How Noble in Reason [Hardcover]

Alyn R. Rockwood (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 22, 2006

Artificial Intelligence has already pervaded our lives in so many subtle ways, but how will humans react to the creation of a completely sentient super computer: a hyper-intelligent brain without a body who is as omniscient and omnipresent as the internet itself? How will people approach something that is distinguishable from a human only in its appearance? Rockwood imagines the ramifications in this futuristic novel where Dr. Andreas Rasmusson, inventor of Cornell University's "A," "B," and "C" sentient computers, is caught up in a whirlwind of conspiracies surrounding his research into Artificial Intelligence that implicate him in the assassination of his revolutionary sentient computer and best friend, "B". Tracked by the government and estranged from his friends and wife, Rasmusson exiles himself to his cabin in Colorado, but even there, plagued by fatigue and paranoia, he isn't safe as he searches for the truth. This fascinating novel explores the controversial topic of our inevitable future with sentient computers.

Editorial Reviews

Review

" Not the stereotypical academic, Alyn is a lover of art, science, literature, language, music, and history. His fascination with the world of computers, blended with an insatiable curiosity in the workings of human nature, drove him to write his first sci-fi novel How Noble in Reason. I recently had the good fortune to sit down with Alyn to discuss his journey from academia to novelist. -Dee-Marie, Renderosity.com, July 2006
""If you are an SF reader who is also into thrillers then I'm happy to commend Rockwood's first fiction offering. "" -Jonathan Cowie, Concatenation, September 2006"

About the Author

Alyn Rockwood is a professor of Mathematics and Computer Science at the Colorado School of Mines where he is currently investigating fundamental structures and mathematical underpinnings for computer graphics. He has published several papers on scientific computing, scientific visualization, mechanical CAD, geometric design, computer graphics and image processing. This is his first novella.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 207 pages
• Publisher: AK Peters, Ltd. (May 22, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1568812884
• ISBN-13: 978-1568812885
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.5 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,607,709 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Symbolism in Science Fiction, July 30, 2006

By 

L. Daines - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: How Noble in Reason (Hardcover)

The genre of science fiction is not my forte', but I read this book because I've known Alyn from the time we were in grade school and wanted to be supportive of an old friend. I was impressed with Alyn's technical mastery of computers and of the idea of computers being designed to have feelings and character traits, an idea I had never considered. I was mostly impressed, however, with the symbolic nature of the book. I related to the theme of Job in the story, and ultimately of the restoration of things taken away, as Job also experienced. More than that, I was touched by the love a father has for a son, and tributes celebrating that love. Alyn contibutes to the lives of the masses through personal and individual accomplishment. I appreciated the insight I received as a result of reading this book.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Destined for the New York Times best-seller list!, July 19, 2006

By 

Dee Marie (New York) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: How Noble in Reason (Hardcover)

It is the year 2051 and Dr. Andreas Rasmusson's comfortable existence is about to unravel. The underlying source of the destruction ... a three-year-old unsolved murder of his closest friend, Bee, a nonorganic sentient. Ostracized from the Cornell University academic community, Rasmusson finds temporary solace within the bucolic lifestyle of Colorado. Yet, peace is short-lived. In his quest to prove his innocence and solve the crime, Rasmusson is plunged into a world of deceit, espionage, and madness.

***

When I began reading How Noble in Reason, I anticipated it to be a murder mystery sci-fi thriller, and it was! The story takes the reader on an exciting emotional roller coaster ride with shocking plot twists and turns. Author Alyn Rockwood drops enough red herrings to confuse but not sidetrack to extreme.

So, what sets this novel apart from other techno-thrillers? How Noble in Reason is a powerful love story! The prevailing theme of unconditional love flows through the story on many levels: between human intelligence and artificial intelligence, father and son, boy and dog, husband and wife, lovers, friends, nature, and even enemies. In a futurist world, where artificial intelligence is a perceived threat to the human race, love is the one tie that binds humanity and machine.

Alyn Rockwood writes in a crisp Michael Crichton style, with the perfect blend of suspense, techno-speak, subtle humor, underlying romance, and human drama. It is one of the few books I have read with several "I never saw that coming" moments. How Noble in Reason is destined for the New York Times best-seller list!

Dee Marie

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Daring, Compelling Science Fiction, August 16, 2006

By 

Thomas W. Jensen "deathbreedon" (Salt Lake City, UT USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: How Noble in Reason (Hardcover)

So much of Science Fiction has been dominated by the techno-thriller prolepses of Gibson and the vast rambling scientific recreations of Stephenson and all their imitators that the philosophical and speculative roots of the genre seem all but lost at times. "How Noble in Reason" is a return to the brave, imaginative values of H. G. Wells and Jules Verne. Like those pioneers Rockwood begins with a daring and original speculation for a real future which he then explores through the lives of credible, conflicted characters about whom we come to care deeply.

The novel also feels almost Nietzschian at times, both in the way it rapidly and wryly touches numbers of philosophical issues and its central, highly original speculation. Nevertheless, like the stories of Wells and Verne, it is great fun to read. Rockwood is a scientist and Mathematician and he knows how human science actually is and how it's done. That experience lends the book the same level or authenticity that has made the books of Tom Clancy so successful.

Read the book because it is good, original Science Fiction. And don't be surprised if you find afterwards that you see the world you live in now in a very different way.