Terminal Mind [Paperback]

David Walton (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 2008

Years in the future, the U.S. is a splintered country. The city-state of Philadelphia is ripe for revolution. Mark McGovern, the son of a rich politician, lives in a world of expensive parties and frivolous biological mods, a sharp contrast to the poor underworld of his best friend, Darin Kinsley. When the two accidentally release a sophisticated virus called a 'slicer' into the net, Mark must try to stem the tide of casualties before the charged political situation explodes. But the slicer is more than a virus. To destroy it, Mark must first sort truth from lies, not only for himself, but for the mind of the child who holds his fate.

Product Details

• Paperback: 284 pages
• Publisher: Meadowhawk Press (April 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0978732634
• ISBN-13: 978-0978732639
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.5 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,526,257 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

David Walton is a native of Pennsylvania and the author of the novel Terminal Mind, winner of the 2008 Philip K. Dick Award. His short fiction has appeared in Analog, Baen's Universe, Cosmos, and elsewhere, and his short story "Letting Go" won the 2008 Baen Memorial Award for the best story about near-term space exploration. You can read more about his life and work at www.davidwaltonfiction.com.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars fast-paced read from a great new author, April 1, 2008

By 

Elaine Isaak (New Hampshire, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Terminal Mind (Paperback)

I had the chance to read this book pre-release & what a ride! It begins with two friends from opposite sides of the economic divide in a down-trodden, future America. I enjoyed Walton's technological innovations, especially his vision of high fashion cosmetic alterations.

Whenever the work seemed to take a predictable turn, instead it revealed a new layer of character and goal, increasing tension between the unusual cast. A lapsed Amish girl, expert hacker, and not-so-mindless thug provide opportunities to explore human interaction with this future world.

I did find the antagonist a bit too straightforward, but even his motivation, when it becomes clear, gives the story another twist. The book builds on some familiar ideas from science fiction--a devastated land fragmented by war, the anger of a lower class left behind, nasty uses of medical tech, the melding of man and computer--but includes a rich and complex emotional life for the characters, something that many classic SF works neglect.

Overall, an enjoyable read--by turns exciting, moving and thought-provoking.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Cybernet meets class warfare and brain scanning, April 2, 2009

By 

P. Dant (MD USA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Terminal Mind (Paperback)

In short, the book is a near-future society dealing with class warfare, allocation of technology based on class, and the introduction of brain scanning into cyberspace, (the ability to read the brain and imprint it into cyberspace as a personality).

The book held my interest and it provided an interesting view into a future where cyberspace and biology merge, while the same old class problems are addressed. Since there are still class wars, some have fewer or worse technology implants, while the elite class gets the best.

I thought the book would follow the view from the working class, and deal with the "evils" of the elite class, but the story line matures to deal with both class evils, which is important; without the balance in view, the book would have taken on a socialistic taint. Finally, the book takes care to close out the key plot threads, (which I appreciate). While the book does not hint at a sequel, it could be developed based on the ending revelations.

The story line and characters are well developed. So I recommend this book if you enjoy SciFi in a near future setting.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Much enjoyed, June 20, 2008

By 

Michael Cantine "RADA grad" (Northumberland, PA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Terminal Mind (Paperback)

SF is not my genre, but I must say I enjoyed this book. The idea of living at Philadelphia Crater is intriguing. I felt helped into the world of the book, and was quite caught up with the adventure. There was a point where I simply had to stop doing anything else and read that book. Looking for more from this young writer.