Customer Reviews

Virus

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

 

 

Virus is an exciting thrill-packed ride from beginning to end. Buchanan's ability to combine the technical info along with the gripping action is remarkable. His aircraft scenario is unique to my mind - I've never come across the like before. It really brings home the danger of trusting technology too much and have it come back to bite us in the ... I'm about to begin Buchanan's book Clearwater. I recently finished his other published work Pure Fusion. I hope Mr. Buchanan will give us all a Christmas gift this season- get those creative juices flowing again and get a new book in our stockings for Christmas next year!

I read this and went hunting for the other two books and bought them also. I totally love Bill's writing style.
It did not hurt that we used to be neighbors in Mass. and I found him and his wife to be delightful people.
Hopefully some day the two families will be able to get in touch again.
My best to you Bill,
Jeani Stiles
email: bobbie4florida@yahoo.com

So, I have had this book sitting on my shelf for a long time and just took the opporunity to read it 10 years after its initial release. One interesting part of reading it is comparing the mythical 2014 with the current 2007. In some respects, he mentions technologies that are much more than 7 years down the road, but at the same time there are anachronistic references to floppy disks, tape backups, and VHS which are all on their way out. I also do not buy the author's position that the more smart a computer is, the more susceptible to virus infection it is.

Focusing on the story though, there is no real reason to read this book. The prologue for Day 12 completely spoils exactly where the book is going when taken into account with the knowledge from the first normal chapter. The characters, including Linda Scott, were not very deep in their thought processes and felt all kind of 1-dimensional and predictable in how they acted.

Anyway, that said, it wasn't a really bad read. If you got ahold of a copy of it, it is a mildly enjoyable ride to take, but in the end it feels a bit shallow and predictable. I would not suggest going out of your way to read this.

Ignore the first reviewer of this book, the reader obviously didn't read the first chapter... The book starts with Wild Bill's death on the very first page, during Day 12 and then the story reverts back to Day 1 in the next chapter to start the whole plot from then on. It was a gripping read, believable and fascinating. Am now on a quest for more Bill Buchanan books.

I had to read Virus for a technology unit in 8th grade. At first I thought I would not like it because the topic itself sounded boring, but when I was done my opinion was forever changed. The idea of a virus practically becoming a self-sufficient being was amazing in itself, but the idea of that virus completely taking over is incredible.

Great book. It kept me reading. Buchanan really gets the techno babble going. This is a sure sign of possibilities to come. Man's technology becomes so advanced that it takes over man itself. Worth Reading!!

I read this book a while ago, and I remember staying with it till the end. Right off the start, for those of you who are not very techie people, you will be confused like mad. A little less technological jargon will be a lot better. Also, somethings aren't really explained. Like how that guy who was supposed to fly up to the station to rescue them died. One page reads that he goes off on the mission, and the other will say that he is not going or something. I was really confused by that. Some detail, maybe a few more pages to detail his death, like how the laser beams blew up his craft would be great. Deric

This wonderfully written novel escorts us through a chilling nightmare which is all too plausible - that of PAM, an unstoppable computer virus, wreaking havoc and bringing the world to its knees. Bill Buchanan "introduces" the reader to the flight crew of a space ship whose stealth yechnology is useless against PAM. We also meet the military people who are crushed by what their own mighty forces are up against. Start early in the day - you won't stop 'til you finish it!!

If you are thinking about writing a book, buy this one and read it. Keep it on your desk for reference material. If you're looking for a literary cliche, it's in here somewhere. Short sighted politicians. Cold blooded killiers for hire. Fanatics. Brilliant, tough and honest commanders. Repeated endlessly. The idea is interesting if not necessarily believeable - an artifically intelligent virus which can run on any platform from a desktop computer to a supercomputer, and take over an orbiting weapons control station. Ok, it's been done before but there's always room for another, well executed. This one isn't. Save your money

As a computer journalist myself, I typically cringe anytime I see computers addressed in fiction. Almost without exception, I find great technical flaws, inappropriate terminology, or some other problem that lets me know that the author knows little about computer technology. In this respect, Virus is a refreshing change of pace. Not once did I find myself muttering, "Yeah, right." Sure, some of the technology seems far-fetched, but this is 20 years in the future. All of the technology was presented in a very believable manner. (I also found it amusing that everyone seemed to use UNIX systems, with no mention at all of anything from Microsoft.)

Aside from technical merit, Virus pulled me in immediately and kept me reading, even though I had more "important" things to do. I finished this book in about a day and a half. Overall, I'd say it's one of the best books I've read in quite some time.