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Used - Acceptable: All pages and the cover are intact but shrink wrap dust covers or boxed set case may be missing. Pages may include limited notes highlighting or minor water damage but the text is readable. Item may but the dust cover may be missing. This could possibly be an ex-library book. Pages may include limited notes and highlighting but the text cannot be obscured or unreadable. It is possible that this is an ex-library book. Used - Acceptable: All pages and the cover are intact but shrink wrap dust covers or boxed set case may be missing. Pages may include limited notes highlighting or minor water damage but the text is readable. Item may but the dust cover may be missing. This could possibly be an ex-library book. Pages may include limited notes and highlighting but the text cannot be obscured or unreadable. It is possible that this is an ex-library book. See less

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Kill Decision Hardcover – July 19, 2012

by Daniel Suarez (Author)

1,994 ratings

Goodreads Choice Award nominee

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The shocking techno-thriller that cements Daniel Suarez’s status as the heir to Michael Crichton and Tom Clancy—a terrifying, breathtaking, and all-too-plausible vision of the world’s near future.

Unmanned weaponized drones already exist—they’re widely used by America in our war efforts in the Middle East. In Kill Decision, bestselling author Daniel Suarez takes that fact and the real science behind it one step further, with frightening results.

Linda McKinney is a myrmecologist, a scientist who studies the social structure of ants. Her academic career has left her entirely unprepared for the day her sophisticated research is conscripted by unknown forces to help run an unmanned—and thanks to her research, automated—drone army. Odin is the secretive Special Ops soldier with a unique insight into the faceless enemy who has begun to attack the American homeland with drones programmed to seek, identify, and execute targets without human intervention.

Together, McKinney and Odin must slow this advance long enough for the world to recognize its destructive power, because for thousands of years the “kill decision” during battle has remained in the hands of humans—and off-loading that responsibility to machines will bring unintended, possibly irreversible, consequences. But as forces even McKinney and Odin don’t understand begin to gather, and death rains down from above, it may already be too late to save humankind from destruction at the hands of our own technology.

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Print length

400 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Dutton
Publication date

July 19, 2012
Dimensions

6.25 x 1.5 x 9.25 inches
ISBN-10

0525952616
ISBN-13

978-0525952619

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Editorial Reviews

Review

"Perfectly blending nail-biting suspense with accessible science, bestseller Suarez establishes himself as a legitimate heir to Michael Crichton with this gripping present-day thriller."
--Publisher's Weekly (starred review)

"A confident thriller that leaves us wondering not whether its fictional premise will one day become reality, but when. "
--Kirkus Reviews on Kill Decision"

"A plausible account of how, and more importantly, why, the real 'skynet' might be created."
--Tim O'Reilly, founder and CEO of O'Reilly Media, Inc.

"Kill Decision is a fantastic techno-thriller. As someone who has designed combat robots myself, I found the technology depicted both accurate and chilling."
--Alexander Rose, Roboticist & Executive Director of The Long Now Foundation

"Suarez's fiction is closer to reality than most people think."
--Chris Anderson, author & Editor-in-Chief, Wired Magazine

From the Author

From the New York Times Bestselling author of Daemon and Freedom™, comes a terrifying, breathtaking, and all-too-possible vision of the world's near future. In his new novel, Kill Decision, Daniel Suarez turns to the timely and increasingly important topic of combat drones. The book tells the story of myrmecologist Linda McKinney--a scientist studying weaver ants--who is forced to team up with a Special Ops soldier after her research is stolen and used by unknown forces to power autonomous swarming weapons. Suarez's well researched thrillers are based on real science and technology, and in Kill Decision he takes the very real implications of automated war to its next logical step.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Dutton; First Edition (July 19, 2012)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 400 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0525952616
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0525952619
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.35 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.25 x 1.5 x 9.25 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #1,204,334 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #31,461 in Thrillers & Suspense (Books)

Customer Reviews:
1,994 ratings

About the author

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Daniel Suarez

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DANIEL SUAREZ is a New York Times bestselling author whose books include Daemon, Freedom TM, Kill Decision, Influx, Change Agent, Delta-v, and its sequel Critical Mass. A former systems consultant to Fortune 1000 companies, he has designed and developed software for the defense, finance, and entertainment industries. With a lifelong interest in both IT systems and creative writing, his high-tech thrillers and realistic science fiction focus on technology-driven change. Suarez is a past speaker at TED Global, MIT Media Lab, and the Long Now Foundation -- among many others. Self-taught in software development, he is a graduate from the University of Delaware with a BA in English Literature. An avid PC and console gamer, his own world-building skills were bolstered through years as a pen & paper role-playing game moderator. He lives in Los Angeles, California.

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Customers say

Customers enjoy this techno-thriller for its believable well-researched plot and fast-paced action, with one customer noting it's a must-read for genre aficionados. Moreover, the writing style is intelligently crafted, and customers find the characters wonderful. Additionally, the book receives positive feedback for its thought-provoking content, with one review highlighting its well-researched essays beyond tech and gadgets. However, the scariness level receives mixed reactions from customers.

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Readability Story quality Thought provoking Pacing Writing style Believable Character development Scariness level

175 customers mention "Readability"175 positive0 negative

Customers find the book highly readable, describing it as a fantastic and enjoyable summer read, particularly praising the first two books in the series.

"...where you'll suddenly sit up straight and say "Holy cow, this book is really good," and then you won't be able to put it down again until the..." Read more

"Up front, I’ll say that I greatly enjoy reading Daniel Suarez’ work...." Read more

"...This novel is a masterful addition to the very sparse genre of robot ant science fiction thrillers, and this time [..." Read more

"...This book is just alright, and if you have read the rest of his books, then go ahead and give it a go...." Read more

174 customers mention "Story quality"141 positive33 negative

Customers praise the book's action-packed story and well-researched plot, particularly appreciating its high-tech elements.

"...In fact, all of the combat scenes were very well done...." Read more

"...The characters made good, if simple sense, appropriate to the thriller genre, and their capabilities worked to support the story line well...." Read more

"...This story had pretty decent action, and while a lot of the book was Suarez's pattern of having characters get from point A to point B through..." Read more

"...Well-researched and chillingly plausible, the plot races across the world to follow a complex and fascinating cast of players as they try to uncover..." Read more

76 customers mention "Thought provoking"69 positive7 negative

Customers find the book thought-provoking, appreciating its well-researched content and believable technical references.

"...Even more so than Daemon, it's grounded in near-term science...." Read more

"...Mind-blowing forays into visual intelligence technology and insect hive behavior, just to name a couple, are woven seamlessly into the rollicking,..." Read more

"...And as technology drives cheaper, smarter, and smaller devices, the potential to deploy those devices as instruments of war - particularly when they..." Read more

"...Also, he is very good at introducing facts those not really known to us(things like how pakistan has the third largets ship wrecking facility)..." Read more

60 customers mention "Pacing"52 positive8 negative

Customers appreciate the book's pacing, describing it as a fast-paced techno-thriller with incredible amounts of action.

"...starts quickly, right around the half-way point, the pace suddenly accelerates to warp speed. I raced through the second half of the book...." Read more

"...The key techologies were timely, well described, and backed with sufficient substance so that a reader conversant with them felt the author spoke..." Read more

"...and technologies can be complex, Suarez's clean, concise prose keeps it all moving and (reasonably)understandable...." Read more

"...he still writes in a very intelligent, well researched, and well paced manner...." Read more

51 customers mention "Writing style"42 positive9 negative

Customers praise the writing style of the book, finding it intelligent and well-described, with one customer noting it is a cut above.

"...The key techologies were timely, well described, and backed with sufficient substance so that a reader conversant with them felt the author spoke..." Read more

"...the concepts and technologies can be complex, Suarez's clean, concise prose keeps it all moving and (reasonably)understandable...." Read more

"...Was it a bad book? No. Was it a smartly written book? You could say that. Was it compelling? Not really...." Read more

"...Regardless, I really like this author; his writing is compelling, and while not quite as succinct and imanginative as someone like Michael Crichton,..." Read more

38 customers mention "Believable"35 positive3 negative

Customers find the book highly believable, praising its incredible detail and realistic backdrops.

"...Well-researched and chillingly plausible, the plot races across the world to follow a complex and fascinating cast of players as they try to uncover..." Read more

"...be a work of fiction, but, as other reviewers have noted, is based on solid research...." Read more

"...Suarez has a vivid, and I assume informed imagination that supplies answers to some of these questions...." Read more

"...The pacing is exhilarating, the storyline immersive, the backdrops so real you will think you are there...." Read more

38 customers mention "Character development"29 positive9 negative

Customers enjoy the characters in the book, with one mentioning they are easy to follow, and another noting how they are placed in a political context.

"...I thought the two main characters, Lind and Odin are likable, compelling characters...." Read more

"...The characters made good, if simple sense, appropriate to the thriller genre, and their capabilities worked to support the story line well...." Read more

"...This one is a pretty good read, and he creates an excellent character in Odin, the leader of the sort of "special ops" group around whom all the..." Read more

"...The main character seemed a bit unbelievable overall as she seemed to have experience with so many aspects of the impromptu situations she was..." Read more

43 customers mention "Scariness level"26 positive17 negative

Customers have mixed reactions to the scariness level of the book, with some finding it scary and creepy, while others appreciate the scary tech elements.

"...The depiction of man-vs-machine fights was utterly terrifying, as it should be. In fact, all of the combat scenes were very well done...." Read more

"...It's no fun having heros without the bad guys! The drones can't be the bad guys - we need a Dr. evil and there isn't one...." Read more

"...Overall, an excellent, chilling read. I hope the author's next thriller is out very SOON! Can't wait." Read more

"...production around the world and this makes a very real scenario and scary novel...." Read more

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William Hertling
Fans of Daemon will love Kill Decision
Reviewed in the United States on July 25, 2012
Verified Purchase

Wow, just wow!

Kill Decision is a very fast paced technothriller. Even more so than Daemon, it's grounded in near-term science. Everything that Suarez writes about either exists now or could exist within the next few years. Remote-controlled military Drones exist. Autonomous flying craft exist. It's only a matter of time before armed drones are autonomous, and Suarez neatly explains why.

Although the action starts quickly, right around the half-way point, the pace suddenly accelerates to warp speed. I raced through the second half of the book. As you're reading, there will be a point where you'll suddenly sit up straight and say "Holy cow, this book is really good," and then you won't be able to put it down again until the end.

The depiction of man-vs-machine fights was utterly terrifying, as it should be. In fact, all of the combat scenes were very well done. I thought the two main characters, Lind and Odin are likable, compelling characters.

Without wanting to include any spoilers, I will say that the plausibility of the bad guys seems a little weak. But I don't think this will detract from your enjoyment. You might notice it, but you'll probably just move on, enjoying the plot and conflict.

Daemon was one of the best books I'd read in years, and so I was eagerly looking forward to Kill Decision. It exceeded my expectations.

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J. W. Livingston Jr.
Thriller with Lots of Fascinating Science
Reviewed in the United States on April 8, 2018
Verified Purchase
Up front, I’ll say that I greatly enjoy reading Daniel Suarez’ work. I’ve heard him likened to Michael Chricton, but I think that gives the late author more credit than his works deserve. Chricton, in my reading of his work, never provided the competent science that one finds in all of Suarez’. Perhaps it has to do with the difference in education and experience between the two men; I wouldn’t want to opine at length on that idea, but it makes sense to me, based on what I know of each author. What I will say is that this novel was excellent, exciting, and hard to put down. The characters made good, if simple sense, appropriate to the thriller genre, and their capabilities worked to support the story line well. The key techologies were timely, well described, and backed with sufficient substance so that a reader conversant with them felt the author spoke with authority on his topics. I’ll be looking forward to the next idea Daniel Suarez picks for a novel’s technological theme. I’m sure he’ll wrap a great story around it!

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John Walker
Killer drones, robot ants, and swarm intelligence! Masterful thriller that has it all
Reviewed in the United States on January 18, 2020
Verified Purchase
A drone strike on a crowd of pilgrims at one of the holiest shrines of Shia Islam in Iraq inflames the world against the U.S., which denies its involvement. (“But who else is flying drones in Iraq?”, is the universal response.) Meanwhile, the U.S. is rocked by a series of mysterious bombings, killing businessmen on a golf course, computer vision specialists meeting in Silicon Valley, military contractors in a building near the Pentagon—all seemingly unrelated. A campaign is building to develop and deploy autonomous armed drones to “protect the homeland”.

Prof. Linda McKinney, doing research on weaver ants in Tanzania, seems far away from all this until she is saved from an explosion which destroys her camp by a mysterious group of special forces led by a man known only as “Odin”. She learns that her computer model of weaver ant colony behaviour has been stolen from her university's computer network by persons unknown who may be connected with the attacks, including the one she just escaped.

The fear is that her ant model could be used as the basis for “swarm intelligence” drones which could cooperate to be a formidable weapon. With each individual drone having only rudimentary capabilities, like an isolated ant, they could be mass-produced and shift the military balance of power in favour of whoever possessed the technology.

McKinney soon finds herself entangled in a black world where nothing is certain and she isn't even sure which side she's working for. Shocking discoveries indicate that the worst case she feared may be playing out, and she must decide where to place her allegiance.

This novel is a masterful addition to the very sparse genre of robot ant science fiction thrillers, and this time I'm not the villain! Suarez has that rare talent, as had Michael Crichton, of writing action scenes which just beg to be put on the big screen and stories where the screenplay just writes itself. Should Hollywood turn this into a film and not botch it, the result should be a treat. You will learn some things about ants which you probably didn't know (all correct, as far as I can determine), visit a locale in the U.S. which sounds like something out of a Bond film but actually exists, and meet two of the most curious members of a special operations team in all of fiction.

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Tomasino
OK - Just OK.
Reviewed in the United States on July 16, 2015
Verified Purchase
I loved the author's first two books. This book was a bit more predictable, and slower paced than his previous titles. I did enjoy the science of the Weaver ants and how it related to drone swarming. I enjoyed this less because the story was more geared as a military action novel rather than a story driven by the technology as was the case in the previous two novels. The main character seemed a bit unbelievable overall as she seemed to have experience with so many aspects of the impromptu situations she was presented with, where she didn't seem that adventurous in the earlier part of the book. The book also started off with characters that were built up and dropped pretty much without any mention of them again. This book is just alright, and if you have read the rest of his books, then go ahead and give it a go. I would not recommend this as the first book you read by him, as his first two are just more interesting overall.

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iceman
Début soporifique, s'améliore à mesure que l'histoire avance.
Reviewed in France on February 10, 2025
Verified Purchase

Début plutôt prétentieux, digression sans bcp d'intérêt, peu d'action... Soporifique. Ensuite l'action est plus intéressante, malgré quelques invraisemblances.

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Alberto
Imperdibile per i fans dei tecnothriller
Reviewed in Italy on March 7, 2013
Verified Purchase
Suarez è informatissimo e scrive con estrema cura nei dettagli affinchè tutto sia verosimile
Un ottimo romanzo basato sull'idea dell'intelligenza collettiva applicata alle macchine
A mio parere i due romanzi precedenti (Daemon e Freedom (TM) ) erano di un altro livello, quasi rivelatori di un pensiero nuovo, ma anche questo è sicuramente da leggere

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the Fan
Awesome!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 28, 2014
Verified Purchase
Excellent & frightening book. ?Shape of things to come. Let's hope not. A well researched, fast paced, action-packed thriller! Well worth a read.

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Normand Charette
Technothriller with very creative twists.
Reviewed in Canada on April 13, 2019
Verified Purchase
Good book Hope for a sequel. Some of the heroes have an unlikely budget to do what they do but still it's fun.

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くまちょっぷ
よく考えると不思議な話なのだ...
Reviewed in Japan on July 1, 2020
Verified Purchase
ITコンサルタント出身の作者、ダニエル・スアレス。本作(2012)のタイトルになった『 Kill Decision 』については、翌2013年に同じたタイトルで TED Talk でスピーチをしている。

私はこの TED Talk から本作のテーマを知り、本を手にとった順番だ。そして、読み終えての感想は、とても良い意味で期待が裏切られる話の構成だったなというもの。

主人公たちが誰と戦っているのか。ここが面白いところなので伏せておくが、読了後、ジワジワと「はて！？」と不思議な感覚に包まれるだろう。スアレスはなにを想定していたのかを想像すると楽しさが増す。

ダニエル・スアレスの作品郡については、遺伝子操作モノ「 Change Agent」(2017)を読み、次いで処女作「 Daemon 」(2009) と続編「 Freedom 」(2010)と読んできた。

著者は "人間らしさ(humanity)" についてメッセージがあるのではと思う。「 Daemon 」「 Freedom 」の連作ではそれが色濃くでていたが話の構成はクネクネしていて、言葉づかいも私にとっては難解だった。一方、「 Change Agent 」については話の構成や言葉選びが読者にとって優しい感じにと変化がでている。

翻って、本作『 Kill Decision 』は、まさしくこの中間過程にあるという雰囲気。一冊にまとめきれなかった感も出ていながら、著者のテーマに対する研究力の高さ、熱心さも話にしっかり織り込まれている。

主人公のうちのひとりは昆虫学者である。それが、人工知能やドローンとあのように結びつくとは... とても興味深く読むことができた。

私はたぶんダニエル・スアレス自身に興味があるので本作も星５つ。

だけれども、あえて言うならば。著者のメッセージは話の2/3ほどでうまくまとまっていて、あとのバトルシーンは必要性がなかったようにも思う（ただ、テクノスリラーなので必要、たぶん）。しかし、それもこれも著者の作品に対するチャレンジ精神の表れだと受け止めている。

変わらずメッセージは "テクノロジーの進化における、人間らしさへの問いかけ" にあると思う。素敵な作者と出会えてうれしい。

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