The Bohr Maker

4.2 out of 5 stars (1,064)
3.9 on Goodreads
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Book accolades

  1. Locus AwardWinner, 1996
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Book details

  1. Book 1 of 3
    The Nanotech Succession
  2. Print length
    325 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publisher
    Bantam Books (Spectra)
  5. Publication date
    March 1, 1995
  6. Dimensions
    4.25 x 1 x 7 inches
  7. ISBN-10
    0553569252
  8. ISBN-13
    978-0553569254
  9. See all details
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Book overview

It is the most powerful technology known to humanity, microscopically small, allowing its user to control and change other's moods and emotions, and even to reprogram his or her own genetic structure. Its potential as the ultimate weapon or an instrument of peace has led to its ban by the Commonwealth.

Someone has stolen this outlaw technology, the Bohr Maker, from the secret files of the Commonwealth Police, at the command of a man with a genetic time bomb coded into his DNA. Nikko Jiang-Tibayan has only weeks to live, and he will do anything to stay only weeks to live, and he will do anything to stay alive, even if it means the end of life as we know it.

But then the Bohr Maker falls into the hands of a beautiful young woman in the poverty-stricken slums of Sunda. Its technology will make her both fugitive and messiah. The object of frantic searches by a walking dead man and a high-tech police force, the Maker holds the key to the total destruction of humanity -- or its miraculous rebirth....

From Booklist

Nagata joins the growing ranks of sf authors inspired by the emerging science of nanotechnology. At the center of her brilliantly original first novel is a powerful, illicit device known as the Bohr Maker, a microscopic factory full of self-replicating machines programmed to transform a human host into a genius-level nanotech engineer. Nikko, a genetically altered resident of a space colony, is reaching the end of his built-in life span and is eager to procure the Bohr Maker, as much to save his own life as to break the stranglehold of Earth's ruling Commonwealth. Before he can lay hands on it, however, the Bohr Maker's earthbound owner is killed and its tiny machinery injected into the body of an ignorant, poverty-stricken woman named Phousita, which changes the destiny of everyone in unforeseeable ways. Nagata reinforces her compelling story line with a wealth of mind-bending ideas that make her work favorably comparable with that of leading-edge stylists such as Bruce Sterling and Neal Stephenson and sure to be popular with both critics and fans. Carl Hays

Review

"Nagata sweeps us into a compelling high-tech future in which nanotechnology has transformed life and society into strange new forms. The Bohr Maker is an exciting debut by a strong new writer."

-- Mary Rosenblum, author of The Drylands

From the Inside Flap

st powerful technology known to humanity, microscopically small, allowing its user to control and change other's moods and emotions, and even to reprogram his or her own genetic structure. Its potential as the ultimate weapon or an instrument of peace has led to its ban by the Commonwealth.

Someone has stolen this outlaw technology, the Bohr Maker, from the secret files of the Commonwealth Police, at the command of a man with a genetic time bomb coded into his DNA. Nikko Jiang-Tibayan has only weeks to live, and he will do anything to stay only weeks to live, and he will do anything to stay alive, even if it means the end of life as we know it.

But then the Bohr Maker falls into the hands of a beautiful young woman in the poverty-stricken slums of Sunda. Its technology will make her both fugitive and messiah. The object of frantic searches by a walking dead man and a high-tech police force, the Maker holds the key to the total destruction of humanity -- or its miraculous rebi

From the Back Cover

"Nagata sweeps us into a compelling high-tech future in which nanotechnology has transformed life and society into strange new forms. The Bohr Maker is an exciting debut by a strong new writer."

-- Mary Rosenblum, author of The Drylands

About the author

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Linda Nagata
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Linda Nagata’s work has been nominated for the Hugo, Nebula, Locus, John W. Campbell Memorial, and Theodore Sturgeon Memorial awards. She has won the Nebula and is a two-time winner of the Locus award. She’s best known for her high-tech science fiction, including the near-future thriller, The Last Good Man, and the far-future adventure series, Inverted Frontier.

Linda has lived most of her life in Hawaii, where she’s been a writer, a mom, a programmer of database-driven websites, and an independent publisher. She lives with her husband in their long-time home on the island of Maui.

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Features & details

Features

  • Used Book in Good Condition

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  1. Most purchased | Highest rated | Lowest Pricein this set of products
    Edges (Inverted Frontier)
  2. Deception Well (The Nanotech Succession)
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Customer reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars
1,064 global ratings

Customers say

Customers find the book fascinating from many perspectives. They describe the plot as good, multi-layered, and action-packed. Readers also find the characters fascinating, well-written, and human. Opinions are mixed on the writing quality, with some finding it well-told and compelling, while others say it's almost indecipherable and uncompelling.

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Thought provokingPlot qualityCharacter developmentWriting quality
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21Customers mention
21Positive
0Negative

Customers find the book fascinating from many perspectives. They appreciate the clever premise, interesting ideas, and world the author has set up. Readers also appreciate the great far-reaching insights and world-building. They say the book weaves a believable and enthralling tale of adventure.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

"...were interesting, the writing was solid, and the world the author has set up was intriguing...." Read more

"...Wow! Great concept, great characters, and great far-reaching insights into a scenario that pits those who want the future to dismiss all use of..." Read more

"...and an amazing future all combine to make this a very swift, yt thought provoking read!" Read more

"...All this and is was a good read." Read more

17Customers mention
13Positive
4Negative

Customers find the plot quality of the book good. They say the story is multi-layered, action-packed, and has excitement. Readers also mention the writing style is excellent and the story progresses fairly smoothly.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

"This was agreat hard science science fiction book. There wa a lot of biology and nanotechnoogy in it...." Read more

"...but it is her writing style that draws you in and her multi layered action packed plot that makes this a hard book to put down...." Read more

"...The plot was good, but so much more could have been done with this piece of work. Also, I noticed the prices of the other books in this series...." Read more

"...The tech feels great, and the story has pretty of excitement. The contrast between the slums and the orbitals also work well. Really enjoyed it...." Read more

7Customers mention
7Positive
0Negative

Customers find the characters fascinating, well-written, and flawed. They also say the descriptions of the world are rich and detailed.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

"...I thought the characters were interesting, the writing was solid, and the world the author has set up was intriguing...." Read more

"...Wow! Great concept, great characters, and great far-reaching insights into a scenario that pits those who want the future to dismiss all use of..." Read more

"...The start of a great trilogy!Fantastic characters the drive the plot and an amazing future all combine to make this a very swift, yt thought..." Read more

"...The characters are well written, they are deep, they are flawed, and they are human. No Han Solo, Indian Jones, or Jack Reacher here...." Read more

13Customers mention
8Positive
5Negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the writing quality of the book. Some mention it's well-told, interesting, and well-crafted. However, others say the chapters are almost indecipherable, uncompelling, and hard to follow.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

"...I thought the characters were interesting, the writing was solid, and the world the author has set up was intriguing...." Read more

"The first chapter of this book was almost indecipherable...." Read more

"All the Nanotech books — indeed, all of Linda Nagata’s works — are well-crafted and absorbing...." Read more

"Interesting ideas, well written, and good pacing. Horrible cover art on amazon, but thats my only criticism" Read more

Top reviews from the United States

Lynn
4.0 out of 5 starsVerified Purchase
Interesting and different -Southeast Asian setting
Reviewed in the United States on April 5, 2014
In a world where it seems like 75% of science fiction is military, and most of the rest involves magic/vampires/zombies, this is refreshingly different. Without getting into tedious plot summaries, it involves a future world heavily into biotech, and what happens when some... See more
In a world where it seems like 75% of science fiction is military, and most of the rest involves magic/vampires/zombies, this is refreshingly different. Without getting into tedious plot summaries, it involves a future world heavily into biotech, and what happens when some of that tech gets turned loose in a South Asian slum. For the slum-dwellers, advanced tech really is magic.

I thought the characters were interesting, the writing was solid, and the world the author has set up was intriguing. I will definitely read more in this series, and by this author. The only reason I didn't give this five stars rather than four was that the ending felt a little flaky to me. But I would definitely recommend this to my friends.
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Timgesner
5.0 out of 5 starsVerified Purchase
a vast foretelling of a plausible future
Reviewed in the United States on June 6, 2014
This book is very reminiscent of another book I read before Copernik's Rebellion (one of my most favorite books ever). It involves a future where man has figured out a way to control Nanobots to such a factor that they have become extremely dangerous and as such are... See more
This book is very reminiscent of another book I read before Copernik's Rebellion (one of my most favorite books ever). It involves a future where man has figured out a way to control Nanobots to such a factor that they have become extremely dangerous and as such are strictly controlled. These Nanobots are known as "makers", thus comes the title, Bohr's Maker is an illegal variant of maker that is more powerful, and intelligent, than any other and it has infected a young, poor girl in the slums of earth. Wow! Great concept, great characters, and great far-reaching insights into a scenario that pits those who want the future to dismiss all use of makers so that "Mother Earth" may stay sacrosanct and those who want to use makers to "better" humanity. This book will have you taking sides, that is for sure, and probably get you thinking about the benefits and consequences of a society that can harness Nanobots for both good and bad. An excellent book.
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Jamie
4.0 out of 5 starsVerified Purchase
The start of a great trilogy!
Reviewed in the United States on April 2, 2019
The Bohr Maker (The Nanotech Succession, #1) by Linda Nagata

The start of a great trilogy!
Fantastic characters the drive the plot and an amazing future all combine to make this a very swift, yt thought provoking read!
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Kindle Customer
5.0 out of 5 starsVerified Purchase
This is the beginning to a great series.
Reviewed in the United States on May 18, 2021
If you are looking for a series to get hooked on while waiting for your favorite author to drop their next book in their series. This is it. Nagatas got it. This is my second go on The Bohr Maker. I first read it years ago in junior high. A lot of it was over my... See more
If you are looking for a series to get hooked on while waiting for your favorite author to drop their next book in their series. This is it. Nagatas got it.

This is my second go on The Bohr Maker. I first read it years ago in junior high. A lot of it was over my head but I still enjoyed it. I just finished reading the Inverted Frontier series which follows the Nanotech Succession series. Which is what pushed me to reread The Bohr Maker and I am glad that I did. So much forgotten so much missed.

The first couple of chapters were a little clunky, but once I got used to rhythm and cadence of Nagata's writing style the story progressed fairly smoothly for me. There were couple of other parts that could have been edited better but they were few and far between. Not everyone has multiple editors with an army of alpha and beta readers to help hammer everything out. The characters are well written, they are deep, they are flawed, and they are human. No Han Solo, Indian Jones, or Jack Reacher here. Nothing against Han or Indy, I love them, but there are no swashbuckling heroes in this story. I am still impressed with the world that she has created and the technology within it. They both hold up decently considering The Bohr Maker was originally published 1995.

As far as the Nanotech Succession series goes, I feel that Linda Nagata can run with the likes of Peter F. Hamilton, Neil Asher and all the popular sci-fi writers out there. Nagata should be more popular.
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Derp
3.0 out of 5 stars
A truly mind-boggling narrative
Reviewed in the United States on September 19, 2023
This contains minor spoilers, not of the story but stuff from the book. I'm 70% into the book according to my Kindle, and I still have no idea exactly what Summer House is in the novel. If you haven't read it yet, it's not a spoiler; it's where the character... See more
This contains minor spoilers, not of the story but stuff from the book.

I'm 70% into the book according to my Kindle, and I still have no idea exactly what Summer House is in the novel. If you haven't read it yet, it's not a spoiler; it's where the character lives, I think, or exists, I think, and it's real, I think, or purely virtual, I think, and you can physically be at that location, I think, or it's only for digital variants, I think... Do you see where I'm going with this?

For the most part, the book is only OK. It has a cool concept and the ideas are before their time, but the book is pretty confusing. Once I'm done with the book, I will have to read a Wikipedia article to explain everything: what's a Kishear and what does it do/how does it work? What's an atrium? Why is Nikko in blue armor stuff sometimes?

It's pretty hard to follow honestly, so I'll need a recap of the story at the end and then I think everything will fall into place. Linda Nagata is a decent writer with a style, but the story seems slightly messy.
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Patricia A. Norton
4.0 out of 5 starsVerified Purchase
Good solid science fiction.
Reviewed in the United States on March 27, 2013
This was agreat hard science science fiction book. There wa a lot of biology and nanotechnoogy in it. It also had overtones of social philosophy in it. All this and is was a good read.
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James Easter
5.0 out of 5 starsVerified Purchase
The richest and most dense of the Nanotech succession
Reviewed in the United States on April 15, 2018
All the Nanotech books — indeed, all of Linda Nagata’s works — are well-crafted and absorbing. This one is my favorite among the four in the series (including “Tech Heaven”). Nagata’s vision is of a future in which nanotechnology is dominant and inevitable. She develops... See more
All the Nanotech books — indeed, all of Linda Nagata’s works — are well-crafted and absorbing. This one is my favorite among the four in the series (including “Tech Heaven”). Nagata’s vision is of a future in which nanotechnology is dominant and inevitable. She develops this by weaving explicative beads into the narrative tapestry, a necessary skill in science fiction, and one she’s mastered. As we start to understand how genetic manipulation, autonomous nanocreatures (“Makers”) and hyperadvanced information technology control everyone’s lives, we come to know Nikko (“rhymes with ‘psycho’”), his father’s genetically engineered masterpiece, the sinister Kirstin Adair, happy to take Nikko as her lover before enforcing the law that will abolish his genotype (along with him), and gentle Phousita, become an unintended goddess by the agency of the unimaginably powerful Maker. And yes, the title is a wry grammatical twist: the book is not about a maker of Bohrs, but a Maker named after Bohr, its creator. By all means, read “Tech Heaven”, but it’s OK to start here, before “Deception Well” and “Vast”. You’ll enjoy the ride.
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Chris Hansen
4.0 out of 5 starsVerified Purchase
Very solid!
Reviewed in the United States on January 21, 2023
I really enjoyed reading this. Nagata has created a believable universe where physical and digital existence are seamless, intelligent nanotechnology constructs everything dynamically, and biogenesis technology is available but illegal.
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Top reviews from other countries

Rudolf P.
2.0 out of 5 starsVerified Purchase
was will mir dieses Buch sagen?
Reviewed in Germany on August 24, 2022
Was will mir dieses Buch sagen? Nachdem ich es nach den ersten 100 Seiten noch immer nicht wusste: abgebrochen.
Was will mir dieses Buch sagen?
Nachdem ich es nach den ersten 100 Seiten noch immer nicht wusste: abgebrochen.

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Lesnet
4.0 out of 5 starsVerified Purchase
A good read
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 31, 2017
An enjoyable tale that doesnt stretch credibility too far. Interesting finish that leaves a lot of potential threads to be picked up.
An enjoyable tale that doesnt stretch credibility too far. Interesting finish that leaves a lot of potential threads to be picked up.

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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 starsVerified Purchase
High-tech but intensely personal
Reviewed in Canada on August 2, 2021
Having read a previous book by the author, I knew to "give it time". The multiple locations, the (at least) three points of view, are a little confusing at first but then things start to gel and make sense. Well not exactly "sense", this is far off future high tech stuff...See more
Having read a previous book by the author, I knew to "give it time". The multiple locations, the (at least) three points of view, are a little confusing at first but then things start to gel and make sense. Well not exactly "sense", this is far off future high tech stuff and the reader must come to the book with a very willing suspension of disbelief. But Linda Negata rewards with an awesome display of imagination and well drawn characters whose thoughts and feelings ring true.
Having read a previous book by the author, I knew to "give it time". The multiple locations, the (at least) three points of view, are a little confusing at first but then things start to gel and make sense. Well not exactly "sense", this is far off future high tech stuff and the reader must come to the book with a very willing suspension of disbelief. But Linda Negata rewards with an awesome display of imagination and well drawn characters whose thoughts and feelings ring true.

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Andrew
5.0 out of 5 starsVerified Purchase
Real sci fi
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 30, 2019
With so much sci fi that I read, especially epic sci fi. I find so little credible science just cowboys in space. Linda Negata is a rare find. The science is totally believable( as long as you think that transfer of consciousness between human am machine is possible), the...See more
With so much sci fi that I read, especially epic sci fi. I find so little credible science just cowboys in space. Linda Negata is a rare find. The science is totally believable( as long as you think that transfer of consciousness between human am machine is possible), the plots interesting , the characters varied and credible, and the action engaging. She has also managed to pull off story lines that span the huge distances and time spans involved in space without resorting to the old cliche of instantaneous travel. Add to that a wonderfully unique vision of a possible future for humanity, credible alien life forms, and really thought provoking philosophical issues such as the nature of consciousness, self, free will, and intelligence and I find myself adding this author to my list of favourite sci fi authors. This book is limited to the near -ish future (compared to the sequels) on earth, but if you are looking for a space epic don’t be put off. The story expands out into the universe and across eons with subsequent books. I have no doubt that eventually I’ll read everything she has written. I’ve completed this trilogy and started on the next and wholeheartedly encourage you to stick with them. Very enjoyable and thought provoking FYI my current list of favourite authors also includes Ian Banks Richard Morgan Neal Asher James A Corey Ann Leckie And I have to include George RR Martin even though he is all fi and no sci
With so much sci fi that I read, especially epic sci fi. I find so little credible science just cowboys in space. Linda Negata is a rare find.

The science is totally believable( as long as you think that transfer of consciousness between human am machine is possible), the plots interesting , the characters varied and credible, and the action engaging.

She has also managed to pull off story lines that span the huge distances and time spans involved in space without resorting to the old cliche of instantaneous travel.

Add to that a wonderfully unique vision of a possible future for humanity, credible alien life forms, and really thought provoking philosophical issues such as the nature of consciousness, self, free will, and intelligence and I find myself adding this author to my list of favourite sci fi authors.

This book is limited to the near -ish future (compared to the sequels) on earth, but if you are looking for a space epic don’t be put off. The story expands out into the universe and across eons with subsequent books.

I have no doubt that eventually I’ll read everything she has written. I’ve completed this trilogy and started on the next and wholeheartedly encourage you to stick with them.

Very enjoyable and thought provoking

FYI my current list of favourite authors also includes

Ian Banks
Richard Morgan
Neal Asher
James A Corey
Ann Leckie

And I have to include George RR Martin even though he is all fi and no sci

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Oliver
5.0 out of 5 starsVerified Purchase
A different story
Reviewed in Canada on June 8, 2017
Bought this as it was on special and it caught my attention. Very different from other stories. I love the premise and can't wait to read the next one. Where will this all lead?
Bought this as it was on special and it caught my attention.
Very different from other stories.
I love the premise and can't wait to read the next one. Where will this all lead?
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