Interface [Paperback]

Stephen Bury (Author)

Book Description

Release date: May 1, 1995

A near-future thriller in which a shadowy coalition bent on controlling the world economy attempts to manipulate the president of the United States through the use of a computer bio-chip implanted in his brain.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

A biochip in presidential candidate William Cozzano's brain hardwires him to a computerized polling system that channels the mood of the electorate directly into his brain. Neal Stephenson fans should note (if they don't already know) that Stephen Bury is his pen name.

From Publishers Weekly

Bury (a pseudonym for Neal Stephenson, author of Snow Crash , and J. Frederick George) has concocted a clever premise for his complex, entertaining, frequently funny political thriller. Right before the next presidential election, the incumbent proposes to solve the problem of the national debt by simply refusing to pay. This irks a powerful alliance of investors, and they move into action. Illinois Gov. William A. Cozzano suffers a stroke and, as a part of a radical new therapy, has a biochip implanted in his brain. The chip allows Cozzano to make a miraculous recovery--and also gives him access to an instantaneous polling system. He can "sense" the mood of the voters and instantly responds by telling them what they want most to hear. The campaign proceeds as (meticulously) planned, through the debates, primaries and conventions, and Cozzano seems like a sure bet--until he begins to slip out of control. Crammed with throwaway detail on the political process, medical and computer advances, the media and much, much more, Bury's vision of a system ultimately controlled by media handlers is so entertaining that you don't really mind when his plot goes a bit over the top.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 640 pages
• Publisher: Bantam (May 1, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0553572407
• ISBN-13: 978-0553572407
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.2 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (63 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,268,031 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

55 of 57 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Is it live or is it tape? It's Stephenson . . . . December 31, 1999

By Tung Yin VINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback

The central question for anyone contemplating purchasing this novel is: is it Neal Stephenson, or is it the co-author who's the intellectual engine?

It reads like Stephenson -- curiously, more like "Zodiac" and "Cryptonomicon" than like the middle works, "Snow Crash" and "The Diamond Age." "Snow Crash" is a dazzling portrait of the William Gibson's cyberspace taken to a higher level: the Metaverse. It's fascinating, but true science FICTION. The same is true of "The Diamond Age," which, while Stephenson's most intellectually thought-provoking work, is the least accessible.

"Zodiac" and "Cryptonomicon," and "Interface," on the other hand, are SCIENCE fiction. "Zodiac" is chock full of information about environmentalism and industrial pollution; "Cryptonomicon" is a cornucopia of mathematics and cryptology. The science in those novels is basically present day, without the need for more than minimal extrapolation. The same is true of "Interface."

Other Stephenson touches: a fine eye toward non-tedious detail. One thing I found amazing about "Cryptonomicon" was that Stephenson could describe eating cereal in four pages without making it boring, something that neither Herman Melville nor Charles Dickens would have been able to accomplish (for me). "Interface" has that same quality of nerdy fascination in the seemingly trivial.

In summary: if you liked "Cryptonomicon" and/or "Zodiac," you'll probably like "Interface" as well.

50 of 56 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Good, but not Great! March 4, 1999

By A Customer

Format:Paperback

If you're like me, you've already read Neal Stephenson's Snow Crash, Diamond Age, Zodiac, his on-line short stories, and are now sketchin' to get your hands on anything else by him.

Well, "Interface" is good, but not as great, in my opinion, as the works penned under the author's real name. The ideas are just as killer as in his other books, but this story lacks the overall punchy Gen-X narrative that I consider to be Stephenson's greatest asset, apart from his way cool ideas. To be fair, this is really an unfair comparison since the whole purpose of Stephenson writing under the "Bury" pen name was probably to allow him to go after the mainstream (more conservative?) market without disappointing his traditional fans (but someone let the cat out of the bag) and without prejudicing the non-science fiction reader, hence "Interface" is categorized under general fiction, rather than sci-fi.

So if you don't mind a slightly watered-down read, do check this book out. As I mentioned, the ideas are still Grade-A Stephenson.

As for me, I think I'll draw the line at "Cobweb"--I heard it was a collaboration effort and that sounds too diluted for me.

32 of 36 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyable pre-elections read December 10, 1999

By Kim Unertl

Format:Paperback

This book really made me take a step back and look at our upcoming Presidential elections in a whole new light. Sure, it's sci-fi and not real, but it's pretty scary to imagine that our political system could degenerate even further into something like this. Personally, I tried to avoid comparing this to other works of Stephenson's. I'm impressed that he's able to extend his range beyond high tech speculation to lower tech political thrillers like this book and Zodiac. These books won't appeal to readers with a narrow focus on sci fi like Snow Crash or Diamond Age. However, for readers who don't mind less technical sci fi or even those who just like political thrillers, pick up a copy of this book. There are some slow parts in the plot and it is very detail oriented, but overall this is a book I would recommend to my friends, even those who are not sci fi aficionados. Think of this book in the upcoming Presidential election race!

41 of 48 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Stephenson Lite June 30, 2005

By Ryan Silberstein

Format:Paperback

This is not Stephenson at his best (Snow Crash, Cryptonomicon). The book has a slow buildup to the premise described on the back cover, and then rips through most of the good stuff in the last 150 pages. The story takes place in the 1996 election (I'm assuming, as the book was written in 1994). Besides the wiplash ending, there are some other major problems with the book.

The characters are very two dimensional, adhearing to besic archetypes. There is no real protaganist. None of the charcters are developed enough for the reader to even care about them.

The plot is implausible, not from a technological standpoint, but from a political one. It takes a leap of suspension of disbelief to think that Cozzano (the hero?) makes it as far as he does.

The story skips major events in the srory, such as Election Day!

Don't get me wrong, this is an entertaining story, but nowhere near as deep as the Stephenson we know and love.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Great place to start for newbies to Stevenson. September 21, 2005

By Christy Smith

Format:Paperback

If you've seen the size of some of his works, the System of the World trilogy spans almost 3000 pages, then you know what I mean. Six-hundred pages seem like a quick read by comparison, and it does go by quickly.

The incumbent president's platform for re-election is the negation of the national debt. A large conglomerate decides to use it's money to get someone into office that will not renege on the American Debts. This entity sees a perfect opportunity when William A. Cozzano has a stroke and thus opens up the possibility of a new procedure. Doctors implant a chip in his brain to replace lost nerve connections. However, who is now making his decisions?

Part thriller, part political satire, this will keep you hooked wondering how it will all work out.

Oh, yeah; if you want a cheaper copy, just input "Interface" at the search for books menu and it should bring up an earlier edition printed in 1999. It is the same book under the pseudonym Steven Bury and can be had for about two dollars plus shipping.