unaware the Daemon exists (or who believe the cover story that it was a hoax), and those who want to either destroy the Daemon or find a way to use or corrupt it for their own economic benefit. There are several returning characters from the first book.

The scary part of Daemon for me was in wondering if someone could write a program that could do everything the Daemon did and react to threats as it did. The scary part of "Freedom" is the idea that our personal freedom could be at risk even in the United States. Some of the events in the book are right at the edge where "couldn't happen" meets "what if" and that makes the book more thought provoking than most thrillers. By the end I was just as conflicted as the main character who had to answer the question of whether the Daemon should be destroyed or not. (At the end of Daemon, I was convinced it was a completely evil program.)

I loved both Daemon and this book and definitely recommend them to anyone who wants an action-filled thought-provoking techno thriller.

Freedom(tm) is the direct continuation of Suarez's previous book, Daemon. Things pick up almost exactly where they left off, and chug towards the inevitable showdown of "good" versus "evil." Curiously, the Daemon was the villain in the previous book, where-as here it's essentially the "good guy" by virtue of being the lesser of two evils.

I really liked Daemon, which combined slick action, mystery and technothriller... Freedom(tm) (by contrast) was part technothriller and part social commentary. Another reviewer pretty much pegged it as being something of a cyberpunk Ayn Rand, where the sequences were broken up by medium-length monologues about various social ills and idealized solutions. A bit of a pacing speedbump, but at least it wasn't heavy-handed.

I had mixed feelings about this book. As a conclusion, it wasn't as "satisfying" but I'll still round up to 4 stars on a "whole is greater than the sum of the parts" principle. Justifying that gives away plot spoilers, though, which I don't do in a public review.

If you liked Daemon, you'll probably like this.