Earthweb (Mass Market Paperback)

by Marc Stiegler (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Twenty years ago, "Shiva I" swept aside Earth's defenses and rained down destruction until a suicide squad boarded it and blew it to smithereens. Now "Shiva V" has entered the Solar System and there's only one way to defeat it: get inside and kill it. "An intriguing look at what the world wide web may become".--Vernor Vinge.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Baen; First Edition edition (May 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 067157809X
• ISBN-13: 978-0671578091
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,405,122 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Space opera for the thinking reader., May 24, 1999

By A Customer

It is a future where pseudoanonymous identities with persistent reputation contract, over the web and in person. Decisions are guided by anonymous betting on idea future contracts. Reporters must be honest and accurate, because bi-directional, reputation endorsed public commentary follows them wherever they go. And Shiva V is coming to destroy the world.

Welcome to Marc Stiegler's latest book, "Earthweb". It is a space opera with a bibliography. (And the bibliography includes some of my favorite links.

Highly recommended.

Bill Frantz

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Oh, What A Tangled Web We Weave., December 28, 1999

By	"pixel-pirate" (USA) - See all my reviews

The future never looked so clear....This story brings a lot of pioneering elements just now starting to show up in society and the world wide web together into a plot that seems very plausible. The palmtops that everyone seems to have in their possession are reminiscent of the PALM PILOT handhelds and their clones...The ATMs of today are replaced by these palmtops with e-cash being the norm in transactions. No greenbacks around in this scenario...Sky Cars rule transportation while land cars are antiques to be collected. The Windows OS is hinted at being gone, but the future's OS name is unknown, no endorsements here...

Upwards of two billion people are supposedly avid 'net users with sports bars replaced by web-cast bars...This is brought about in haste by an alien attack that comes in five year cycles. The aliens known as the SHIVA, are just robots in a ship-(who sends them to attack Earth is unknown). The fifth attack is underway so its been twenty five years since the first one. The people of earth, and I mean literally billions of people, team up to fight the SHIVA through strategy sessions on internet sites that try to come up with the most plausible defensive/offensive moves for the navy seals of the future known as Angels to use.

I like the fact that past events are hinted at as to what may have happened in our very near future, which doesn't seem good. With our near future being in past tense though, the story presents a future where society becomes reliant on individuals that use computer/information technology and less reliant on government. In fact, the reliant government in essence has recruited the whole world into the role of gamblers that try to put money on the strategies that will best work in defense of earth. People can suggest a way to fight and others will either improve on it and/or place money on it. They put their money where their mouth is so to speak...

If you're a 'Net Addict then this book is impossible to put down. If not, then EARTHWEB is a very good book to read over the course of a week.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars People-oriented military sci-fi, and a parrot!, March 9, 1999

By A Customer

This is the first book of a new trilogy. Although it starts a bit slowly--it has to, to set the scene--by the time you get to Chapter 4 you can't put it down! It's about a group of people (most of whom never meet each other)who unite using the World Wide Web to devise strategies to defeat a starship trying to destroy Earth. It takes all kinds of people and skills to accomplish this aim, and this book has them.

Earthweb is different from Mr. Stiegler's earlier works, which were more oriented towards the process than the people. The treatment of his characters made Earthweb more interesting to me (although I enjoyed David's Sling, Valentina and The Gentle Seduction) but for his loyal fans who have been waiting ten years for a new novel in his old style, don't despair--the innovative ideas and interesting uses of technology are still there!

The book has many funny as well as tense moments. A great read! I can't wait for the second book in this trilogy!